As parents know, zinc is an essential trace mineral for the health and overall development of young children. In the human body, zinc participates in the metabolism of nutrients, supports and maintains the immune system, and helps develop internal tissues. Therefore, children need to be supplemented with adequate amounts of zinc through their daily diet. In the following article, DailySavingz will introduce zinc-rich foods that parents can refer to for their children.
The amount of zinc that children need to supplement each day
It is undeniable that zinc plays a very important role in children’s development, but parents also need to pay attention, as supplementing too much zinc for children will also bring undesirable results. If children absorb more zinc than the body needs, they may experience complications such as vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea, or headaches. Besides, when ingesting an overdose of zinc for a long time, it can lead to poisoning.
Therefore, according to the recommendations of medical experts, the safe amount of zinc for children from 1 to 3 years old is 7mg and for children from 4 to 8 years old is 12mg.
Zinc-rich foods: Top zinc-rich foods for children
Red meat, poultry
These are very familiar foods that are part of the daily meals of families. Red meats such as pork, chicken, beef, and salmon are very nutritious foods and contain abundant amounts of zinc. Among them, the highest amount of zinc is found in lean meat or spare ribs. Mothers can easily prepare dishes from this meat for their children to enjoy a delicious and nutritious meal.
Red meat, poultry are rich in zinc
Shellfish
Oysters top the list of shellfish. A medium-sized oyster contains 5.3 mg of zinc. In addition, oysters have a large amount of protein, vitamins, and minerals, but are low in calories. Mothers can cook oyster porridge for their children to enjoy a delicious meal, provide them with enough zinc, and it’s very easy to make.
Zinc is abundant in shellfish
Fruits and vegetables
Surely every mother knows that fruits and vegetables will provide children with essential fiber and vitamins, however, many mothers do not know that some fruits and vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, mushrooms, or garlic also contain a very large amount of zinc. Therefore, they can supplement the body’s zinc needs every day. Certainly, this is an important food to supplement zinc for picky eaters and does not contain many calories that affect children’s bodies.
Fruits and vegetables are rich in fiber, vitamins, and zinc
Whole grains
Some forms of whole grains such as brown rice, oats, and wheat flour are also considered to be among the zinc-rich foods for baby food. A slice of whole-wheat bread provides 0.5 mg of zinc. 62g of brown rice contains 0.6mg of zinc and 62g of oats contains 0.9mg of zinc.
Some whole grains
Beans
Beans are not only zinc-containing foods but are also rich in fiber and iron. When mothers supplement zinc for their children by processing beans, it will help improve children’s picky eating habits. Some types of black beans, mung beans, or red beans, besides their nutritional value, will create a colorful meal, thereby stimulating children’s appetite and making their stomachs work more smoothly.
Beans
Dark chocolate
Some zinc-rich foods for children that cannot be ignored are dark chocolate. This is a source of zinc essential for children’s bodies that we can easily find. 100g of dark chocolate contains 3.3 mg of zinc, which supplements up to 30% of the body’s daily zinc requirement. However, dark chocolate also contains up to 600g of calories, so mothers should limit the amount of dark chocolate so that children do not eat more than 28g in a day.
Dark chocolate is also a food that contains a lot of zinc
Milk and dairy products
In general, milk and dairy products such as cheese not only contain abundant amounts of calcium, which are essential for young children’s bodies, but the zinc content in these foods can be maximally absorbed by children’s bodies. For example, 100g of cheese contains 28% of the daily zinc requirement, while a glass of whole milk contains about 9% of the required zinc.
Milk and dairy products
Hopefully, the helpful information above will help parents understand which foods contain zinc to ensure adequate nutrients for their children’s comprehensive daily development. If you have any questions or concerns that need to be addressed, parents can contact DailySavingz’s hotline for advice and timely support.
In addition to the above food lines, parents can supplement Biolizin Amin zinc preparation for babies. This is a zinc product that meets European standards for babies from 3 months of age and older. With a suitable zinc content and easy absorption, it is the number 1 product to help mothers supplement zinc for their babies.
