Child (not so) friendly food myths
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There are lots of food myths and contradictions out there that can make feeding children a healthy, balanced diet trickier than it should be. Tanya Ryan-Segger debunks 4 of the most common.
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- Child (not so) friendly food myths
Carob is a healthy alternative to chocolate
You’d be forgiven for thinking that by replacing chocolate with carob you’ll be giving kids a totally guilt and fat free treat.
But the way most kids consume carob – in bars and in many lunch-box style snacks (think muesli bars) it is only marginally better for you.
According to Catherine Saxelby, a leading Australian nutritionist, it contains pretty much just as much fat, sugar and kilojoules as ordinary chocolate!
Serving fruit after meals is the pinnacle of good eating
Although fruit, along with vegetables, wholegrain cereals, nuts and legumes sits at the bottom of the healthy eating food pyramid, serving it up to kids regularly as a surrogate dessert option might not be the best idea.
Why? Because it establishes an expectation that a meal will be followed by something sweet – this may graduate on to more sinister food choices in the long term.
Fruit is also high in sugar and although there is a number of redeeming health benefits- it’s not a great choice for dental health just before bedtime!
Although serving a well-balanced dessert like fruit or natural yogurt doesn’t need to be outlawed altogether it best to put it on the family menu plan every now and again but not 7 days a week.
Milk consumption increases mucus production
Milk and dairy foods are mucus forming - right? Although I could have sworn this was true it is a finding that has been disputed.
One study suggests that drinking cow’s milk or consuming foods high in dairy does not, in any statistically significant way, increase levels of mucus found or produced.
So - even for children sporting a runny nose, milk may not be public enemy number one.
Fresh is best - always
Although “fresh is best” is a catch cry that makes a lot of sense when it comes to most foods, when choosing vegetables there are a few things to consider before opting for a wide berth of the frozen veggie aisles.
How far fresh produce travels before being sold and how long it has sat on a supermarket shelf before being purchased need to factor into the purchasing decision as veggies loose nutritional value over time.
Vegetables however that are snap frozen (commonly things like peas, beans and broccoli) are able to retain much of their original nutrient and mineral content for much longer - so are not always the lesser choice of the two and are sometimes a more cost effective and simple solution for busy parents!
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