Parents always want the best for their children, whether in school, extra-curricular activities, or health. For toddlers, eating a well-balanced diet is vital to their growth and development. But let’s face it; getting them to eat the essentials can be challenging, especially when something green is on their plate.
That’s where a toddler multivitamin comes in. These supplements can help fulfill daily nutritional needs. There are also additional benefits that can help your child’s development. We’ll outline them all below.
1. Fills in Nutritional Gaps
Everyone needs a specific amount of vitamins and nutrients to have optimal health, and the same applies to toddlers. Although they don’t know anything about body development, it’s your job to ensure they meet the nutritional requirement. But that’s easier said than done; picky eaters don’t give you a chance to try.
With the help of a toddler multivitamin, you won’t have to worry about your child missing nutritional gaps. The multivitamin will supplement them for you. While they can provide some assistance, it’s still best to try and get your child to eat a well-balanced diet for the best outcome.
2. Supports Bone Health
Toddlers are still learning the way of the world. So they will (occasionally) get into some problems that will leave you puzzled. You also want to ensure their play style doesn’t lead to broken bones, which can be scary.
A toddler multivitamin includes vitamin D—usually absorbed from fish products or supplements—and calcium, which you can get from sources such as:
- Dairy products like milk and cheese
- Leafy vegetables such as kale and spinach
- Bread
These are two essential minerals that help support bone development. Toddlers need roughly 600 IU of vitamin D and 700 mg of calcium daily. Even with the knicks and knacks they’ll get while learning their bodies, your toddler’s bones will be strong enough to support their exploration phase.
3. Improves Energy and Alertness
Parenting a toddler is no easy feat because they have plenty of energy. You’ll have to run around chasing them most of the time since they’ve finally conquered walking. And while food is the ideal fuel to boost their energy levels, toddler multivitamins can help put too.
Some formulas are tasty and naturally sweetened, so your child can enjoy them easily. Furthermore, with the organic nature of the supplement, your child will have improved energy and alertness without crashing. Rather than giving them candy and sugary drinks, introduce these supplements and watch their energy levels remain consistent throughout the day. Unfortunately, that means you’ll need to have your best shoes on to keep up!
4. Supports Immune Health and Function
Toddlers need extra help to ensure their bodies are healthy. Their immune systems can be somewhat weaker since they’re still developing. However, you can help their immune system functionality with a toddler multivitamin.
These supplements include vitamins A, C, and E, which are essential for fighting anything that could impact your child’s health. The last thing you want is to take care of a sick child. Instead, the consistency of taking a multivitamin can support a healthy immune system throughout the year and limit their exposure to harmful elements.
5. Helps Develop Healthy Habits Early
It’s never too early to start developing your toddler’s healthy habits. Practices such as brushing your teeth before bed or washing your hands with soap after using the bathroom will become staples in their lives. But you can also incorporate multivitamins.
Explaining the benefits of these supplements from an early age can help your child later on in life. As they continue growing, they’ll be more conscious of health decisions and consider the importance of their eating habits. Once they enter adulthood, staying consistent will be much easier since it was ingrained from an early age.
Here are the Benefits of Multivitamins for Toddlers
As you can see, a toddler multivitamin comes with many benefits. They fill in nutritional gaps when your child doesn’t want to eat certain foods; bone and immune system development is supported by taking them. Furthermore, they’ll have a lot of energy for various activities, and the early introduction of these supplements can help them develop healthy habits later in life.
Before introducing multivitamins into your child’s life, look for organic and chewable supplements. Don’t resort to gummies because most have artificial flavorings that won’t benefit child development, even if they are “healthy.” Chewable supplements are more sustainable, tasty and can ease your child into a healthy lifestyle.