The items on their
"no-go" list, which include everything from certain yogurts to mac
and cheese, might surprise you.
Infants in Britain are
breaking records. However, before you grab the cake, crisps, and fizzy pop for
the celebration, you should pause. An examination of children's diets in eight
nations reveals that children under the age of five consume the most ultra-processed
foods (UPFs). In point of fact, nearly two thirds of their typical energy
intake comes from these items.
It's a major problem. Between
2019-20 and 2020-21, the rate of childhood obesity increased at an
unprecedented rate, according to data from the National Childhood Measurement
Programme. When they graduated from primary school in 2021 and 2022, 38% of our
children were overweight or obese, significantly increasing their risk of
cancer, type 2 diabetes, early heart disease, liver conditions, and other
issues in the future.
The problem is literally being
fed by us. According to research conducted by Imperial College London, children
are more likely to become overweight or obese if they consume a greater
quantity of UPFs. Meanwhile, tooth decay brought on by sugary diets is the most
common reason young children visit the hospital.
Therefore, which foods should
be excluded from the diets of our toddlers, adolescents, and young children,
according to the experts?
Dr. Vicky Sibson, a public
health nutritionist, mother of two (ages 2 and 5), and director of the First
Steps Nutrition Trust
All Snacks Marketed to infants
under the age of one, from Rusks to Biscotti
In the first few years of
life, the path to long-term health is established. As a result, the food that
babies and toddlers consume is very important to their current and future
health. For optimal health and development, infants and young children should
consume a variety of unprocessed and minimally processed foods, avoiding
commercial baby foods whenever possible.
Importantly, infants between
the ages of 6 and 12 months don't need snacks. When commercial baby snack foods
like wafers, straws, melty sticks, rusks, and biscotti are consumed, the
nutrients that babies should be getting from a healthy diet of
breastmilk/infant formula and nutrient-rich complementary foods that are given
at regular mealtimes (rather than through grazing) are lost. In addition to
being considered to be extremely processed, many of these snacks lack nutrients.
Products of this kind make it difficult for infants to accept and consume real,
nutritious food. The fix? Between meals, give them their usual milk feeds.
Milks labeled "growing
up" or "toddler" are less healthy than cow's milk, typically
contain more sugar, and are more expensive.
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The fix? using whole cow's
milk or breast milk.
Dr. Sameer Patel, a partner
and co-founder of Elleven Dental Wellness and the father of three children
ranging in age from 13 to 7, states:
Milk at Night
Because drinking milk at
night, whether breast or bottle, is the most harmful to their dental health, I
would like to eliminate it from their diets. Because milk contains lactose,
toddlers' salivary glands shut down prior to bedtime, leaving sugar on their
teeth. Bottle caries, which is also known as tooth decay, occurs not only in
the front teeth but also in the back teeth, which are typically where we see
it.
Some children undergo multiple
extractions as early as the age of two or three. They are in pain, so they get
a general anesthetic that isn't necessary and comes with all the risks that
come with it. They won't have those teeth then for some time.
The fix? At the very least,
toddlers should brush their teeth after getting their milk before going to bed.
However, water is the ideal beverage before bed. Because warm water is better
for their health than cold water, if they want a reassuring warm beverage, why
not make it a habit from the beginning of their lives?
Author of The Full Diet: Dr.
Saira Hameed, consultant in endocrinology and diabetes at Imperial College
Healthcare NHS Trust, mother of four children (ages 12 to 1)
Soft Drinks
Within 30 to 60 minutes of
drinking soda, children experience a significant spike in blood sugar, which
can lead to behavioral issues and a subsequent drop in blood sugar. Many of
these drinks contain caffeine, which can also disrupt sleep and cause
agitation.
The direct ingestion of sugar
through the portal vein into the liver is also largely responsible for the
development of paediatric fatty liver disease, which was almost unheard of in
children a generation ago. This product, which lacks any vitamins or other
nutrients, has nothing redeeming about it.
The fix? Our children are
aware that the question, "Can I have a drink can be dealt with in one of
two ways. water or milk throughout the day. If the approach is consistent,
those foods become their "normal," according to my experience.
Yogurts Flavored with Sugar
These are merely highly
processed puddings with improved branding. These yogurts, which are frequently
marketed to children, have a high sugar content that targets the reward center
of the brain, resulting in a brief, dopamine-driven "high" that
causes the child to crave more sweet foods.
Children's hyperactivity has
been linked to food colors, and when emulsifiers are added for texture and
consistency, they harm the bacteria in the gut, causing inflammation and
unregulated blood sugar control. Skimmed milk powder, a low-quality dairy
substitute that can be found in these yogurts, fails to produce strong
gut-to-brain fullness signaling and deprives children of the essential fatty
acids found in whole, full-fat milk.
The fix? Introduce yogurt to
children in the manner that their grandparents would: a two-ingredient food
made of milk and healthy bacteria, like natural or Greek yogurt. It tastes
great on its own or with fresh fruit, nuts, and seeds added.
Dr. Neil Srinivasan, a
consultant cardiologist and electrophysiologist at Wellington Hospital London,
is the father of two children, ages 5 and 2.
Nuggets of chicken
Because they are so common,
most restaurants include them on their kids' menus. However, they are fried in
oils that frequently contain 20 or more ingredients and contain additives like dimethylpolysiloxane,
an "antifoaming agent."
We are aware that processed foods contribute to both obesity and atherosclerosis, which is the thickening or hardening of the arteries as a result of a buildup of plaque in the inner lining of an artery that has the potential to rupture and lead to heart attacks. Both of these conditions can be exacerbated by processed foods. Obesity is connected to either of these conditions. The latter is a disease that can begin as early as childhood and progress slowly over time.
The fix? By coating chicken
breasts in egg and whole-grain breadcrumbs and baking them until crisp, you
could make your own chicken strips.
Breakfast Cereals with Sugar
Cake-like flavors can be found
in some children's breakfast cereals. Even cereals that advertise themselves as
"whole grain" may be high in sugar and empty calories despite only
containing a trace amount of fiber.
The fix? Check the label of
the ingredients to ensure that sugar—or any other name for sugar—is not one of
the top three. Examples of such ingredients include high fructose corn syrup.
Additionally, select a cereal with at least three grams of fiber and protein
per serving.
Package Mac and Cheese
There is a possibility that
one serving of packaged pasta, such as ramen noodles, canned spaghetti, or
macaroni and cheese, contains more sodium than the daily allowance for
children.
More sodium is consumed by
nine out of ten children than is recommended. High sodium levels can lead to
high blood pressure, so having a salty taste can easily last into adulthood.
Processed food, which frequently lacks essential nutrients and fiber, is the
primary source of excess sodium. The answer? For our children, we freeze or
store meals that we make at home with fresh ingredients in the refrigerator. We
prepare and store the meals in batches to ensure that they are varied. Homemade
white pasta is acceptable. It has fiber, essential vitamins and minerals that
are necessary for growth and development, and it is a good source of energy for
kids who are always moving.
Energy Beverages
Children and teens are being
duped into drinking large cans of energy drinks in the hope that doing so will
improve their academic or athletic performance. In point of fact, it is more
likely to increase their risk of developing dental caries, obesity, and type 2
diabetes, all of which will have a negative impact on their health as a whole
over the course of their lifetime.
Dried Fruits
Dried fruit is similar to
chewy, sticky sweets. Because it can get stuck in cracks and become a food
source for bacteria, it is easy for toothbrushes to miss it. As with any sweet
treat, eating too much of dried fruit can worsen the risk of tooth decay caused
by the sugar.
The fix? Apples, a fresh,
natural fruit that is great for your teeth, has a lot of fiber, and removes
plaque well.
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