Sunday, March 4, 2012

Children's Supplements and Vitamins

I give my kids a multi-vitamin everyday. Some parents claim that all you are doing is creating "expensive pee" with vitamins, but I have found my boys being less prone to serious illnesses, and even better behaved when they take their vitamins daily. Other parents claim that you can get all of the vitamins and minerals your body needs by healthy eating. My boys do eat very well (in fact, if you ask my 5 year old what his favorite food is, he'd tell you salad!), but the sad truth is that even healthy fruits and vegetables do not provide the high level of nutrients that they did several decades ago. The overuse of our soil has depleted many of the nutrients that were once abundant.

When I look for vitamins, I look for ones that are of high quality. The vitamin should dissolve purely- not break down into various "tar" products. I also don't want added sugar in my vitamins. I primarily use Shaklee vitamins for my kids. I like their multi-vitamin/ mineral, but I also like their kids' DHA omega product. It is a chewable square- wrapped individually so the kids feel like they are opening a treat! The other brand that I have tried and would also recommend is the Animal Parade line. The nice thing about their line is that they have a variety of "extra" supplements to choose from, so if you feel your child is deficient in one area, you can give them extra of just that type. Below are links to both product lines.