It is said that “we are what we eat”. Proper nutrition has a huge impact on human well-being and health, and thus also on the development of your child. The food offered in stores contains many chemicals, i.e. enhancers, dyes, thickeners and artificial preservatives.
Their role is to improve the taste, appearance, make them more attractive to the consumer, or longer useful for consumption. Unfortunately, many of these “beautifying” substances exacerbate health problems and can cause various diseases. Some of the effects of a poor diet, which has been practiced since childhood, are allergies, asthma, dermatitis, stomach pains, sensory hypersensitivity, migraines and hay fever. In addition, harmful compounds in food cause an increase in toxic substances in the body. Bet on healthy eating!
Watch out for seemingly healthy cheeses and yogurts
One of the dangers lies in the popular cheese, which is presented in colorful advertisements as a source of vitamins. Unfortunately, apart from calcium, which does not need to be supplemented with a properly balanced diet, and sugar (one cheese contains up to 3 teaspoons of sugar!), it also contains:
- Thickeners – they make yogurt smooth and silky. These types of ingredients are, for example, pork gelatin, potato starch, modified starch, pectin.
- Artificial fruit ripples – most of them are substances with dyes and flavors that imitate real fruit. They may also contain sugar or harmful glucose-fructose syrup.
- Dyes and Flavors – Yoghurts usually owe their appearance and taste to artificial flavor compounds. These are often coloring and flavoring substances (e.g. vanillin instead of natural vanilla, etc.).
Fruit juices and sweetened drinks
So sugar and chemicals. Sweetened drinks are a source of sugars only, there are no positive substances in them. Think seriously before giving your child a drink like cola or mirinda, because with regular consumption they can harm the teeth, and additionally reduce the appetite for healthy, wholesome food and can lead to obesity. Juice is also most often empty calories, because although it contains the same amount of sugars as fruit, there is also fiber in the fruit. Therefore, the child will eat a maximum of 3 oranges, and after squeezing the juice out of them, he will take mainly the sugar contained in them and will demand more.
Processed food
Everything that is ready and with a long expiry date should arouse caution in us. Read labels carefully and avoid products that contain a lot of ingredients such as monosodium glutamate, fats, phosphates and salt. Categorically give up canned products, i.e. pates. Also, watch out for turkey and chicken products, check if the meat has not been mechanically separated, because it means that in such a product there are ground bones, cartilage and membranes, which are seasoned with ammonia, thickeners and a whole lot of other harmful substances.