Vitamins are natural substances found in plants and animals. Your body uses these substances to stay healthy and support its many functions. There are two types of vitamins: water soluble and fat soluble.
Water soluble vitamins are easily absorbed by your body. Your body does not store large amounts of water soluble vitamins unlike fat soluble vitamins. Once fat soluble vitamins are absorbed, your body stores them in body fat.
There are 13 vitamins your body needs. They are vitamins A, C, D, E, K and the B vitamins (thiamine=vitamin B1, riboflavin=vitamin B2, niacin amide=vitamin B3, panthothenic acid=vitamin B5, pyridoxine=vitamin B6, biotin, folic acid, cyanocobalamine=vitamin B12). You can readily get all the vitamins from the food you eat. Each vitamin has a specific job. Some vitamins may help prevent medical problems. The best way to get enough vitamins is to eat a balanced diet with a variety of foods. In some cases you may need to take a daily multivitamin for optimal health.   
Minerals come from earth or from water. Plants and animals absorb them to get nutrients.
Minerals are important for your body to stay healthy. Your body uses minerals for many different jobs, including building bones, making hormones and regulating heart beat. There are two kinds of mineral: macro minerals and trace minerals. Macro minerals are minerals your body needs in large amount. They include calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, sodium, potassium, chloride and sulfur. Your body needs just small amounts of trace minerals. These include iron, manganese, copper, iodine, zinc, chromium, selenium and fluoride. 
The best way to get the vitamins and minerals your body needs is from the food you eat. You may also need more vitamins and minerals at certain times in your life.

Foods provide the energy and nutrients a baby or toddler needs to be healthy. For a baby, breast milk has all necessary vitamins and minerals. A healthy diet helps growth and learning.
The first 2 years of life, where rapid physical and social growth and development take place, is a period in which many changes that effect feeding and nutrient intake occur. Healthy, well nourished infants respond to and learn from acting in their environment and interacting with their parents. 
For better nutrition;
Make sure your child gets enough iron.
Toddlers between 1 – 3 years of age need 500 mg of calcium each day.
Dietary fiber is important after 3 years of age. Offer five servings of fruits and vegetable a day.
Limit fast food and junk food.
Offer water and milk instead of sugary fruit drinks and sodas.
Choose healthy sources of protein. 

Micronutrient deficiencies are a form of malnutrition caused by deficiencies of vitamins and minerals from the diet that is essential for human growth and development. Among the population those most vulnerable to vitamin mineral malnutrition are infants, young children and pregnant women, due to their higher dietary requirements. Vitamin and mineral deficiencies may lead to impaired growth and cognitive development in infants and birth defects in pregnant women, as well as decreased school performance and poor general health in young children.
Vitamin and mineral deficiencies affect a third of world’s people and account for an estimated 7 – 8 % of the global burden of disease. Most common vitamin and mineral deficiencies are due to iron, zinc, iodine, calcium, vitamin A, vitamin B12, vitamin D and folic acid deficiencies.
Iron deficiency is the most widespread nutritional problem in world impairing normal mental development of infants. Iron deficiency causes anemia, which is a major public health problem for infants after 6 months of age.
Zinc deficiency in infants causes diarrhea and pneumonia. Among school aged children, common symptoms of zinc deficiency include growth retardation, recurring infections and hair loss.
Iodine deficiency is another major mineral deficiency that may cause growth and development retardation in infants and in pregnancy may lead preventable mental retardation and brain damage in babies.
Vitamin A deficiency leads to anemia, eye and skin problems and impairs normal development. Vitamin D deficiency leads to skeletal problems and decreases the strength of bones.
Vitamin B12 deficiency causes anemia
Folic acid deficiency causes anemia and impairs neuralgic development.         
There are a number of public health strategies to reduce the prevalence of vitamin mineral deficiencies including;
Dietary diversification
Supplementation
Fortification
Home fortification

Dietary diversification includes the promotion of a diet with a wider variety of foods that contain large quantities of vitamins and minerals.
Supplementation using preparations such as syrups and crushable tablets is one way to reach infants and young children.
Fortification of stable foods such as cereals, wheat and other grains like to increase vitamin mineral intake for infants and children. However, infants and children who have a limited capacity to eat large quantities of fortified foods are not likely to benefit significantly from fortification.
Home fortification is a new concept. It provides vitamins and minerals that can be easily added directly to foods prepared at home. This concept not only enables your children eat whatever they love but also fortify your children’s foods at an appropriate and safe level with the needed vitamins and minerals. Home fortification is an effective, safe, accessible and acceptable concept to both parents and their children. 

Vitamins and minerals are substances that are found in foods we eat. Your body needs them to work properly, so you grow and develop just like you should. When it comes to vitamins, each one has a special role to play. For example: Vitamin D in milk helps your bones, vitamin A in carrots helps you see at night, vitamin C in oranges helps your body heal if you get a cut, B vitamins in leafy green vegetables help your body make protein and energy.
Fat-soluble vitamins are happy to stay stored in your body for awhile — some stay for a few days, some for up to 6 months! Then, when it’s time for them to be used, special carriers in your body take them to where they're needed. Vitamins A, D, E, and K are all fat-soluble vitamins.
Water-soluble vitamins are different. When you eat foods that have water-soluble vitamins, the vitamins don't get stored as much in your body. Instead, they travel through your bloodstream. Whatever your body doesn't use comes out when you urinate (wee).
So these kinds of vitamins need to be replaced often because they don't stick around! This group of vitamins includes vitamin C and the big group of B vitamins — B1 (thiamin), B2 (riboflavin), niacin, B6 (pyridoxine), folic acid, B12 (cobalamine), biotin, and pantothenic acid.

Your body is one powerful machine, capable of doing all sorts of things by itself. But one thing it can't do is make vitamins. That's where food comes in. Your body is able to get the vitamins it needs from the foods you eat because different foods contain different vitamins. The key is to eat different foods to get an assortment of vitamins. Though some children take a daily vitamin, most children don't need one if they're eating a variety of healthy foods.
Now, let's look more closely at vitamins — from A to K:
Vitamin A
This vitamin plays a really big part in eyesight. It's great for night vision, like when you're trick-or-treating on Halloween. Vitamin A helps you see in colour, too, from the brightest yellow to the darkest purple. In addition, it helps you grow properly and aids in healthy skin.
Which foods are rich in vitamin A? They are milk fortified with vitamin A, liver, orange fruits and vegetables (like cantaloupe, carrots, sweet potatoes), dark green leafy vegetables (like kale, collards, spinach).
The B Vitamins
There's more than one B vitamin. Here's the list: B1, B2, B6, B12, niacin, folic acid, biotin, and pantothenic acid. Whew — that's quite a group!
The B vitamins are important in metabolic activity — this means that they help make energy and set it free when your body needs it. So the next time you're running to tackle for the ball, thank those B vitamins. This group of vitamins is also involved in making red blood cells, which carry oxygen throughout your body. Every part of your body needs oxygen to work properly, so these B vitamins have a really important job.
Which foods are rich in vitamin B? They are whole grains, such as wheat and oats, fish and seafood, poultry and meats, eggs, dairy products, like milk and yogurt, leafy green vegetables, beans and peas.
Vitamin C
This vitamin is important for keeping body tissues, such as gums and muscles in good shape. C is also important if you get a cut or wound because it helps you heal. This vitamin also helps your body resist infection. This means that even though you can't always avoid getting sick, vitamin C makes it a little harder for your body to become infected with an illness.
Which foods are rich in vitamin C? They are citrus fruits, like oranges, cantaloupe, strawberries, tomatoes, broccoli, cabbage, kiwi fruit, and red peppers.
Vitamin D
No bones about it . . . vitamin D is the vitamin you need for strong bones! It's also great for forming strong teeth. Vitamin D even lends a hand to an important mineral — it helps your body absorb the amount of calcium it needs.
Which foods are rich in vitamin D? They are milk fortified with vitamin D, fish, egg yolks, liver, fortified cereal.  
Vitamin E
Everybody needs E. This hard-working vitamin maintains a lot of your body's tissues, like the ones in your eyes, skin, and liver. It protects your lungs from becoming damaged by polluted air. And it is important for the formation of red blood cells.
Which foods are rich in vitamin E? They are whole grains, such as wheat and oats, wheat germ, leafy green vegetables, sardines, egg yolks, nuts and seeds.
Vitamin K
Vitamin K is the clotmaster! Remember the last time you got a cut? Your blood did something special called clotting. This is when certain cells in your blood act like glue and stick together at the surface of the cut to help stop the bleeding.
Which foods are rich in vitamin K? They are leafy green vegetables, dairy products, like milk and yogurt, broccoli, soybean oil.  

Ever wonder why so many cereals and infant baby milks are fortified with iron? Iron is a nutrient that's an essential part of a child's regular diet and is needed to make hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying component of red blood cells (RBCs).
Red blood cells circulate throughout the body to deliver oxygen to all its cells. Without enough iron, the body can't make enough RBCs, and the body's tissues and organs won't get the oxygen they need to function well. So it's important for children and teens to get enough iron in their daily diets.

Children require different amounts of iron at various ages and stages. Here's how much they should be getting as they grow:

1. Infants who are breastfed tend to get enough iron from their mothers until 4 to 6 months of age, when iron-fortified cereal is usually introduced (although breastfeeding mothers should continue to take prenatal vitamins). Infants who are formula-fed should get iron-fortified baby milk.
2. Infants ages 6 to 12 months need 11 milligrams of iron a day. Babies younger than 1 year should be given iron-fortified cereal in addition to breast milk or a baby milk supplemented with iron.
3. Children ages 1 to 12 years need 7 to 10 milligrams of iron each day.
4. Adolescent boys should be getting 11 milligrams of iron a day and adolescent girls should be getting 15 milligrams. (Adolescence is a time of rapid growth and teen girls need additional iron to replace what they lose from their bodies monthly when they begin menstruating.)
5. Young athletes who regularly engage in intense exercise tend to lose more iron and may require extra iron in their diets.

Iron deficiency (when the body's iron stores are becoming depleted) can be a problem for some children, particularly toddlers and teens (especially girls who experience very heavy periods). In fact, many teenage girls are at risk for iron deficiency — even if they have normal periods — if their diets don't contain enough iron to offset the loss of iron-containing red blood cells during menstrual bleeding. Also, teen athletes lose iron through sweating and other routes during intense exercise.
After 12 months of age, toddlers are at risk for iron deficiency because they no longer drink iron-fortified baby milk and may not be eating iron-fortified infant cereal or enough other iron-containing foods to make up the difference.
Drinking a lot of cow's milk (more than 24 fluid ounces [710 milliliters] every day) can also put a toddler at risk of developing iron deficiency. Here's why:

1. Cow's milk is low in iron.
2. Children, especially toddlers, who drink a lot of cow's milk may be less hungry and less likely to eat iron-rich foods.
3. Milk decreases the absorption of iron and can also irritate the lining of the intestine, causing small amounts of bleeding and the gradual loss of iron in the stool (poop).

Iron deficiency can affect a child's growth and may lead to learning and behavioral problems. And it can progress to iron deficiency anemia, a condition in which there's a decrease in the number of red blood cells in the body.
Many people with iron-deficiency anemia don't have any signs and symptoms because the body's iron supply is depleted slowly. But as the anemia progresses, some of the following symptoms may appear:

1. fatigue and weakness
2. pale skin and mucous membranes
3. rapid heartbeat or a new heart murmur (detected in an exam by a doctor)
4. irritability
5. decreased appetite
6. dizziness or a feeling of being lightheaded

If your child has any of these symptoms, talk to your child's doctor; he or she may do a simple blood test to find out if your child has iron-deficiency anemia and may prescribe iron supplements. However, because excessive iron intake can also cause health problems, you should never give your child iron supplements without first consulting your doctor.

Iron in Your Family's Everyday Diet
Although the nutrient can be found in various kinds of foods, iron from meat sources is more easily absorbed by the body than iron found in plant foods.
Iron-rich foods that can make your family's diet all the more nutritious include: red meat, dark poultry, tuna, salmon, eggs, tofu, enriched grains, dried beans and peas, dried fruits, leafy green vegetables, blackstrap molasses, iron-fortified breakfast cereals (Iron-fortified products such as cereal can be a great way to incorporate more iron in your child's diet. Offer children whole-grain, low-sugar varieties. Although it's tempting, banning sugary cereals could make children feel deprived. Instead, offer them only once in a while.)
In addition to serving an iron-rich diet, here are other ways you can make sure kids get enough iron:

* Limit your child's milk intake to about 16 to 24 fluid ounces (473 to 710 milliliters) a day.

* Continue serving iron-fortified foods or fortify home made foods until your child is 18 to 24 months old.

* Serve iron-rich foods alongside foods containing vitamin C — such as tomatoes, broccoli, oranges, and strawberries — which improves the body's absorption of iron.

* Avoid serving coffee or tea at mealtime — both contain tannins that reduce iron absorption.

* If your child or teen is a vegetarian, monitor his or her diet to make it includes sufficient iron. Because iron from meat sources is more easily absorbed than iron from plant sources, you may need to add iron-fortified foods to a vegetarian diet.

Be sure you're stocked up on iron-rich or iron-fortified foods for meals and snacking. Serve iron-rich foods every day and teach children that iron is an important part of a healthy diet.

As toddlers progress from babies to children, they tend to drink more milk and become ever more finicky about what they put in their tiny mouths. That's why the 1- to 3-year-old age range is also prime time for little ones to potentially develop iron deficiency and, according to a new study; certain toddlers are at especially high risk of not getting enough iron (also called iron deficiency, when the body's iron stores have become depleted).

The researchers found that toddlers are:
1. Nearly three times as likely to be iron deficient if they're overweight (20%) than normal weight (7%).
2. Twice as likely to be iron deficient if they aren’t in day care or preschool (10%) than those who are (5%).
3. Twice as likely to be iron deficient if they're Hispanic (12%) than if they're white or black (6% in both groups).
An essential part of child's regular diet, iron is needed to make hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying component of red blood cells. Red blood cells circulate throughout the body to deliver oxygen to all its cells. Without enough iron, the body can't make enough red blood cells and the body's tissues and organs won't get the oxygen they need to function well.

It is all-too-common for toddlers not to get nearly enough iron because:
1. After 12 months old, children no longer drink iron-fortified formula and may not be eating iron-fortified infant cereal or enough other iron-containing foods.
2. They may drink a lot of cow's milk, which is low in iron and may make them less hungry and less likely to eat iron-rich foods. Plus, milk decreases the absorption of iron and also can irritate the lining of the intestine in some children, causing small amounts of bleeding and the gradual loss of iron in the stool (or poop).
On top of possibly affecting a child’s growth, iron deficiency may lead to long term learning and behavioral problems if it is not caught early. It can progress to iron deficiency anemia, a condition marked by a decrease in the number of red blood cells. Unfortunately, because the body’s iron supply is depleted slowly, a lot of children with iron deficiency anemia do not have any obvious signs and symptoms of anemia, so it can be hard to detect. If you think your children may have an iron deficiency anemia, seek medical advice.

You can find the essential nutrient in various kinds of foods, but the iron in meat sources is absorbed more easily by the body than the iron in plant foods. Some excellent sources that you can incorporate — or even sneak — into your family's everyday diet include: lean meats (like red meat, dark poultry), tuna and salmon, egg yolks, tofu, dried beans, peas, and fruits leafy green vegetables (like spinach and broccoli), blackstrap molasses, whole-grain breads, iron-fortified breakfast cereals (preferably whole-grain, low-sugar varieties)
To make extra sure children are getting enough iron at every age, it's also wise to: 

1. Continue offering iron-fortified food, or fortify home made food until 18 to 24 months old.
2. Keep milk to a minimum — no more than 16 to 24 fluid ounces (473 to 710 milliliters) a day.
3. Serve iron-rich foods along with those rich in vitamin C (like tomatoes, broccoli, oranges, and strawberries) to help the body absorb more iron.
4. Avoid serving coffee or tea at mealtime, which can reduce iron absorption.
5. Monitor the iron intake of vegetarian children and young athletes, who may require extra iron in their diets.
6. Make sure teens are getting enough iron. Teen girls, especially, need additional iron to replace what they lose each month when they menstruate.

If you're concerned that your child isn't getting enough iron, talk to your doctor.