From Vincent Iannelli, M.D.,
Your Guide to Pediatrics.
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About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by Kate Grossman, MD

Vitamin C, which is also as ascorbic acid, is best known for causing scurvy when you don't get enough of it, with bleeding, bruising, hair loss, etc. Fortunately, scurvy is very rare today, as most kids get plenty of Vitamin C in their diet. In fact, with all of the fruit juice they drink, most probably get too much.

Food Sources of Vitamin C

Even if your kids don't eat brussel sprouts or cabbage, they likely do eat citrus fruits, like oranges, which are high in Vitamin C. Unlike most vitamins and minerals, which can be a struggle to provide adequate amounts if your child is a picky eater, it is usually pretty easy to get enough Vitamin C. Consider that a single, medium orange can provide all of the Vitamin C that most children need for the entire day.

Foods that are good sources of Vitamin C include¹:

• Red peppers
• Papayas
• Green peppers
• Broccoli
• Strawberries
• Brussel Sprouts
• Citrus fruits (oranges, grape fruit, etc.)
• Kiwi Fruit
• Tomato Soup
• Kellogg's Product 19 cereal
• General Mill's Whole Grain Total cereal
• Cantaloupe
• Mangos
• Cauliflower
• Cabbage
• Raspberries
• Spinach
• Honeydew Melons
• Potatoes
• Tomatoes
• Watermelon

Fruit Juice and Vitamin C

Even if your kids don't eat any of the fruits and vegetables that are good sources of Vitamin C mentioned above, since most fruit juices, including Orange Juice, that kids drink have 100% Vitamin C in each serving, if your child drinks juice, he is likely getting plenty of Vitamin C.

If you aren't sure if your child is getting enough Vitamin C in her diet, this Vitamin C Screen Quiz can be helpful.

Iron and Vitamin C

Vitamin C can help your body absorb iron, so it is a good idea to pair iron rich foods with foods that have a lot of Vitamin C, including citrus fruits and iron fortified orange juice and to take an iron vitamin with some Vitamin C if your child has iron deficiency anemia.

References

¹ USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Vitamin C, Total Ascorbic Acid (mg) Content of Selected Foods per Common Measure, Sorted by Nutrient Content. July 16, 2006.