Vitamin A

 

Vitamin A is an essential nutrient for growth and development. It is very important that children get enough vitamin A, because they are in a rapid state of growth. Vitamin A is important for night vision, healthy skin, and it promotes healthy bones and teeth. Vitamin A deficiency is the leading cause of blindness in third world countries, and it is the Number One vitamin deficiency worldwide.

 

Sources of Vitamin A:
 

Carrots	Papaya	Tomatoes
Spinach	Nectarines	Okra
Kale	Butternut Squash	Apricots
Vitamin A Fortified Cereals	Collards	Broccoli
Sweet Potatoes	Dandelion Greens	Mango
Oranges	Romaine Lettuce	Cantaloupe
Loose Leaf Lettuce	Pumpkin	Mustard Greens

 

 

Orange indicates an excellent source of Vitamin A

 

 

Source: Christian, J., Greger, J. Nutrition for Living. Benjamin/Cummings Publishing: Redwood City. 1994

 

 

 

How to get more Vitamin A into your child's diet:

 

· Make soups and stews using lots of carrots.

· Use tomatoes and loose leaf lettuce, on sandwiches and hamburgers.

· Make sweet potato or pumpkin pie for dessert.

· Make salads with romaine lettuce, then add carrot shavings.

· Make stir-frys using lots of broccoli.

· Bake a squash with some butter and brown sugar.

· Serve carrots and broccoli with some ranch dressing, as a snack.

· Lastly, experiment; try to find foods off this list that your child enjoys!!

 

For further information on children and vitamin A, try this web site:
http://info.usiad.gov/pop_health/child_sur/vita.htm

 

 

 

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