Do not eat vegetables to get vitamins? How to make children eat more scientific and nutritious? In your head, you may already have some traditional and rooted “diet philosophy”. But they may not be entirely correct. Take a look at the following 10 claims, and the truth about them!
Myth #1: Children don’t get essential vitamins and minerals if they don’t eat vegetables.
The truth is: some children don’t like vegetables, yet they are still healthy. The reason for this is that they like to eat fruit. Fruit is a great nutritional substitute as your child slowly learns to accept greens like brussels sprouts and spinach.
If your child doesn’t eat carrots, you may want to give him some apricots or hami melon in order to replenish the vitamin A and carotene he may be lacking; strawberries or oranges can be used instead of spinach to meet your child’s need for folic acid. Bananas can replace potatoes as a source of potassium; citrus fruits can replace kale to meet vitamin C needs.
But, after all, vegetables and fruits are not completely interchangeable. Not only are vegetables rich in essential vitamins and minerals, but they also contain a variety of health-promoting phytochemicals. So, you must keep providing your child with vegetables so that he accepts and enjoys them. This is very important.
Myth #2: Dairy products can aggravate your child’s cold.
The truth is: the statement that dairy products increase the production of mucus or thicken the mucus produced in the nasal passages is completely false. When a child has a cold, mucus in the nose and throat is produced by the cold virus. And dairy products just stick in the throat and make it a little uncomfortable.
When your child has a cold, you can continue to offer him milk or other dairy products. If he doesn’t drink milk, give him other liquids such as plain water, juice, thin porridge or chicken soup until he feels better. Even if your child has little appetite, make sure he drinks enough water to prevent dehydration and to allow mucus to escape his nasal passages.
Myth 3: Children need to eat red meat (beef and lamb) to prevent anemia.
The truth is: the younger a child is, the greater the likelihood of iron deficiency. Data provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, GA shows that 9% of children who are first walking between the ages of 1 and 2 will develop iron deficiency. In children 3 to 5 years old, the rate drops to 3 percent, and in children 6 to 11 years old, the rate is 2 percent.
It’s good news that toddlers can get plenty of iron from their diet at all. Many families are natural vegetarians or don’t eat beef or lamb. Not to mention, the meat is tougher and harder for children to chew.
Red meat contains easily absorbed iron, so it is beneficial for children to eat some appropriately. However, children who are beginning to walk can also meet their body’s needs for various minerals by eating fortified cereals and breads, dried fruits (such as raisins), spinach, molasses, soybeans, lentils, eggs, fish, and poultry meat. Children under 10 years of age should get at least 10 mg of iron per day, an amount that is easily achieved with a cup of cheese (containing about 8 mg of iron) and two small bags of raisins (containing about 2 mg of iron).
If you are unsure whether your child is iron deficient, consult a medical professional. They will be able to give you some advice based on your child’s feeding history, etc.
Myth 4: To prevent obesity, you should limit your child’s fat intake.
The truth is: For infants and toddlers, whose brains and bodies are growing extremely rapidly, 40% of their daily caloric needs (calories) are consumed from fat. The developing brain has special needs for fatty acids and other components of fat.
For this reason, most experts recommend that children under 2 years of age drink whole milk rather than skim milk. Older children still need adequate amounts of essential fatty acids from their diet for healthy and normal skin growth, sex hormone production, and vitamin absorption.
However, after age 2, getting about 30 percent of daily calories (calories) from fat is sufficient.
In addition, the fat in the food will make your child feel that he or she is full. Therefore, if you restrict your child’s fat intake too much, he may compensate by eating more of other foods.
Myth #5: Eating more sugar will make your child overactive.
The truth is: eating more sugar has no effect on your child in this regard. In fact, studies have found that lab animals that ate a diet high in sugar became inactive. So where does this incorrect statement come from? Most likely, when parents often find that their children become unusually active after eating candy like chocolate or drinking soda, both of which contain caffeine. In fact, caffeine is what causes children to become overactive.
Myth #6: Be extra careful when adding new foods to young infants because many children are allergic to certain foods.
The truth is: food allergic reactions are not as common as people believe. In fact, only 6 to 8 percent of children have true food allergies. Hives, eczema, vomiting, diarrhea, or, in extreme cases, anaphylaxis are among the reactions that occur when there is a food allergy.
Foods that tend to cause allergic reactions include: milk, eggs, peanuts, nuts (such as cashews and pecans), wheat, soybeans, fish and shellfish, and 90% of allergic reactions are caused by the addition of these foods. Therefore, when adding these foods, watch your child for any unusual reactions. If you suspect that your child has an allergic reaction, you can take your child to the hospital and consult with your pediatrician, who will test your child for allergens if necessary.
Myth #7: Milk is the only nutritious food for strong bones.
The truth is: Yes, milk is indeed one of the best sources of calcium. However, if your child does not like milk, he can get enough calcium for bone growth and development from other foods as well.
These include: yogurt, cheese, soy milk, kale, tofu, dark vegetables, and 100 percent pure fruit juices (such as orange juice) with calcium added.
Daily intake of calcium for children as recommended by the Academy of Nutrition.
Age Daily intake of calcium
1 to 3 years old 600 to 800 mg of calcium per day
4 to 8 years of age 800 to 1000 mg of calcium per day
9 years old and above need 1000 mg of calcium per day
Myth 8: When a child is sick, it is best to eat more when he or she has a cold and to be hungry when he or she has a fever.
The truth is: do not force or restrict your child to eat at any time. When sick, your child needs all the food and fluids he can get to be nourished so that he can be sure he has the strength to fight the germs. But if he doesn’t want to eat or doesn’t finish his meal, you don’t have to worry too much.
When your child is sick, he should be allowed to eat what he wants, when he is hungry, and there is no need to make him eat if he is not. Don’t forget that the most important thing is to give your child enough fluids, such as thin porridge, soup, juice, milk, etc., to prevent dehydration.
Myth 9: Juice is a healthy thirst-quenching drink.
The truth is: 100% pure fruit juice is definitely more nutritious than soda, but it is not the best drink for your child to drink when he or she is thirsty. Instead, you have to limit your child’s juice intake. Otherwise, drinking too much juice will reduce your child’s appetite for more nutritious foods and may replace milk as the only beverage he wants to drink.
In addition, because of the high sugar content of fruit juice, excessive consumption may damage your child’s teeth or cause stomach upset.
Nutritionists recommend limiting juice consumption to 100 ml per day for toddlers. Older children should not consume more than 200 ml of juice per day. Also, don’t use juice as a thirst-quenching drink; plain water is the best choice when your child feels thirsty.
Myth 10: White bread does not have any nutrition.
Fact: Bread made with whole wheat flour is certainly a more desirable choice because whole wheat bread is rich in fiber and can prevent constipation, heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. But this does not mean that white bread is not nutritious.
White bread is often rich in iron and niacin, folic acid, vitamin B1 and vitamin B2. If your child doesn’t like whole wheat bread, there’s no harm in letting him eat white bread.
As for fiber, he can also get it from other foods such as fruits and vegetables.