‘Our kids need plenty of Calcium!’
A phrase one might hear every-so-often. One that is casually sprinkled into conversations, outlining the importance of that vital ‘Mineral’ we have all come to associate as being abundant in Milk. Now, while our children most certainly need plenty of that essential mineral, there’s a plethora of other minerals they need too.
Like, for instance, ‘Zinc!’
While not many people speak in the same way about Zinc as they do ‘Calcium’, in reality there’s plenty to talk about where it comes to this essential mineral. Luckily for you, in this article we at EuroKids have carefully compiled for you a plethora of information about Zinc for Children. Our list of Zinc Rich Foods will leave you amazed at the diversity in which this essential mineral can be found in nature. If you ever thought that the purpose of Zinc lay merely in powering ‘batteries’, you will think again. Start by learning all about the wonders of Zinc For Children, and find out how it can power those ‘Human Batteries’ in a way like no other!
Table of Contents:
- Zinc for Children: Why Zinc Matters for Children
- Zinc Rich Foods: The Top 8 Zinc Food Sources for Children
- Zinc for Children: Zinc Deficiency in Children
Zinc For Children: Why Zinc Matters for Children
So, what’s all the fuss about getting Zinc for Children into their diets? Before we explore the list of top Zinc Rich Foods, here’s a look at exactly ‘why’ Zinc matters more to infants than you might have erstwhile imagined.
- Immunity Booster
- Neurological Benefits
- Endocrinological Power
- Assists in Bone Mineralization
All those T- and B-cells that our body uses to stave off infection, are produced by Zinc!
Zinc offers a host of neurological benefits for infants, ranging from the ‘cognitive’ to the ‘ocular’.
Whether it’s playing a role in metabolizing those thyroid hormones, or working towards aiding the proper functioning of the pancreas, Zinc has marvelous endocrinological benefits, too!
This one helps greatly, in the development of healthy bones in kids. Move over Calcium, Zinc is here too!
Zinc Rich Foods: The Top 8 Zinc Food Sources for Children
If you’re looking for a Zinc Foods List, you don’t need to look beyond this one! Carefully compiled with an emphasis on Zinc Rich Foods for Babies, this one’s a virtual roadmap to ‘All Destinations Zinc’!
- Dairy
- Whole Grains
- Nuts
- Chicken
- Lentils and Beans
- Seeds
- Vegetables
- Dark chocolate
When talking about Zinc Rich Foods for Babies, you cannot possibly leave out Dairy!
Cool Fact: Apart from Calcium, milk is packed with Zinc, too!
Bonus Fact: There is around 1 mg Zinc, in a single cup of milk!
It’s impossible to have a predominantly ‘Indian’ diet, that’s not packed with whole grains! The good news is, these make for one of the best Zinc Food Sources.
Cool Fact: Apart from their high ‘zinc’ content, whole grains are also loaded with essential nutrients like ‘B’ vitamins, fiber and selenium.
The great thing about nuts is their versatility. You can add them to food items like ‘yogurt’ and even ‘smoothies’, if you cannot get your kids to eat them plain.
Good ‘nut’ sources of zinc: Peanuts, almonds, cashew nuts.
This one’s for the children who love meat. Luckily, Chicken has good amounts of zinc, too!
Cool Fact: There is around 1 mg of zinc in 100 g of chicken.
Bonus Fact: Red meat contains a good amount of zinc, too. On that note, you want to opt for ‘leaner’ cuts of meat here, to avoid all those unwanted ‘fats.’
Yet again, one of the prime components of the Indian diet! Not only can you give your kids some good old ‘dal’ with their chawal, you might even want to have them snack on boiled chickpeas!
Cool Fact: Apart from zinc, these are also packed with protein and fiber.
If nuts are packed with loads of zinc, so are seeds!
Tip: Once again, you might want to sprinkle some seeds on top of their yogurt, to get your little ones to consume seeds more effectively.
Good ‘seeds’ sources of zinc: Chia, pumpkin, flax.
Of course we have to include more ‘veggies’ in our kids’ diets! Luckily for us, some of them have exactly what we are looking for here. Zinc, of course!
Good ‘veggie’ sources of zinc: Mushrooms, broccoli, sweetcorn.
A Zinc Foods List for Kids is incomplete, without the mention of the word ‘chocolate’!
Fact: There is around 3.3 mg of zinc in 100 g of dark chocolate.
Hot Tip: Most children prefer eating the ‘milk’ chocolate variety, so the best solution here is to add that dark chocolate to baked treats like muffins and cookies!
Zinc for Children: Zinc Deficiency in Children
Sadly, sometimes we only understand the importance of something, when it’s too late! You don’t want to get to the point where your children develop Zinc Deficiency, that is characterized by the following symptoms:
- Decreased appetite
- Pigmentation on the skin
- Sores around the mouth and nails
- Enlarged liver
- Diarrhea
- Difficulty concentrating
These mark just some of the symptoms commonly present in kids with a Zinc deficiency. What’s more, kids who are deficient in zinc might just fall prey to an illness too many!
As we have seen along the course of this article, there’s plenty of reason to get Zinc Rich Foods incorporated in the diets of our kids. Stocking up on Zinc Rich Foods for Babies, is the first step in ensuring they get enough of this essential nutrient in their systems each day. Now that you have the Zinc Foods List we have tabulated for you, select the Zinc Food Sources of your choice, and ensure your little ones never find themselves Zinc-Deficient!
References:
- Nemours KidsHealth
- Cleveland Clinic
https://kidshealth.org/en/kids/minerals.html
