‘My daughter doesn’t eat anything nutritional and I’ve tried so many different vitamins and water – so much money – but she takes her Hiya everyday with no hesitation’
With the summer holidays now a distant memory, darker evenings closing in and autumn temperatures taking a nosedive, youngsters are likely to be spending considerably less time outdoors. As a result, there’s one particular vitamin that could prove hugely beneficial for children – and we’ve tracked down an option for just 48p per day.
While a varied, balanced diet should always be the first port of call for nutrition, paediatrician Phil Boucher, MD, recommends vitamin D as temperatures begin to drop. He told The Mirror: “Vitamin D is the one I’d flag hardest. The recommendation is 600 IU a day for kids over one, and a kid who isn’t drinking much milk or fortified alternative isn’t getting close.”
He further highlights that the problem becomes especially pressing during the autumn and winter months, when children are getting far less sun exposure, as reported by Mirror. He explained: “I practice in Nebraska. From October to April my patients are mostly indoors and far away from the sun so vitamin D synthesis in the skin is basically off the table.”
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Vitamin D is crucial to children’s wellbeing, supporting normal immune system function and healthy bone growth and development. However, ensuring youngsters get everything they need from their diet can be far easier said than done, especially for fussy eaters.
For parents seeking a straightforward way to boost their child’s diet, the Hiya Kids Daily Multivitamin is currently priced at £14.50, down from £29, for a 30-day supply as part of a subscription plan. That works out at roughly 48p per day.
Kids Daily Multivitamin
Chewable Multivitamin with 15 essential vitamins & minerals to support immunity, growth, & development among kids. Vitamin D contributes to the normal function of the immune system and is needed for normal growth and development of bone in children. Shoppers can get 50% off their first month.
Designed for children aged three to 12, the chewable multivitamin contains 15 essential vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A, C, D and E, B vitamins, folic acid, B12, biotin, iodine, zinc, selenium and manganese. The supplement is also free from added sugar and artificial dyes, and is available in four flavours – cherry, strawberry, tropical and green apple.
The vitamins arrive in a refillable glass bottle complete with a child-proof lid and a sticker pack, which little ones can use to personalise their own jar. Each subsequent month, parents will receive a refill pouch through the post to replenish their container, with follow-up orders priced at £29.
Customer feedback for Hiya’s products is overwhelmingly favourable, with the brand amassing more than 6,900 reviews across their product range, 6,300 of which are five-star ratings. One parent described their daughter as a ‘very picky eater’, but noted: “It is really hard to get her to take any supplements, but she loved these. She had so much fun decorating her own little jar. I appreciate that they come in glass and has a child proof lid as well. Of course they are dye and sugar free too.”
Another parent said: “My toddler is super picky so a multivitamin is a must but he can also be picky about those as well! So when we found Hiya and he loved them I was so excited. He also had fun decorating the bottle.
“My daughter doesn’t eat anything nutritional and I’ve tried so many different vitamins and water – so much money – but she takes her Hiya everyday with no hesitation,” another mum said. “It’s amazing and I feel better knowing she’s getting what she needs.”
Naturally, there’s no certainty that every child will take to them. One reviewer noted that while their son wasn’t keen on the vitamins, they were full of praise for the brand’s customer service, saying: “While my son did not like the vitamins, the customer service was spot on. They texted to see if we were liking it and after a week of trying to get him to take them I decided it wasn’t worth the struggle. I texted back and it was easy to cancel. Sorry we didn’t like the product but if every company operated like Hiya, the world would be a better place.”
Another parent commented: “Ensuring my toddler gets his nutrients in used to be one more thing on my mental load but he loves his Hiya vitamins and actually gets so excited about taking them, which has made such a difference. I love knowing he’s getting some extra nutritional support without having to fight him on it everyday – the only fight we’re having is that he can only have one. One less thing for me to stress about is always a huge win.”
Hiya isn’t the sole retailer offering children’s multivitamins. Boots currently stocks these Bio-Kult 3-in-1 Biotic Blend Multivitamin Gummies for Kids, providing 30 strawberry flavoured gummies for £16.98. They include 10mcg of vitamin D3, while Hiya’s contain 25mcg of vitamin D.
Meanwhile, at Holland and Barrett, these Neubria Neu Kid – Multivitamin + Omega-3 30 Soft Chewables are priced at £12. They’re said to be loaded with essential vitamins (including vitamin D3), iodine and DHA, which is a crucial omega-3 fatty acid that supports brain, eye and heart health.
It’s important to note that not every child will require a multivitamin, but Dr Boucher suggests there are certain indicators that could signal a child isn’t receiving sufficient variety in their diet. He explained: “How many foods does your kid genuinely accept? If it’s under about twenty, under-nutrition of something is likely.”
He also recommends parents assess whether their child is avoiding an entire food group. “No dairy, no meat, no fish, no eggs. Vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, or a restriction that came from an elimination diet nobody ever un-eliminated.”
However, for children who are particular eaters but otherwise healthy, a multivitamin may offer some advantages. “For a healthy kid with an unremarkable diet, a basic multivitamin is a reasonable, low-stakes hedge, but for a kid with a real red flag on that list, skip the supplement aisle and visit your paediatrician,” Dr Boucher concluded.
Hiya suggests taking its Kids Daily Multivitamin with breakfast, though it can be consumed at any point during the day, whether with or without food. Dr Boucher agreed: “Honestly? The ideal time is whichever time you’ll actually remember. Attach it to something that already happens every single day without anyone having to think. You brush your teeth after breakfast, the vitamin lives next to that.”
Shoppers can discover more about the Hiya multivitamins here.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: www.dailyrecord.co.uk
