What Are the Main Culprits of Poor Nutrition in Children?

Food today is easily accessible and quick to make. You can buy pre-made sandwiches at a gas station, a quick hamburger from a fast-food restaurant, or even a precooked and prepackaged entire dinner! Just heat it up in the microwave for 3 minutes and you’re good to go. While such premade foods are convenient and sometimes seemingly lifesaving, they’re not good to eat on a regular basis. Eating these foods regularly negatively affects anybody’s health, including children’s. So, discover what foods are harming the health of children.

Processed Foods

One type of food that negatively affects the health of children is processed foods. And yet, processed foods are everywhere—the majority of the food you buy at the grocery store is likely processed. Even everyday foods such as peanut butter, bread, yogurt, cereal, and more are processed. Once you recognize what food is processed, it’s important to recognize the plethora of problems caused by processed foods. First off, processed foods can cause metabolic syndrome, an issue created by a combination of factors such as high triglycerides, low cholesterol, high blood pressure, and more. The combination of these factors can eventually lead to heart disease or diabetes. Processed foods can also cause inflammatory bowel disease, autoimmune diseases, and ultimately, cancer. Take care to learn what foods are processed and keep your children safe by helping them steer clear of such food.

Sugar

Another type of food that negatively affects children’s health is sugar. So, take care to notice what foods contain large amounts of added sugars. This doesn’t mean your child has to skip dessert night. Rather, simply make sure your child has dessert at one time during the day rather than many times. According to Maccaro Pediatric Dentistry, it’s better to eat one dessert regardless of size than constantly snack on sugary foods. Not only will this pattern help your child’s nutrition, but it will also help your child’s teeth. Constant sugary foods throughout the day means constant sugar on your child’s teeth throughout the day. And constant sugar means more plaque buildup, which buildup ultimately leads to cavities. Take your child to the dentist to see how healthy their teeth are and to consider reducing the amount of sugar intake your child is getting.

Not Enough Vegetables

Lastly, not having enough vegetables in a day also negatively affects your child’s health. Vegetables are extremely important for growth, a healthy immune system, healthy bowels and intestines, and more. Eating a healthy amount of vegetables also improves your eyesight, blood pressure levels, and ability to avoid and fight cancer. As Let’s Eat Healthy points out, vegetables are a great source of important essential nutrients, and they can easily be incorporated into a variety of dishes. While fresh vegetables are obviously the best option, canned and frozen vegetables also have a lot of nutritional benefits.

Nutrition is extremely important in all people, and especially in children. Eating nutritious meals will help children have stronger bones, stronger immune systems, more regulated hormones, and more. Many foods detract from such a nutritious lifestyle, especially processed foods, sugars, and not eating enough vegetables. So, remove the foods necessary and help your children eat more vegetables.

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