Some of the worst foods for kids, and what makes them so unhealthy!
1. Soda
Whether you call it soda, pop, or cola, the bottom line is, this shouldn’t be a part of your child’s diet. Forget all the empty calories and the high sugar levels in many of these drinks that can lead to obesity; even diet and sugar-free versions of your favorite soft drinks can post health risks to your child.
There are two health threats, and both affect your bones. The first has to do with the acidity level of soft drinks. The acid in soft drinks is potent enough to wear down the enamel on your teeth. At an age when many children struggle to establish health oral hygiene habits, and may often be tempted to skip brushing their teeth or not brush properly, soda exacerbates the problem.
Caffeine poses the second major health threat from soda. Studies have shown that caffeine can decrease the amount of calcium in your body. Calcium is the key building block for strong bones. Since kids are constantly growing, the deleterious affects of caffeine can be more pronounced in this young age group.
2. Juice
I’ve already told you your child shouldn’t be drinking soda; now, I’m going to add juice to the mix.
I have to admit, I was shocked the day my children’s pediatrician told me to cut juice from their diets. I thought I’d been doing my kids’ health a favor by giving them 100% fruit juices. The beverages were packed with plenty of vitamins and minerals, things like vitamin C and even fiber, but these nutritional benefits were overshadowed by the high sugar content and high calorie count of these drinks. When I looked more closely, there were 140 calories per serving in my kids’ juice of choice; that represented more than 15% of their daily caloric needs!
So what can your kids drink? Our pediatrician suggests sticking to the two basics: water and milk.
I’ve already told you your child shouldn’t be drinking soda; now, I’m going to add juice to the mix.
I have to admit, I was shocked the day my children’s pediatrician told me to cut juice from their diets. I thought I’d been doing my kids’ health a favor by giving them 100% fruit juices. The beverages were packed with plenty of vitamins and minerals, things like vitamin C and even fiber, but these nutritional benefits were overshadowed by the high sugar content and high calorie count of these drinks. When I looked more closely, there were 140 calories per serving in my kids’ juice of choice; that represented more than 15% of their daily caloric needs!
So what can your kids drink? Our pediatrician suggests sticking to the two basics: water and milk.
3. Anything With High-Fructose Corn Syrup
There’s been a lot of debate in the media about the health risks of high-fructose corn syrup on children’s diets. In fact, over the past few years, the agriculture industry has launched a series of TV ads touting the so-called benefits of this compound. At it’s core, high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is really modified glucose; the process of making HFCS converts the naturally-occurring glucose into fructose, to up the sweetness ante of many foods.
For years it was unclear whether too much HFCS directly leads to health problems like obesity, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and heart disease. But recently, new data from researchers at Yale found that fructose – including HFCS – does a poor job of telling our brains we’re full compared to glucose. This leads to overeating, and we all know what overeating leads to: weight gain.
At an age when so many children are learning – and in some cases, struggling – to listen to their bodies internal cues of satiety, why take the risk of adding large amounts of fructose to the mix?
There’s been a lot of debate in the media about the health risks of high-fructose corn syrup on children’s diets. In fact, over the past few years, the agriculture industry has launched a series of TV ads touting the so-called benefits of this compound. At it’s core, high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is really modified glucose; the process of making HFCS converts the naturally-occurring glucose into fructose, to up the sweetness ante of many foods.
For years it was unclear whether too much HFCS directly leads to health problems like obesity, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and heart disease. But recently, new data from researchers at Yale found that fructose – including HFCS – does a poor job of telling our brains we’re full compared to glucose. This leads to overeating, and we all know what overeating leads to: weight gain.
At an age when so many children are learning – and in some cases, struggling – to listen to their bodies internal cues of satiety, why take the risk of adding large amounts of fructose to the mix?
4. Nitrates and Nitrites
Nitrates and nitrites are found in just about every type of processed meat on the market, including kid favorites like hot dogs and bologna. These preservative enhance flavor, prevent bacteria growth, and help meats maintain their pinkish color while they sit on store shelves. In other words, they’re like embalming fluid for your hot dog.
Yeah, that’s gross.
What can these nitrates and nitrites do? If consumed in large amounts, they’ve been proven to increase the risk of heart disease and diabetes. And, according to the folks at Duke Health, when mixed with protein-rich foods, nitrates and nitrites form a known carcinogen, which can cause cancer. Fortunately, hot dog manufacturers have gotten wise to this issue, and some have started selling nitrate-free wieners. Be sure to read the label at the grocery store before tossing the dogs in your cart!
Nitrates and nitrites are found in just about every type of processed meat on the market, including kid favorites like hot dogs and bologna. These preservative enhance flavor, prevent bacteria growth, and help meats maintain their pinkish color while they sit on store shelves. In other words, they’re like embalming fluid for your hot dog.
Yeah, that’s gross.
What can these nitrates and nitrites do? If consumed in large amounts, they’ve been proven to increase the risk of heart disease and diabetes. And, according to the folks at Duke Health, when mixed with protein-rich foods, nitrates and nitrites form a known carcinogen, which can cause cancer. Fortunately, hot dog manufacturers have gotten wise to this issue, and some have started selling nitrate-free wieners. Be sure to read the label at the grocery store before tossing the dogs in your cart!
5. Pre-Packaged Meals
Whether it’s a make-your-own pizza lunch kit or a frozen TV dinner, these pre-packaged meals come packed with plenty of sodium. This preservative keeps the food fresh for weeks, even months at a time. But sodium packs a negative health punch to your child’s diet.
In healthy amounts, sodium partners with potassium to regulate the amount of water in your body’s tissues. But when your body is overloaded with sodium, that regulatory balance goes out of whack, leading to medical problems like high blood pressure. Hypertension isn’t just a disease that affects adults. 2012 data published in the journal Pediatrics found American kids consume 1,000 milligrams of sodium more a day than recommended – a whopping 3,300 mg – leading to a surge in pediatric cases of high blood pressure.
Whether it’s a make-your-own pizza lunch kit or a frozen TV dinner, these pre-packaged meals come packed with plenty of sodium. This preservative keeps the food fresh for weeks, even months at a time. But sodium packs a negative health punch to your child’s diet.
In healthy amounts, sodium partners with potassium to regulate the amount of water in your body’s tissues. But when your body is overloaded with sodium, that regulatory balance goes out of whack, leading to medical problems like high blood pressure. Hypertension isn’t just a disease that affects adults. 2012 data published in the journal Pediatrics found American kids consume 1,000 milligrams of sodium more a day than recommended – a whopping 3,300 mg – leading to a surge in pediatric cases of high blood pressure.
6. Kids’ Breakfast Cereals
What’s the difference between a breakfast cereal marketed to kids and one geared for adults? In a word, everything.
The Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity has been tracking child-targeted advertising and the health content of cereals since 2009 as part of its Cereal FACTS Report. Over that time, the center has noted that advertisers have increased their spending to promote child-targeted cereals by more than a third since 2008. There has been some positive movement in the health contents of these kid-friendly cereals. Thanks to the Rudd campaign, by 2012, 13 of the 16 cereal brands specifically aimed at kids had improved their overall nutritional content.
However, there’s still a long way to go. Spend some time looking at the sugar content of any children’s cereal at the grocery store, then compare it to the nutrition label for a similar cereal for adults; you’ll see an obvious difference. The answer? Instead of letting your child pick their breakfast cereal from the store shelf, make the decision for them. They won’t even know what they’re missing.
By Elizabeth Fallwell/ From Parentsociety.com/ Postsed by Mags
What’s the difference between a breakfast cereal marketed to kids and one geared for adults? In a word, everything.
The Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity has been tracking child-targeted advertising and the health content of cereals since 2009 as part of its Cereal FACTS Report. Over that time, the center has noted that advertisers have increased their spending to promote child-targeted cereals by more than a third since 2008. There has been some positive movement in the health contents of these kid-friendly cereals. Thanks to the Rudd campaign, by 2012, 13 of the 16 cereal brands specifically aimed at kids had improved their overall nutritional content.
However, there’s still a long way to go. Spend some time looking at the sugar content of any children’s cereal at the grocery store, then compare it to the nutrition label for a similar cereal for adults; you’ll see an obvious difference. The answer? Instead of letting your child pick their breakfast cereal from the store shelf, make the decision for them. They won’t even know what they’re missing.
By Elizabeth Fallwell/ From Parentsociety.com/ Postsed by Mags
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