There are certain foods that you may feeding your child unknowingly thinking that they’re healthy for them. It’s often much easier to give kids quick, convenient rather than nutritious meals. And the fact that kids love chicken fingers, Fruit Roll-Ups, and root beer, doesn’t help. But there are some foods and drinks you really shouldn’t give children more than once in a while — and a handful that should be off the table entirely. Some of these might surprise you. Think, Read and Reason Out on what you actually are feeding them.
Apple Juice
According to interview with Yahoo Health, Wesley Delbridge, RD, an Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics spokesman who specializes in children’s nutrition, says
“All these juice boxes and pouches parents are always giving kids are essentially just sugar,” says Wesley Delbridge, RD, an Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics spokesman who specializes in children’s nutrition. “They drink it, get a sugar rush, and then crash.”
He says all types of fruit juice are problematic, but he’s especially concerned about apple juice, because that’s what he sees young kids drinking the most. Parents think it’s healthier than orange, grape, or cherry juices, but they’re wrong. Even 100 percent apple juice can sack kids with 160 calories a cup — and that’s almost entirely fructose, says Delbridge. Plus, they are missing out on the fiber they’d get from eating apples, as well as all the nutrients packed into the peels. Don’t buy the hype about juices being fortified with vitamin C and minerals either, he adds, because children aren’t usually lacking in these nutrients.
Raw Milk
If you believe raw milk is healthy, think twice, it may be risky for your child. Milk that hasn’t been pasteurized is more likely to cause food-borne illness – since young kids’ immune system is not as developed as an adults’.
Boxed Mac ‘n’ Cheese
Boxed macaroni and cheese is highly processed and devoid of nutrients and loaded with sodium and preservatives, which can result in kids’ developing palates to crave more salty, artificial foods. Additionally, given the long list of non-food ingredients, you don’t really know what you’re feeding them.
Honey
Never give honey to a child less than 2 years of age. Honey can contain a toxic bacteria that causes botulism, a potentially fatal disease since young kids’ immune systems is not as built as an adults’. This bacteria can be present in any type of honey — raw or highly processed, so avoid it altogether.
Soda
This one should be a no-brainer, since hundreds of studies link soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages to obesity, type 2 diabetes, and aggressive behavior in children. And yet, research shows that a vast majority of American kids are still chugging these drinks. A 20-ounce bottle of soda can have over 60 grams of sugar — some four times what kids should get in an entire day. Syrupy fountain drinks can contain even more.
Fruit Snacks
Gummy fruit snacks, fruit rolls, and jellies are nothing but sugar. Consider them as candy instead of a snack. A lot of fruit snacks now say “made with real fruit” or “made with real fruit juice,” but those claims still boil down to lots of added sugar.
Canned Tuna
Fish can be an excellent source of lean protein, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals, so it’s great to get kids hooked on it early. But the same kinds of fish you enjoy sparingly because of their high mercury content — swordfish, king mackerel, tilefish, canned albacore tuna — you shouldn’t share with your children.
Granola Bars
Before handing a granola bars to your child considering they are healthy, read ingredients lists to make sure they contain real nuts, fruit, whole grains, and no high-fructose corn syrup or other added sugars. In general, the fewer ingredients listed the better.
Sports Drinks
There’s no good reason to give your kid Gatorade, Delbridge says. The only time anyone might need a sugary sports drink is if they’ve just knocked out an intense hour-long workout and want some quick calories and electrolytes to help recover. Odds are this won’t be your child. Even if he’s just been subbed out of his soccer game, water should do the trick, Delbridge says. If it’s sweltering hot or if he’s been playing for a long stretch without a break, sliced oranges and other fruits are much better way to replace lost vitamins and minerals than a sports drink.
Flash-Fried Frozen Finger Foods
Frozen chicken nuggets, fish sticks, and mozzarella sticks are usually sky-high in sodium, saturated fat, and preservatives and contain poor-quality chicken, fish, or cheese. Even though many brands are now using all breast meat or “whole muscle,” Delbridge says they’re often still flash-fried to make the batter stick, which keeps their fat and calorie counts too high for kids. If you rely on frozen finger foods from time to time, that’s okay, he adds, but sure to buy brands that use whole-grain breading and haven’t been flash-fried. You can tell that by looking at the saturated fat content.
