Prebiotic oligosaccharides (prebiotics)

Prebiotics help the friendly bacteria naturally present in your toddler’s tummy to thrive.¹ A healthy level of these good bacteria helps to fight off potentially harmful ones, thereby supporting your toddler’s immune system. Prebiotics are naturally present in some foods, such as:

• Prebiotic-fortified dairy such as some yogurt
• Onions
• Tomatoes
• Asparagus
• Chicory
• Garlic
• Artichokes

For toddlers after 1 year, some growing up milks also contain prebiotics and can complement a balanced diet.

Iron

Iron is important for the formation of haemoglobin in red blood cells, which carry oxygen through the body, making it essential for healthy development. It can also affect the immune system; toddlers who don’t regularly get enough iron could have a reduced immune function, which in turn could make them less resistant to infection. It can be surprisingly hard to ensure your toddler regularly gets enough iron.

Good sources of iron include:

• Meat (especially red meat)
• Beans
• Nuts
• Dried fruit such as dried apricots
• Whole grains such as brown rice
• Fortified Growing Up milks
• Fortified cereals
• Soybean flour
• Dark green leafy vegetables such as watercress and curly kale

Zinc

Zinc can be found in all of the body’s tissue and it has a number of important functions. Not only does it aid the creation of new cells and the enzymes needed to support your toddler’s immune system, but it also helps our bodies to heal wounds. You can find zinc in a variety of toddler-friendly foods, such as:

• Meat
• Shellfish
• Milk
• Cheese
• Bread
• Cereal products such as wheatgerm

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is not only important for healthy bones and teeth; it also plays a role in supporting your toddler’s immune system. Most of our vitamin D comes from sunlight on our skin, as the vitamin forms under the skin in reaction to sunlight. However, consult your doctor to make sure if your toddler gets enough vitamin D for the rapid development of his/her bones and teeth. It’s recommended that toddlers get 7ug of vitamin D a day from their diet.

Sources of vitamin D include:

• Oily fish (e.g. salmon, mackerel)
• Eggs
• Fortified margarine
• Fortified cereals

However, because so few foods contain an adequate amount of vitamin D, it is recommended that toddlers receive vitamin D supplements.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C helps protect cells and keeps your toddler healthy, and it’s needed by white blood cells to fight infection. It helps your toddler’s skin to heal itself after any scrapes or grazes and also helps their body absorb iron. It’s a good idea to include the following vitamin C-rich foods in your toddler’s diet:

• Peppers
• Broccoli
• Brussels sprouts
• Sweet potatoes
• Oranges
• Kiwi fruit
• Fortified cereals

Vitamin A

Vitamin A helps support your toddler’s immune system against infection because it is involved in the generation of antibody responses and the function of immune cells. It helps to maintain your toddler’s healthy skin and any surface tissues that excrete mucus, such as the nose and the intestines. Your toddler can get vitamin A from:

• Dairy such as cheese, milk and yogurt
• Eggs
• Oily fish (such as mackerel)
• Fortified margarine
• Fortified cereals

While a healthy, varied diet containing a range of these foods should give your toddler’s immune system what it needs, it can be difficult to make sure your toddler is getting enough, especially if they’re going through a fussy phase.