Has your pediatrician recommended that you start your child on a multivitamin or other supplement? This comprehensive guide lists the best options.
If your child is a picky eater and you feel like they are not getting all the nutrients they need from the foods that they eat, then you might be considering giving them a multivitamin. Before you do that, make sure to consult with your pediatrician to see if it is necessary. Most children can typically get the vitamins and minerals they need in their diet.
However, some children could benefit from a supplement, like those who:
Once your pediatrician agrees that your child could do with a vitamin, they might give you advice based on what your child is not eating to identify their deficiencies such as iron, vitamin D, or calcium. The next step is to try to narrow down the field to the best options
When reviewing labels, make sure that the vitamins are the right choice for your child’s age and the breakdown of minerals and nutrients doesn’t exceed 100 percent.
You might be tempted to go overboard to try to make sure your child is getting enough nutrients, but don’t be fooled by the small size of the vitamin. Follow the recommended dose to avoid exceeding the 100 percent daily intake.
Your child is probably already getting vitamins from their food, so the vitamin is already an added boost in some categories. If they consume more than 100 percent of the suggested daily value, it could lead to health problems like kidney stones.
To determine the best vitamins for kids, we pored over customer reviews and testimonials from parents who shared their experiences with the products to decide which supplements could make the list.
We also considered the brand reputation and strength, as well as news data about vitamins for kids, to thin the herd, and create an unbiased compilation of recommendations.
SmartyPants Kids Complete Daily Gummy Vitamins are for children ages three and older. These gummies have omega-3 EPA and DHA which are recommended for brain development and typically come from eating certain fatty fishes. So, if your child is not a fan of salmon or mackerel, then their DHA levels may not be up to snuff.
SmartyPants Gummies don’t contain any genetically modified ingredients, and they also don’t have any dairy, nuts, eggs, shellfish, gluten, soy, or wheat so they can be safe if your child has any of those particular food allergies. Folate in the vitamin helps your child turn food into energy, vitamin B12 supports their defenses, and vitamin D can aid in strengthening teeth and bones.
The vitamins taste like orange, lemon, or strawberry banana so it shouldn’t be too hard to get your kids to try and enjoy them. And the gummies don’t have any artificial sweeteners because they contain all-natural flavors from spices, fruits, vegetables, and organic cane sugar. Many parents said the gummies helped them feel reassured that their picky eaters were getting the necessary nutrients. Some users who have children with ADHD even mentioned that they thought the vitamins helped them calm down and focus. Some of the daily recommended values are under 100 percent to supplement what should come from your child’s diets, but some of the vitamins and minerals do show on the label to have more than 100 percent. SmartyPants says they only exceed the daily recommended value for nutrients that are the most difficult to obtain from food, problematic for absorption, or that yield better benefits in more substantial amounts.
You might already be familiar with the Flintstone’s vitamins because they have an almost 50-year history of making supplements.
You can start your child on Flintstone’s Children’s Complete Multivitamin Gummies as young as two years old.
When you double check the label, you’ll find that none of the vitamins or minerals exceed 100 percent of the daily recommended value except for vitamin D when consumed by anyone older than four years of age.
If your child is allergic to soy, aspartame, dairy, fish or shellfish, the gummies should still be safe for their consumption as they do not contain any ingredients that could affect them. The vitamins also are free of high fructose corn syrup and artificial sweeteners, colors, and flavors. Many parents said their kids enjoyed eating the vitamins, that their pediatrician recommended this particular brand of supplement, and that the budget was reasonable. The Flintstone’s Vitamins contain appropriate levels of vitamin D, B-vitamins, and A, C, E to boost immune systems and promote eye health. However, they don’t provide any omega-3, DHA, or calcium so that could be considered a negative factor if your child needs those nutrients. Also, some parents thought it was possible that the gelatin or sugar in the Flintstone gummies led to cavities and dental issues for their children.
If your pediatrician has indicated that your child could have an iron deficiency, and you’re vegan, or keep kosher, then you might consider Vitamin Friends Kids Gummies.Iron is essential to your child’s development and a deficiency could lead to anemia, and impair their ability to function. Unfortunately, some kids might not be fans of foods that are high in iron which could cause the need for a supplement.
if your child is at least a year old, then they should be able to take the Iron vegan gummies which contain 5 milligrams of Elemental Iron in each chew. Vitamin Friends are not made with gelatin but with pectin, so you don’t have to worry about your child possibly developing cavities from sticky, sweet gummies. This supplement is also certified organic and certified vegan and contains no artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives.
If your pediatrician says your infant or child under four has an iron deficiency, ask the doctor about NovaFerrum Pediatric Drops Liquid Iron Supplement. It could be simpler for your young child to take their iron supplement in liquid form rather than a chewable.
If your little one has food allergies, the NovaFerrum is free of:
If you’re looking for a multivitamin that also includes actual fruit and not just fruit flavors, then you might be interested in Garden of Life’s mykind Kids Gummy Vitamins.
Every bottle of mykind gummies has the equivalent of nine whole fruits, and the vitamins are Non-GMO Project Verified as well as Certified Organic by the USDA. Verified Non-GMO products mean that no genetically modified ingredients made their way into the item at any point as it traveled through the supply chain.
If your child has certain food allergies and you need to avoid certain ingredients, these Garden of Life vitamins are also certified gluten-free, Kosher, and don’t contain any soy or nuts.
The gummies are not formulated with porcine gelatin, corn starch, or sweet candy-type ingredients so you can have peace of mind that if your child enjoys the flavor of the vitamin, it’s not because it contains a corn-syrup concoction.
The mykind gummies are also certified vegan, so they do not contain any animal by-products, milk, honey, or egg products and they were also not tested on animals. The vitamins contain pectin from organic fruits like oranges and apples to make them chewy.
many parents say that their pediatricians recommended the chews and that they felt the vitamins have real quality ingredients versus sugar and artificial components.
The chews are lacking DHA and omega-3s, so if your child is not getting those nutrients from their diet, this vitamin will not supply it either. Another factor to be aware of is that quite a few buyers who shared reviews on the Garden of Life mykind Gummies said that the chews tasted chalky, medicinal, and some said that their kids were not fans.
If you’re looking for a multivitamin that also includes actual fruit and not just fruit flavors, then you might be interested in Garden of Life’s mykind Kids Gummy Vitamins.
GNC’s Teen Gummy has a lot of vitamins to help support your child’s immune system, like vitamin C and B-6. Vitamin D can promote stronger teeth and bones and vitamins A, C, and E can keep your teen’s eyes healthy. If your kid has been feeling low on energy, the multivitamin has a load of B-vitamins that can give them a boost.
Buyers said that it was easier to get their picky teenagers to eat the gummies instead of pills. Some noted that their kids liked the taste of the vitamin and that it didn’t have any strange after taste. Although GNC’s Gummy Multivitamin is gluten and dairy-free, it does list glucose syrup, sucrose, and gelatin among its ingredients so if you’re looking for a chew low in sugar, they are probably not your best option.
Besides delivering your favorite products, Amazon now also makes multivitamin gummies for kids.
Each bottle contains 60 gummies that should provide you with a month’s supply for two gummies a day that you can give to a child that is at least two years old.
Amazon’s multivitamin gummies are non-GMO, gluten-free, organic, and vegan so if you’re looking for a product with all-natural ingredients, it could be a good choice. Amazon is also willing to issue a refund within a year of your purchase if you find that you are not satisfied with the chews. Many parents say that their kids enjoy the taste and actually ask to take their supplements. The Mama Bear gummies do not contain iron, so if your child needs to raise their levels, this product will not be able to help in that regard. Also, some users who studied the label on the vitamins say that they contain a form of human-made folate that can be difficult to absorb
Based on the buyers’ experiences, we have to agree that the Amazon’s Mama Bear Kids Multivitamins get our vote for the best of the bunch. It’s also a good value.
Featured image Source: pixabay
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