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Children need a constant replenishing of vitamins and nutrients in their diets, including vitamin B. The family of B vitamins is actually 8 different vitamins, many of which are water soluble. This means whatever is not used is flushed out of the body, and therefore must be replaced daily. The best way to feed your children enough vitamin B is to make vitamin-B-rich foods a part of their daily diets.

Steps

1. Feed your kids meat on a daily basis to ensure they get an adequate amount of vitamin B-3, also known as niacin, which is found in protein. Red meats and poultry are an excellent source of vitamins.
   
2. Dish out the vegetables such as asparagus, broccoli, spinach, sweet corn and potatoes. These healthy foods might not always be tops on the list of things your kids love, but they are all great sources of vitamin B, and you should include them in daily meals.
3. Make milk the only beverage option for your children at dinnertime. Give them a low-sugar yogurt product or hard-boiled eggs for breakfast, and feed them egg-salad sandwiches for lunch. Milk, eggs, cheese and yogurt are all high in vitamin B.
4. Offer snacks that are rich in vitamin B, such as apricots, figs and nuts. Snack time doesn’t have to mean cookies, crackers or candy. Get your kids to try some of these and they may find they like them even more than a bowl of chips or cookies.
5. Include whole grains in your kids’ meals. Make them sandwiches with whole-grain bread. Instead of serving up potatoes, french fries or tater tots, use rice or pasta, instead. Look for whole grain cereals that are high in a variety of B vitamins.
6. Add fish to your kids’ diet to help them get an adequate amount of vitamin B. Even kid-friendly fish sticks contain enough vitamin B to make a difference.
7. Give your kids a vitamin B supplement if you feel they are not getting enough in their diets. Either choose a B-complex vitamin that includes all forms of vitamin B or find a good multi-vitamin.

Tips

• Some studies show that kids with attention deficit disorders and those with asthma may benefit from getting more vitamin B-6 in their diet. However, you must discuss this with your child’s doctor as some B-vitamins have also have adverse reactions with some asthma medications.
• B-vitamins are water soluble, meaning that you cannot get too many of them. Your body will automatically flush the excess out of your system.

Warnings

• You should always discuss supplements with your family doctor before giving any to your children. The doctor will help you decide whether or not your child actually needs a vitamin B supplement and can give you other tips on how to get the vitamin into your child’s diet.
• Large doses of some vitamin B can cause headaches, dizziness, weakness, diarrhea and other adverse side effects.

Related wikiHows

• How to Feed Your Child Enough Protein

Sources and Citations

• http://kidshealth.org/kid/stay_healthy/food/vitamin.html#

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