The Nutrient that Kids need

Most parents know that children need vitamins and minerals to stay healthy. But knowing what exactly and how much nutrients they need of each is not always easy. Learning a bit more about vitamins and minerals can help ensure your kids are on the right nutritional track.

Despite parents' best efforts, kids may not always get all the vitamins and minerals they need. To make sure your kids are getting the full range of nutrients that they need, be sure to offer your children various foods. Start by taking a closer look at the foods your kids eat regularly.

Understand the vitamin alphabet

The nutrition labels on food packaging can show you which foods contain the proper nutrients. Below is a breakdown of the essential vitamins and minerals that kids and teens need for different areas of growth and where to find them:

Vitamin A is essential for healthy skin and normal growth, and it also helps vision and tissue repair. Vitamin A is rich in quantities in yellow and orange vegetables, dairy products, and liver.
Vitamin B helps the body produce red blood cells and assists in metabolic activities. Vitamin B is rich in meat, poultry, fish, soy, milk, eggs, whole grains, and enriched bread and cereals.
Vitamin C is the body's tool for healing and fighting off infection, and it also strengthens tissue, muscles, and skin. For healthy doses of vitamin C, look to citrus fruits, strawberries, tomatoes, potatoes, brussels sprouts, spinach, and broccoli.
Vitamin D helps the body form and maintain strong teeth and bones and helps absorb minerals such as calcium. Vitamin D is rich in fortified dairy products and fish oils. Adequate exposure to sunlight is also a way to get enough vitamin D. Sunlight stimulates the vitamin, which naturally occurs in the skin, to become active in the body. (Remember not to stay in the sun too long without SPF protection.)
Iron is important for kids, especially during periods of accelerated growth. Iron contributes to the production of blood and the building of muscles. Beef, turkey, fish, beans, and fortified bread and cereals are excellent sources of iron.
Calcium is vital for the development and maintenance of healthy bones and teeth. Consuming inadequate amounts during childhood can affect growth and development, but it can also lead to weak, fragile, and porous bones (potentially leading to osteoporosis later in life). Calcium is rich in low-fat milk, sardines, yogurt, and cheese. It is also present in lesser amounts in vegetables such as broccoli.

Spelling out a good diet

Because the body cannot naturally produce all the necessary vitamins and minerals, it is important to ensure that kids get these vital building blocks in their foods. A well-balanced diet is typically all it takes to guarantee that kids and teens are getting the necessary vitamins and minerals. But how much of everything do they need?

Kids need 1.5–4 ounces of whole grains every day, depending on age. Not all brown bread use whole grains, so check the label.
A healthy serving of vegetables means getting 1–3 cups per day, depending on age. For fruit, kids should get 1–2 cups every day. Fruit juice may count toward this serving, although it's essential to check the label and make sure it contains real fruit content—not just from concentrates or sweeteners.
To meet calcium requirements, kids need at least 2–3 cups of milk a day. Yogurt and cheese are good milk alternatives. To get the healthiest servings, look for low-fat options.
Kids should get 2–6.5 ounces of protein per day, depending on age. The protein is abundant in chicken, beef, turkey, and fish. For vegetarian protein choices, look toward nuts, beans, and peas.

Need a vitamin?

For children and teens with highly selective diets, such as vegetarianism or a dairy-free diet, and children with erratic eating patterns, a health care provider may recommend a daily supplement. Over-the-counter vitamin supplements are typically safe and come in chewable forms in case your child has difficulty swallowing. Remember, however, that higher-than-recommended dosages of supplements can cause problems. For example, giving high doses of vitamin C to prevent colds, and the flu can cause a child to have nausea, diarrhea, and cramps.

Children's vitamins and supplements may come in fun colors and shapes, but they are not candy. Make sure you've told your child that vitamins are a kind of medicine—not a snack. Follow label instructions about serving size and dosage instructions. Ask your health care provider for advice if you have questions about supplements. Keep vitamins and supplements out of children's reach, and make sure to store the items in child-proof containers.

Complete nutrition especially for your kids

Goat's milk naturally has lower cholesterol than other types of milk. It also contains higher levels of magnesium that is vital in maintaining healthy bones. It also contains higher vitamins D and K, which help in regulating calcium and the formation of bones in the body.

Now that we know the goodness in goat's milk, how do we ensure that the nutrient is easily available for our body's uptake? Goat's milk contains casein phosphopeptides, which increase solubility and absorption of minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc.

Milk from grass-fed goat is known to have higher omega-three fatty acid content (particularly C18:3 linolenic acid) and higher conjugated linoleic acid content than goats fed on supplementary feeds. The milk has higher levels of vitamin E and beta-carotene. There is also higher natural vitamin D due to the goat's exposure to sunlight; higher levels of natural vitamin E also lead to better quality milk to boost the immune system.

Goat milk also rich in components that boost the immune systems such as vitamin C and vitamin E, it is also high in natural prebiotics which can ensure your child’s immune systems are functioning optimally. Aside from that, goat milk also contains high natural nucleotides. The function of nucleotides is maintaining the good immune system, nucleotides also play an important role in our immune system as it works as a messenger that coordinates the function of the immune systems.

Karihome is the leading children goat milk formula globally, and it is manufactured by Dairy Goat Co-operative (DGC), the largest goat milk manufacturer in New Zealand. Karihome is naturally blessed with green pastures and enforces strict regulations to ensure quality products are exported. Dairy Goat Co-operative supplies goat's milk to various markets such as the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Hong Kong, Singapore, and China.

Karihome is also the only full-range goat milk formula in Malaysia to have different formulas catered towards children of varying age groups.

Karihome is available in:

Karihome Step 3 Growing-Up Formula – Suitable for children age 1-3
Karihome Step 4 Pre-School Formula – Suitable for children age 4-6
Karihome Whole Goat Milk Adult Formula – Suitable for children age 7 and above

You can try Karihome Goat's milk, by fill-up the form for the sample here or you can get Karihome product from here