The babyworld vitamin guide
It's essential to make sure that your child's diet contains all the necessary vitamins to aid healthy growth and development.
This chart provides all the information you need:
|
Vitamin |
Food |
Function |
| Vitamin A | Liver, egg yolks, full-fat dairy goods, oily fish | Promotes healthy eyes; protects against respiratory infection; promotes growth; encourages healthy bones, teeth and gums; an antioxidant |
| Betacarotene | Leafy green vegetables, carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkins | Converts to vitamin A; is an antioxidant. |
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| Vitamin B1 (thiamine) | Whole grains, oatmeal, vegetables, dried yeast, liver, pork, peanuts | Provides energy; aids carbohydrate digestion; helps nervous system, muscles, heart and mental function; reduces stress. |
| Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) | Leafy green vegetables, fish, yoghurt, liver, cottage cheese, milk | Promotes growth, healthy hair, skin and nails; helps to metabolise carbohydrates, fats and proteins; energy production; stress handling. |
| Vitaminn B3 (nicotinic acid) | Lean meat, wheatgerm, figs, dates, avocados, fish, eggs, wholewheat produce, brewers yeast | Essential for sex hormones, thyroid hormone, insulin, cortisone and glucose tolerance. Necessary for the nervous system and brain; helps metabolism and energy; keeps blood fats balanced. |
| Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) | Wholegrains, wheatgerm, bran, crude molasses, nuts, green vegetables, chicken, egg yolks, meat and liver | Vital for the adrenal glands; aids the conversion of fats and carbohydrates into energy; helps manufacture antibodies; promotes wound healing. |
| Vitamin B6 | Wheatgerm, bran, poultry, meat, liver, cantaloupes, cabbage, milk, blackstrap molasses, egg yolks, tuna, sardines, mackerel, leeks, kale, sprats, trout, salmon and cod | Produces antibodies and red blood cells needed to help absorb Vitamin B12 and to aid protein metabolism. |
| Vitamin B12 | Liver, beef, pork, fish, shellfish, eggs, milk and cheese | Promotes growth; improves concentration and encourages a healthy nervous system. |
| Folic acid | Deep green leafy vegetables, carrots, egg yolks, apricots, pumpkin, beans, avocado, whole wheat, rye, cantaloupes | Necessary to help the body use proteins and carbohydrates; forms antibodies; wards of anaemia; and protects against neural tube defects early in pregnancy. |
| Biotin | Brewers yeast, brown rice, nuts, fruit, egg yolks, beef liver | Aids metabolism of fats and proteins; maintains healthy skin, scalp and hair. |
| Choline | Green leafy vegetables, liver and lecithin, wheatgerm, egg yolk | Aids memory; controls cholesterol build- up; helps detoxification by eliminating toxins and drugs from the liver. |
| Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) | Citrus fruits, strawberries, green leafy vegetables, cantaloupes, sweet peppers, cauliflowers, potatoes, sweet potatoes, kiwi fruits, bean sprouts, melons, spinach. broccoli, cabbages, turnips, liver | Healthy immune system; anti- viral; anti- bacterial; boosts formation of skin, bone, cartilage and connective tissue including gums and blood vessels; needed to help the body cope with stress. |
| Vitamin D (calciferol) | Sardines, herrings, tuna, egg yolks, fish oils, dairy produce | Needed for bone and teeth formation; works with vitamins A and C to prevent colds. |
| Vitamin E | Wheatgerm, vegetable oils, broccoli, brussel sprouts, almonds, olive oil, eggs, spinach, soya beans, tomatoes, fresh nuts, carrots, sunflower seeds, wholegrain cereals | Antioxidant; protects cell membranes; helps prevent scarring; anticoagulant; and protects against chlorinated water. |
| Vitamin K | Yoghurt, alfalfa, leafy green vegetables, safflower oil, kelp, fish liver oils, egg yolks, milk | Essential for blood clotting agent; useful in bone metabolism. |
Where to next?
- Check up on the essential minerals in your child's diet with our essential mineral guide
- For healthy recipe ideas browse through babyworld's recipe archive
- Want to talk with babyworld members about feeding your child? Join the discussion
