Share the ways you get vitamins & minerals into your children with Noluma

[EllieMumsnet]

This activity is now closed

We all know that vitamins and minerals are vital to the human body and help us grow, see properly, help make bones, muscles and organs stay healthy. However the difficult part is ensuring that you and your children have all the right vitamins and minerals in your system...especially with vitamin D, as we live in a fairly sun-deprived country . Therefore Noluma would love to know all the ways you ensure your children are getting all the vitamins and minerals they need.

Here’s what Noluma, the authority in light protection of packaging, has to say: “Scientific research shows that packaged goods can be negatively impacted when exposed to indoor lights such as retail lighting or LED lights in the kitchen. This causes the quality, freshness, flavour and more importantly, nutritional qualities to deteriorate. So if you think you are giving your children a glass of milk and getting those valuable nutrients into them this way, you might want to think again! Unless the milk bottle or carton comes in light protected packaging, chances are the product has degraded before it reaches the ‘use by’ date. This is especially true of see-through glass bottles. Here at Noluma, we are the only authority in light protection technology that certifies packaging using our patented state-of-the-art assessment process. We are uniquely able to measure all types of packaging for its ability to protect against damage due to both natural and artificial light, and to stop content change due to light exposure. Visit lightdamageisreal.co.uk to find out more”

Do you sneak vitamins filled fruit and veg into their meals? If so do you have any recipes or techniques you could share? Or maybe you don’t need to and your children are very good at eating lots of fruit and vegetables? Perhaps you like to make sure they’re outdoors as much as possible so they’re getting lots of great sunlight? Or maybe you know of some child-friendly vitamin supplements that help your children get all the nutrients they need?

Whatever your tips and tricks are for getting vitamins and minerals into your children, share them on the thread below and everyone who does will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £300 voucher of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck
MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs Apply

[PorridgeAgainAbney]

DS has some allergies so it does take a bit of effort to give him a balanced diet. We make a point of having fruit with breakfast, and fruit and a portion of veg with lunch (eg, grated carrot in a sandwich, cucumber sticks, so we aren’t trying to cram too much in at dinner .

I try to find different ways of increasing the nutritional contents by using half normal pasta/half lentil pasta, or half rice/half quinoa, adding beans or pulses into casseroles and curries, having grated veg in sauces, making a sauce with peppers, squash and beetroot instead of tomatoes all time.

I use a lot of frozen veg, and frozen fruit in cakes and puddings as they probably have more nutrients in them than fresh stuff, and I bake using half white/half whole meal flour for recipes that only specify white.

DS also takes a supplement as there are some nutrients that he would be lacking in otherwise.

[Hmumto3]

My children are fussy eaters who dont necessarily get all the required vitamins in their diets. Although we do try and include fruits and veg every day. I make sure they take a daily vitamin supplement and it has to be one they like otherwise it's a struggle to get them to take anything.

[ChocolateChipMuffin2016]

I’m very lucky that my DS eats everything! He’ll happily snack on fruit and veg, so I don’t worry too much about it. However I also do give him a chewable vitamin every day, so he’s covered! If only I could say the same for myself!

[mrsglowglow]

We aim to have fruit and veg with every meal and top up with snacks of fruit. They protest and moan that we have nothing nice to eat at times but they eat junk at school and when out.

[TellMeItsNotTrue]

We eat a lot of fruit and vegetables and try to get a good range daily / across the week. I lead by example but I also know that I'm lucky that they aren't fussy about fruit and veg

When the eldest was doing nutrition in school they were taught that it's good to get a rainbow of colours, so now we refer to it as eating rainbow fruit and veg, and as well as talking about the different ones we've had that day we also talk about what colours we've had and the DC will make choices for our evening meal based on colours they've had already - e.g. Choosing broccoli instead of carrots because they've had satsumas today, choosing broccoli instead of carrots because they had cucumber yesterday

[redbook]

I had never considered light damage on fresh ingredients. I was aware that the nutritional content of fruit and veg deteriorated with time, but still feed DC the fruit and veg in the fridge before buying new ones.

I really try hard for a balanced diet and try to teach the DC the importance of different food types. Its a pain - constantly meal planning and coming up with new ideas to keep everyone interested. But I view it as part of my job as a parent to make sure DC gets the best start in life.

[DonPablo]

We have a normal, healthy ish diet. As vegetarians we know we need to top up with B12 in particular. So we have a lazy Susan with a variety of vitamins on that a tea time we all take. The smallest has a kids chewable and the eldest has our vitamins now.

Because they're where we eat, much easier to rememeber.

[alem17]

Healthy diet and daily multivitamin

[kelliec]

I try to steam food where possible to retain as many nutrients as possible and the gummy/chewy type multivitamins are good.

[rhinosuze]

A disolvable multi vitamin and plenty of fruit and veg as snacks

[kkhimji]

add them in fruit

[MadCatLadypuss]

We have a varied diet and a multi vitamin if its a particularly busy time.

[grannybiker]

Fortified breakfast cereals, raw carrot, tomato or cucumber to add colour to their plate and constant access to fresh fruit.

[Bellroyd]

I don't stock the cupboards with rubbish, nutritionally barren products. Good wholseome whole-cooked foods with plenty of fruit and veg

[farhanac]

Try to give them a balanced and varied diet that includes their vitamin needs

[Jocelynne123]

I've always called them her nightly sweeties and I get a nice tasting chewable multivitamin. But we eat a lot of fruit and veg in this family and because she's always are them she loves fruit and veg. Guess we were lucky xx

[CatCatDog]

I hide vegetables in home made tomato sauce which I use to make pasta dishes and pizza!

[phillw]

Add grated vegetables to bolognese sauces

[clarabella12]

lots of fruit and veg! I'm lucky the all enjoy it.

[lucyrobinson]

I always offer fresh fruit and veg daily. I offer vitamins that are chewy.

[Flickabella81]

I blend vegetables to make sauces for meals! Lots of fruit in desserts and smoothies as treats!

[hannahlw85]

I feed them a balanced diet, try to encourage snacking on fruit and veg, we all take a multivits, and I take them out to play pretty much each day

[xxxxclarexxxx]

My son likes most fruit and vegetables and will gladly sit and eat red pepper or carrot sticks and hummus just for a snack! we have vegetables in every meals only thing he hates is mushrooms though! He will pick them out! I used to sneak vegetables into his diet by chopping them really small! but he will eat most now - his fav are sweetcorn, sweet potato and brocolli - I have given him multi vitamins in the past but he eats most things now so dont think he needs extra supplements! x

[Emmamaryd]

Chopping up veg in pasta sauce, healthy fruit snacks etc.

[Smellophant87]

I feed them a balanced diet with lots of fresh fruit and veg. I give the toddler follow-on milk too.