Monica Adhikari
Consultant Dietician, Great Ormond Street Hospital, London.

Nutritional considerations: All parents wish their children to be healthy and there's a great deal you can do to give your child the best start in life as well as good health in later years. The first few years are of vital importance, for this is the crucial time when the foundations for future good health are laid. Food and nutrients are the building blocks in a good diet, which help them to form strong teeth and bones, muscles and healthy tissues. A good diet can also help to protect against illness.

A child's diet needs special care and planning- the requirements for energy and nutrients are high, but appetite is small and eating habits are likely to be finicky.

The diet therefore needs to be:

• Made up of small frequent meals,
• Diet to be "Nutrients Dense"-providing plenty of nutrients in small volume of food.

Particularly important nutrient include:

Iron: Iron deficiency is common in this age group as iron requirements are high but dietary intake is often low, especially if little or no meat is eaten. Foods rich in Vitamin C such as orange or tomato with evening meal eaten at the same time help maximise iron absorption. Good sources of iron are listed in Table 1.

Calcium: This is vital for the growth of bones and teeth. Requirements will be met as long as the child consumes enough milk and dairy products. Good sources of dietary calcium are listed in Table 1.

Vitamin A, C, D:
Vitamin A is needed for healthy skin and cell development and can be often be lacking in diets of this age group.
Vitamin C is important for the immune system and growth. It also helps in the absorption of iron, especially iron from non-meat sources (non heme iron). Vitamin intakes are often low in children who eat little.
Vitamin D is essential for calcium metabolism (breakdown of calcium) and can be synthesised through the action of sunlight on the skin. In winter, and if your child is always covered, make sure that you include dietary sources of vitamin D, along with vitamin D in tablet or liquid form.