The mineral iron is required to produce blood. It is needed to make haemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carry oxygen around the body. Iron is also important to provide the growing muscles with oxygen and for brain development in toddlers. Low iron in toddlers can lead to learning and behavioural problems and can cause the toddler to become tired.

Iron is present in a variety of foods. There are two forms of iron: heme and non-heme iron. Heme iron is only found in animal sources and is easier for the body to absorb. Non-heme iron is found in plant foods, iron-fortified foods and supplements. Red meat, poultry, and seafood contain both heme and non-heme iron. Let your toddler have a variety of iron-rich foods every day. Good sources are: meat (including red meat), poultry, legumes, vegetables (green leafy vegetables as spinach, broccoli), eggs and whole grains. A nutritionally balanced toddler milk or young child formula provides an adequate amount of iron.

Vitamin C helps the absorption of non-heme iron in the body. Combine iron-rich plant foods with a glass of (fresh) orange juice or eat a piece of citrus fruit with it or for dessert.

Our body needs vitamin D to maintain the right levels of calcium and phosphorus, which helps to build bones and teeth. Childhood is the critical period for building healthy bones. This continues until the age of about 20, when maximum bone density is reached. Vitamin D is also needed for healthy muscle activity and it plays a role in the proper functioning of the immune system.

If your toddler has an inadequate vitamin D intake, it may lead to low calcium and phosphate levels. This can lead to weak bones and teeth.

Small amounts of vitamin D can be found in foods such as oily fish (herring, salmon, sardines), eggs (yolk) and fortified dairy products, such as milk and yoghurt. The sun, however, is the main natural source of vitamin D. A nutritionally balanced toddler milk or young child formula provides an adequate amount of vitamin D (and calcium). 

Vitamin D is produced in our skin by sunlight (UVB rays), which is why this vitamin is also called ‘the sunshine vitamin’. For most fair-skinned people, sensible sun exposure for about 15 minutes is sufficient; exposing the face and forearms without using a sunblock. If you have olive or dark-coloured skin, you require more time to generate vitamin D.

The production of vitamin D in our skin depends on several other factors:

• Where you live: the closer to the equator the higher the sun exposure.
• The season: there is more sun in summer than in winter.
• The altitude above sea level: sun exposure is higher in the mountains.
• The pollution in the atmosphere; smog reduces sun exposure. 

Vitamin D supplementation is generally recommended, especially in winter and particularly for those with olive or dark-coloured skin. Contact your doctor for information about vitamin D supplementation for your child.

Specific fatty acids such as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are very important for the neurological development of your toddler. DHA is a long chain omega-3 fatty acid that is a key component of our brain and eye tissue. During the first two years of life, when your child’s brain is growing rapidly, there is a crucial need for DHA. It is vital for normal brain function that supports cognitive development; it enables thinking, learning and understanding throughout life.

The long chain fatty acid arachidonic acid (ARA) and the essential fatty acids alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and linoleic acid (LA) play an important role in this.

Good sources of DHA are: oily fish as salmon, sardines, herring and mackerel. Provide 1 to 2 servings of oily fish a week. Be careful not to offer more since these fish may contain pollutants that can build up in the body. Only give a DHA supplement to your toddler under medical supervision. A nutritionally balanced toddlers milk or young child formula provides important fatty acids as DHA.

The mineral iodine plays a vital role in the everyday health of your toddler. It helps the body to grow and develop, especially the brain.

Iodine is needed to make thyroid hormones. This process takes place in the thyroid gland (located in the front of the neck). Among other things, the thyroid hormones affect the way our body cells function, especially the cells of the rapidly developing brain and nervous system. Iodine also regulates our metabolism or the rate at which the body uses energy. So it’s very important that your toddler gets enough iodine.

Good sources of iodine are seafood, eggs and dairy products. Bread may also contain iodised salt. A nutritionally balanced toddler milk or young child formula provides an adequate amount of iodine.