Food does much more than just provide calories—it delivers essential macronutrients like protein, fats, and carbohydrates, as well as vitamins, minerals, water, and fibre, all of which are vital for your child’s growth and health. Today, let’s focus specifically on vitamins and their importance in your child’s development.
Why Does Your Child Need a Balanced Diet?
A diet lacking in variety can put your child at risk of nutrient deficiencies. A child doesn’t need to be underweight to have a poor diet. Even a child with a “normal” weight might miss out on essential vitamins and minerals if they’re only eating certain types of food and not covering all the core food groups. Signs of a poor diet might include constipation, paleness, lethargy, tooth decay, or even behavioural challenges like difficulty focusing, mood swings, or frequent emotional outbursts.
Here are some common reasons why children might be deficient in key nutrients:
1. Fussy Eating
Children who are selective with their food often miss out on entire food groups, like fruits and vegetables. This can lead to a lack of vitamins, fibre, and other essential nutrients. As a result, they may experience constipation, a weakened immune system, or low iron levels as vitamin C from fruits and vegetables helps with iron absorption.
2. Restricted Diets for Health Reasons
Certain health conditions may lead children to limit their diets involuntarily. For example, children diagnosed with Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) or those with allergies may have some underlying anxiety around food leading to avoidance of specific textures, flavours, or food types, increasing their risk of deficiencies. Another example will be a child with lactose intolerance might avoid all dairy products, potentially leading to calcium deficiency which is a concern, especially during growth spurts.
3. Lack of Understanding of a Balanced Diet
Some families may not fully understand the importance of balanced nutrition. Diets high in processed foods and treats, like pizza, sausage rolls, candies, and sugary drinks, can replace nutrient-rich options. These foods often contain excess sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats and also lack vitamins, minerals, and fibre, which are essential for long-term health.
Here is a table of how to tell if your child may be showing signs of vitamin deficiencies.
| Vitamin | Signs of deficiency | Risks for deficiency | Good food options |
| Vitamin A (Retinol) | Trouble seeing at night, dry eyes, dry skin, more infections, and slower growth. | Digestive issues leading to malabsorption, chronic liver disease, inflammatory bowel disease, low Vitamin A during pregnancy, and some immigrant or refugee populations. | Green leafy vegetables (spinach and kale), orange fruits and vegetables (carrots, potatoes, pumpkin), liver, oily fish (salmon and tuna), eggs, butter, margarine, and full fat milk |
| Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) | Feeling tired, moody, nausea, an upset tummy and nerve issues. Severe lack can cause heart failure or brain problems, leading to confusion or memory loss. | Diets mainly based on white rice, poor nutrient absorption, and some immigrant or refugee | Fish and meat, yeast extract, such as Vegemite, and wholegrain foods (wholemeal bread, brown rice, breakfast cereals fortified with vitamins) |
| Vitamin B3 (Niacin) | Poor appetite, stomach pain, vomiting, swollen tongue or cracked lips, pellagra (skin rash, diarrhea, and mental confusion). Severe symptoms include Late symptoms include feeling indifferent, weakness, headache, confusion, irritability, anxiety, tremor, depression | Diets based mostly on corn and poor absorption of nutrients | Lean meat, fish, Chicken, peanuts, legumes, and yeast extract, such as Vegemite. |
| Vitamin B9 (Folate) | Low red blood cells (anaemia), swollen tongue and mouth ulcers, tiredness and slow growth. | Diets low in fresh foods, nutrient absorption issues, and certain medications | Green leafy vegetables (spinach, kale, brussels sprouts), legumes, liver, Wholegrain foods and breakfast, cereals, fortified with folic acid |
| Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin) | Anaemia, irritability, developmental delays, twitching of muscles, tingling in hands and feet, mouth sores, swollen tongue and skin changes (like pale or patchy skin). | Vegan or vegetarian diet, certain digestive issues, immigrant or refugee populations, and exclusively breastfed babies of mothers with low Vitamin B12. | Meat, fish, eggs, and milk, dairy, or breakfast cereals, fortified with vitamin B 12 |
| Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid) | Joint pain, fractures, tiredness, poor wound healing, weight loss, bleeding gums, bruising, dry eyes, dry hair or dry skin. | Diets without fruit and vegetables | Most fruits, especially your citrusy, fruits, and vegetables. |
| Vitamin D (Calciferol) | Bone deformities, pain, weak muscles, swollen wrists and ankles or having a big tummy. If calcium level is low as well, seizures can happen. | Limited sun exposure, darker skin, obesity, liver or kidney issues, certain digestive diseases, and exclusively breastfed babies of mothers with low Vitamin D. | Mostly from direct sunlight. There are small amount of vitamin D is in mushrooms, oily, fish, fish liver oils, egg yolks, butter, and margarine. |
| Vitamin E (Alpha-tocopherol) | Muscle weakness and balance issues. | Problems absorbing nutrients. | Eggs, seeds, and nuts, margarine, sunflower oil and canola oil, |
| Vitamin K (Phytomenadione) | Easy bruising and bleeding. | Issues with nutrient absorption. | Green leafy vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, spinach), green beans, eggs, cheese |
How to Prevent Nutrient Deficiencies
Ensuring your child gets a balanced intake from the five core food groups daily can go a long way toward preventing deficiencies. Here’s a guide to what one serving from each food group looks like:
- Fruits
- 1 medium fruit (e.g., apple or pear)
- 2 small fruits (e.g., kiwi or mandarin)
- 1 cup of canned fruit (preferably in natural juice)
- Vegetables
- ½ cup cooked vegetables (e.g., broccoli, brussel sprouts or carrots)
- 1 cup uncooked leafy greens (e.g., lettuce, baby spinach, cucumbers)
- ½ cup cooked legumes, which can also serve as a protein source for vegetarians
- Dairy
- 1 cup (250 ml) milk
- 1 tub (200g) yogurt
- 2 slices of cheese
Tip: Calcium-fortified plant-based milks like soy can be a good dairy alternative
- Grains
- 1 slice of bread
- ½ cup cooked rice, pasta, or quinoa
- ¼ cup muesli
- 1 crumpet or 1 English muffin
Tip: Choose whole grains or high fibre option to boost fibre intake
- Meat or meat alternatives (high protein foods)
- 65g cooked red meat (beef, pork, lamb or veal) – about the size of a deck of cards
- 80g cooked lean poultry (chicken or turkey) – about the size of a smartphone
- 100g cooked fish – about the size of your whole hand (palm and fingers) or one small can of fish
- Vegetarian / meat alternatives: 1 cup cooked legumes, 2 eggs, or 170g tofu – about the size of a small paperback book
Refer to the Australian Dietary Guidelines here.
Additional Tips for a Healthy Diet:
- Prioritize Water: Encourage water as the main source of hydration.
- Limit Treats: Keep processed and sugary foods to occasional treats.
- Stock Up on Fresh Foods: Keeping fresh options on hand can help reduce the temptation to order takeout.
- Avoid Sugary Drinks and Snacks: If they’re not available at home, kids are more likely to reach for healthier options.
- Read Food Labels: Choose products with lower sugar and fat content, especially in cereals.
- Consult with Professionals: If you’re struggling to create a balanced diet, your GP or a paediatric dietitian can provide tailored advice for your family’s needs.
These vitamins each play an important role in helping the body work well and stay healthy. Eating a balanced diet and getting regular check-ups can help prevent these deficiencies, especially if your child has health conditions that might make it harder to absorb certain nutrients.
