By Christine Cheng, R.Ph. and Fred Cheng, R.Ph.
“My kid will only eat mac & cheese”… “if it’s green, my kid won’t eat it”… these are statements that we hear quite often! Being parents of young children ourselves, we understand the struggle. We try our best to give our children the nutrition they need for their growing bodies, and we want this to be supplied by whole foods. But what do we do when they go through phases of not wanting to eat these whole foods? Sometimes, we must turn to supplementation.
Of course, before you consider supplements for your child, always check with their paediatrician to make sure it is necessary. It is common for parents to worry their children are not eating enough, when in truth they are actually growing properly, and we just need to trust our children with their own portion control. Checking with the doctor is especially important before supplementing with certain minerals such as iron, of which too much can have a detrimental effect.
When supplements are necessary, the next step is to find one that is palatable and easy to take. Many companies nowadays have found ways to make chewable tablets, gummies, and liquids that are tasty enough to not require too much effort for the parents to ensure compliance. If your child goes through days of not eating much or not eating a good variety of foods, consider PROTEIN MULTI-PLEX KIDS from Omega Alpha. This powdered supplement contains a good mix of vitamins (B,C,D,E) in a whey protein base that provides 20g of protein per serving. This powder can be easily mixed into water, milk (dairy or non-dairy) or a smoothie to make a tasty beverage for your child.
Sisu has their line of U-CUBES that has options for a multivitamin, vitamin C, and calcium/vitamin D. These chewable gummies are so tasty that kids won’t even know they’re getting a supplement!
If iron is the nutrient that is lacking, consider FLORADIX, a liquid supplement that as been used for as long as we can remember working at our pharmacies. It has dosing for children as young as 2 years old and will not cause constipation.
Looking for a good fish oil? Christine has been giving NUTRASEA to her little ones since before they could talk. They would actually open their mouths eagerly when they saw her take the bottle out of the fridge! Nutrasea’s Children’s version has dosing suggestion for as young as 1 year old. These liquids are so tasty that kids won’t even know they are taking a fish oil.
If you are considering supplementing with magnesium to help your child relax in the evening, consider the KIDS MAGNESIUM DRINK MIX from Orange Naturals. This orange tangerine powder is a good sugar-free way to give your child an orange beverage with the benefits of magnesium.
There are so many options nowadays that we cannot cover them all in one article. Come talk to our Integrative Health Pharmacists to choose a supplement that fills the gaps in your child’s nutrient needs.
Christine and Fred Cheng are a passionate, charismatic sister-brother pharmacist team at their unique, family-operated Pharmasave stores in Cloverdale and Steveston, B.C. They specialize in natural remedies and compounding for both human and veterinarian use. Find them on Instagram and Facebook! Everything mentioned in their article is available InStore.
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