Nutrition Stop - Childrens Health

Boost Your Kid's Immunity

It's mid-September, and the pediatrics office is filled with kids who have colds, strep throat, and ear infections. Mothers show up complaining that every fall, their school-aged children fight off cold after cold. However, when these colds lead to chronic ear infections, pneumonia, asthma attacks, or sinus infections, parents become frustrated. Will boosting kid's immunity with a program of vitamins and minerals keep them healthier? Are diseases in children really influenced by their nutrition? These are questions that parents ask time and again. Fortunately, the answer is a definite "yes." Be sure to give your children a natural multivitamin with minerals supplement. Here are some key foods for a healthier back-to-school season and winter:

Vitamin A and Beta Carotene: Dairy, egg yolks, carrots, sweet potatoes, winter squash, cantaloupe, apricots, mangoes, peaches, green leafy vegetables
B6: Carrots, chicken, eggs, fish, meat, peas, spinach, sunflower seeds, walnuts and wheat germ
B12: Dairy products, eggs, meats, poultry, and seafood
Folic Acid (folic acid is easily destroyed by cooking): Barley, brown rice, cheese, fortified cereals, green leafy vegetables, legumes, meats, milk, mushrooms, oranges, wheat germ, and whole wheat
Vitamin C: Citrus fruits, asparagus, avocados, broccoli, cantaloupe, mangoes, green peas, spinach, strawberries, tomatoes, and sweet yellow peppers
Vitamin E: Almonds, sunflower seeds, wheat germ, brown rice, cornmeal, soybeans, egg yolks, and peanut butter
Calcium: Almonds, broccoli, dairy products, salmon (with bones), seafood, soy products, tofu, and green leafy vegetables
Magnesium: Dairy products, fish, meat, nuts, peanut butter, tofu, green vegetables, watermelon, and whole wheat
Selenium (dependent on the soil where food is grown or raised): Tuna, shrimp, lobster, brown rice, egg yolks, sunflower seeds, meat, and grains
Zinc: Beef, cheese, fish, lentils, oysters, peanuts, pecans, pine nuts, pork, turkey, wheat germ, and whole grain cereals
Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Fatty fish (such as mackerel, herring, salmon, and sardines), green leafy vegetables, canola oil, walnuts, flaxseed oil, flax seeds and fish oil