Children have a tendency to want to choose certain foods above the others and exclude important nutrient bearing ones. So no matter how nutritious the food they are eating is, it may not supply all the nutrients the child requires, all of the time. Some points to keep in mind in meal planning:

Nutrients work together in food group teams.
One nutrient can not make up for the shortage of another.
Foods from all the basic food groups should be eaten daily (grains, vegetables, fruits, dairy, meats, fats/oils).
Variety in the child's diet balances against over consumption or deficiency of any nutrient.
Read the labels!
Avoid processed, chemically altered, additive-filled etc…foods.
Buy organic when possible.
Every child's garden of nutrition needs water to grow. Watch those sugary, artificial drinks!

Vitamin Facts for Parents
Be cautious when you mix children and vitamins! Know your sources! There are times when children thrive on the right vitamins and there are times when they don't. Vitamins can cause an adverse affect if taken in unbalanced and overqualified amounts. Seek to obtain a child's vitamins and minerals from balanced nutritious meals first. For reasons such as mineral depleted soils, additive filled foods, and children who refuse to eat "right"- we must then consider providing an artillery of alternatives. In addition,- we have all types of children. Children with chronic illness, allergic children, overweight children, hyperactive children, underachieving and delinquent children, diabetic children, athletic children, restless and sleepless children... And oh my gosh- the child entering puberty! For the many types of children, there are as many types of alternatives. You must begin by knowing your child. There are professionals who can assist you in obtaining this knowledge. Seek your answers and know the facts. Your child deserves the best, both in the foods that you choose and in the appropriate supplementation. Know your sources! If you choose to supply a vitamin/mineral supplement to your child's diet, know the source. If you're not sure, call the company. The products should be as close to food-based as possible. Nature's Plus KidGreenz is a chewable tablet containing 250 mg. of a precisely formulated, synergistic blend of green vegetables, aquatic superfoods (spirulina), and lactic flora growth enhancers. This is an excellent solution to those children who refuse to eat their "greens".

Importance of Nutrition During Illness
A child who is sick is a child under stress. It is important to supply the adrenal glands with the proper nutrients so that the proper immune response is obtained from the body. During illness, extra vitamin C, vitamins B5 and B6, and folic acid are necessary as a stress fighting team. Additional supplementation may act as a guide, but not in place of proper medical advice. Within the health artillery, certain natural supplementation can be used to support the immune response and encourage a natural balance to be regained from within the child. In addition to the extra nutrients from food and/or supplementation, it is important to supply the beneficial strains of infection-fighting bacteria into the gastro-intestinal tract. By supplying both additional Colostrum (initially obtained from breast-feeding at infancy), and bacterial strains as lacto-bacillus bifidus, the incidence of gastrointestinal and respiratory infections is greatly reduced. These "friendly" bacterial strains enhance the bio-availability of vitamins, minerals, and amino acid uptake in the child's metabolic processes. Medical professionals acknowledge the benefits of restoring a balance of healthy flora in the body to aid in detoxifying harmful bacteria. Today, whenever antibiotics are employed, it becomes a necessity. These strains of healthy flora are inexpensive, and easily obtained in products manufactured by Nature's Way and Immune-Tree. It is difficult to supply the quantity needed of these bacterial strains from cow's milk, or related products especially if already depleted as during illness. Immune-Tree manufactures a colostrum containing the highest content of immunoglobulins and nucleosides, which are key to healthy cell reproduction and growth. Medicines Vs. Vitamins….the battle continues Medicine can do wonders for children. If prescribed and taken correctly, medicines can cure a variety of illnesses that can not be combated any other way. Far too often, however, they are over-prescribed, prescribed unnecessarily, and offer a tremendous amount of money to their manufacturers. Vitamins and herbal supplements are natural substances and therefore not under government, corporate, or physicians control. Vitamins and herbal supplements can work as medicines when used as the natural pharmacy that they are. Oftentimes, numerous illnesses previously treated unsuccessfully with medical drugs, respond to vitamin, herbal, and natural food regimens. The side effects of certain drugs can be harmful and compound the original illness that initiated their use. Become aware that certain medicines may deplete your child's nutritional stores. Keep your child on a nutritional, sugar free diet during illness and consider some safe immune enhancing additions. One of the most common herbal supplements in the child's health corner today is echinacea. Country Life Children's Echinacea Complex is an alcohol free, natural flavored, botanical extract. Echinacea has been shown to stimulate the immune system response by increasing white blood cells to the area of infection, and neutralizing viruses by destroying bacteria. In addition, this blend includes medicinal herbs, which support respiratory tract infections and prevent various viral infections. Children's Echinacea Complex taken with Herbs For Kids Cherry Bark Blend provides a soothing, yet effective approach to coughs, bronchial conditions and pneumonia's. For dry, or chronic coughs, Gaia's Children Cough Syrup is a great tasting, fast acting expectorant, targeting the lungs for the removal of mucus and reducing painful throat and lung inflammation. Recurrent ear problems require an improvement in your child's resistance to infection. Oftentimes food sensitivity to dairy products lowers the resistance to building a strong immune defense to these types of infections. Have the middle ear checked by a medical professional. Support the child's immune system response by eliminating dairy products for the duration of the infection. Wheat allergies may also produce this response. Country Life's Children's Echinacea Complex provides the infection fighting effectiveness while Gaia's Children Ear Drops provide relief. Drop by drop, this warm oil reduces inflammation while helping soothe the pain. Always restore the friendly flora to help boost immunity, and ward off infectious bacteria, shortening the length of the infection, and lessening its severity. Nature's Way Primadophilus For Children in dissolvable powder form, and junior size capsules, repopulates and restores intestinal balance, especially when and if antibiotics have been prescribed.

The information presented is for informational purposes only. The results reported may not necessarily occur in all individuals. Consult your doctor or health care practitioner for any health problem and before using any supplements.