With the school year starting and meals often happening away from home, nutrition matters more than ever. Director of Medical Affairs Nutritional Science at Bayer, Dr. Nastaran Faghihnia, shares new survey insights and a simple solution to help fill key nutrient gaps. The survey really highlights the mealtime struggles that many families face. Nearly 60% of parents say their child is a picky eater, and almost two out of three report that their kids refuse to eat veggies at least once a week. While kids often refuse food because of how it tastes, the survey found that smell, texture, and color also play an important role. Over half of parents say that their kid is texture-sensitive and one-third said that their kids won't eat certain color foods. This means that getting your kids key nutrients they may need can be a challenge--for example, a nutrient like iron. Iron is one of the most common nutrient deficiencies in children in the U.S., and making sure kids get enough is important to their development. Dr. Faghihnia always encourages parents and kids to eat a balanced diet to get their key nutrients. To help fill nutrient gaps, especially for picky eaters, there are new One a Day Kids Multi Gummies with Iron. The gummies provide 10 key nutrients (like vitamins c, d & e) and an excellent source of iron with 12mg (of iron) in two gummies a day - that's ⅔ of the recommended daily value. No other leading kids' gummy multivitamin has more iron. And kids will like the fruit flavor in a gummy form. That's an easy win for parents and picky kids. Another thing you can do is model healthy eating yourself--kids often mimic their parents, so when they see you choosing nutritious options, they're more likely to follow suit. Involving them in meal prep can also spark their interest; they're more inclined to eat what they help make! You can even tell stories about the foods they're eating to boost their interest (like how they benefit their bodies). Also, if you're looking for easy ways to sneak in more nutrients, blending veggies into sauces or smoothies is a great trick. You can also use more whole grain breads and pastas, or mix in ingredients like beans and lentils for nutrients. Be patient and persistent - it can take multiple exposures to a new food before a child accepts it. And finally, consider adding One a Day Kids Multi to their daily routine for added nutritional support. You can go to oneaday.com to learn more about the different multivitamins in the new kids line. They have three new gummy options, including One a Day Kids Multi, One a Day Kids Multi with Iron , and One a Day Kids Multi with Probiotic .
