We parents strive hard to send our kids to a good school to help make him smart. our desire to raise intelligent kids, however, many of us overlook the fact that good education goes hand in hand with proper nutrition.
When it comes to food, children in the growing up stage 1 to 3 years do not fare very well. While feasting on their hotdog breakfast and persistently snubbing bittermelon (ampalaya) and liver, chances are, they may be missing out on an important nutrition.
Iron deficiency is the most common and widespread nutritional disorder in the world according to The World Health Organization. It affects 2 billion people over 30 percent of the world’s population.
But more than being a global health issue, the more urgent problem iron deficiency poses is its impact on a child’s development. When a child doesn’t get enough iron, it can lead to a condition known as Iron Deficiency Anemia (IDA)
According to WHO, one of the most dramatic health effects of Iron Deficiency Anemia is its negative consequences on cognitive and physical development of children. There is a considerable evidence that iron is important for neurological functioning and development. What’s more, there is evidence that the effects of iron deficiency on our nervous systems are irreversible.

Good Iron Sources include:
liver and other meats
whole grains
shellfish
green leafy vegetables and nuts

Iron is one of the nutrients added to enriched cereals and breads. If you’re child eats little or none of these foods, make a special effort to include other sources of iron in his diet, like a good iron supplement.

Raising kids is not an easy task. What more if your spouse is working abroad? There are bills to pay, work to attend to, and a home to maintain. The good news is, not all things in life are hard to do, like keeping your children healthy.
Your children’s future is important. That’s why you need to take care of their health so that they grow up bright and strong. This can only be achieved with a healthy diet. Eating food with Zinc and Iron is a good way to start.
Zinc is an important nutrient in keeping the skin smooth and healthy. It speeds up the healing of wounds so they don’t develop into scars which are perfect for kids, because they enjoy running and playing outdoors.
Zinc also keeps the body healthy inside out. It helps in the production of white blood cells which fight all forms of infection in the body, making it stronger.
Iron, on the other hand, is one of the most important nutrients our body needs, especially the young ones. This is so because it carries oxygen to help in energy production, so children become alert.
What’s more, Iron sharpens the mind as it helps distribute oxygen throughout the body. Lack of iron (which means little oxygen in the brain) could result to a slower thinking process.
With the range of benefits you can get Zinc and Iron, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t make your kids get these nutrients. One source of Zinc and Iron is eating red meat like beef. As you always have, continue taking care of your children. Make them healthy and strong, so they can really enjoy their childhood.

Studies show that a child’s diet can influence how well he or she does in school, because good nutrition helps improve attentiveness, increase energy levels and augments the brain processes that affect learning. If a child’s diet in not balanced and has too much junk food and sugar, he or she will miss out on the micronutrients (vitamin A and iron) that affect brain development and learning.
Children tend to eat what they like, and parents prefer to prepare what’s easy to cook. And many kids simply dislike eating vegetables, usually because of the taste. It seems normal, but beware, feeding children only what they want often results in their having diets that lack healthy food, particularly vegetables, which are among the rich sources of micronutrients. Children with these kinds of diets perform poorly in school because they suffer from inattentiveness, the inability to concentrate, learning problems and weak immune systems. If a child is like this, he or she isn’t necessarily lazy or dumb; these are signs of iron deficiency anemia (IDA) and vitamin A deficiency VAD. The sixth National Nutrition Surveys (NNS) study shows that the average child aged 6 months to 5 years consumes only half the recommended daily amount.
The Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) encourages the consumption of more vegetables, fruits and root crops to help correct the micronutrient deficiencies consistently noted in the National Nutrition Surveys.” One cup or 90 grams of vegetables like ampalaya, okra and squash can go long way towards ensuring better health and, as a consequences of the improved micronutrient intake, better school performance for children aged 6-12; half a serving or 45 grams is all children below 6 needs to reap the same benefits.
Make sure your child eats this small amount of vegetables everyday