Watch Out! These Foods Are Not Safe For Your Child
A healthy and balanced diet is essential for the growth of children, but be careful, not all foods are safe for them. For your peace of mind, we offer you a practical guide of what you should, or should not, feed your spoiled ones.
Many times, due to lack of time, we resort to practicality and we feed our little ones “anything”, such as: processed foods, sweets, junk food, soft drinks, etc., in order to alleviate our daily tasks or reduce the burden of chores at home.
However, this is not correct, as good mothers we must be aware that our children need adequate nutrition, in which we can offer vitamins , minerals, proteins, energy and fatty acids in each plate of food to our kids. This could prevent childhood obesity.
Doctors recommend not to abuse fatty foods and replace them with vegetables or fruits
The importance of diet in growth
C omer well not only affects physical growth, but also in cognitive or intellectual development , indispensable so that they can learn in school or overcome all their childhood stages with success.
A good one Nutrition does not mean that we have to restrict children from the things they like the most, on the contrary, the idea is that they too can acquire good eating habits to identify what is correct to eat and what is not.
Offer your little one three regular meals a day as well as two highly nutritious snacks, rich in vitamins, minerals and proteins
Foods that are not safe for health
We all love to pamper our child at home, but health and healthy growth must be above that, therefore, below we will find a series of foods that we should avoid including in their diet:
Sugary cereals
In the breakfast they bail us out, especially before taking the kids to school, but nutritionally are decompensated, mainly due to excess sugars and the minimum amount of fiber they provide . This is not to say that they can never enjoy it, it just should not be part of a regular breakfast.
Keep in mind that regular sugar intake has been linked to pancreatic stress and a higher risk of developing diabetes in the medium term. This is confirmed by a study published in Advances in Nutrition.
Skimmed cow’s milk
Milk is an exceptional food, as it provides protein and fat. These nutrients have been shown to be essential for muscle health. However, it is not a good idea to use the skimmed variety, since it loses a good part of the vitamins that characterize it, greatly reducing its nutritional value.
Sausages
What little one doesn’t like a hot dog or hotdog? To all! But beware, are made with processed meat (rich in sodium, nitrates or salts), which is dangerous and not very nutritious .
Fruit snacks, energy bars or sweets
These interesting products, in addition to being delicious for children, should not be included in the daily diet since contain excess sugar and flavorings that do not add any nutritional value .
Microwave popcorn
This will surely ruin movie afternoons with our children, but we must know that popcorn can contain a high percentage of trans fat, sugar, sodium and salt, highly counterproductive for the proper functioning of the body . One option is to make popcorn directly in the pot with the corn kernels and a little olive oil.
Fast or precooked food
As in adults, fast food can cause obesity, liver problems, cardiovascular disease, among other health problems.
Swordfish, bluefin tuna, shark and pike
As usual, contain high mercury content , so they can be toxic in the feeding of the little ones.
Tea or coffee
These drinks they reduce the absorption of iron and the caffeine content overstimulates children.
Energy drinks or soft drinks
They do not provide nutrients but ingredients that are not very suitable, such as caffeine, refined sugar, chemical elements, kola nut, among others, and generally, they usually cause liver damage or alter the rhythm of sleep.
Be careful with the children’s diet
Once the little ones leave the lactation are more receptive to trying a variety of snacks and developing good habits, therefore , it is convenient to teach them to consume healthy foods from an early age, in this way, we ensure a healthy as well as happy future.