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142 5.1 Preschool Children 1–4 Years

Nutrients at Risk in a supplement for under-fives (Department of
Health 1994).
Key nutrients that are often low in the diets of
under-fives are: Vitamin C is usually adequate in the diets of UK
toddlers but low-income families have the lowest
●● iron intakes and for this reason vitamin C is included in
the Healthy Start vitamin supplements that should
●● vitamin D be made available to low-income families
qualifying for this scheme (see www.healthystart.
●● fibre. nhs.uk).

The consequences of this are discussed in more Vegetarian and Vegan Diets
detail in Chapter 5.2.
A vegetarian diet for preschool children needs
Vitamin A plays a key role in several systems: the careful planning to make sure that three servings
immune system, vision, maintenance of skin, hair of foods from food group 4 are offered each day to
and membranes. Major sources of vitamin A in the ensure adequate iron intake. Within each meal a
diets of under-fives are meat, milk and carotene in high-vitamin C food will help the absorption of
fruits and vegetables and past dietary surveys non-haem iron from vegetarian foods.
showed that about 50 per cent of 1–4 year olds do not
have an adequate intake of vitamin A (Gregory et al.
1995). Consequently the Department of Health
recommends that some vitamin A is also provided

Meal plans for a vegetarian diet with high-iron and high-vitamin C foods

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3

Breakfast Boiled egg with toast Baked beans on toast Toddler muesli with added
fingers ground almonds and
Small glass of diluted strawberries
Banana slices orange juice

Small glass of diluted
orange juice

Midday Chick pea curry with Dhal and rice Pasta with lentils in
meal courgette and cauliflower Broccoli and carrot bolognaise sauce
Rice pudding
Rice Mango slices Green beans

Yogurt and strawberries Custard and fresh peaches

Evening Tofu stir fry with noodles, Cheese omelette with toast Pitta bread with hummus
meal cherry tomatoes and fingers
spinach Carrot and cucumber sticks
Pepper slices and courgette
Pancake with raspberries sticks Slices of kiwi fruit with a
and ice cream biscuit
Pear slices and a muffin