Healthy Eating Kids:
The Good & The Bad of Things
Having healthy eating kids does not mean depriving them of all the food that has been processed, or that may contain preservatives. It doesn’t also mean that you have to deprive them of good tasting food.
Staying fit and avoiding sickness is the main goal of eating healthy. Healthy eating for kids is all about making the right choices when it comes to the food that you serve them. Knowing about what the body needs and what it doesn’t need can help you make the right choices for food to give your kids.
Know Your Fat
The general notion about fat is that it is not good for the body. However, what a lot of people don’t know is that the body also needs fat and that there are different types of fat. There are good fats which can aid in the brain development of your child as well as with other parts of the body. Good fats are found in the form of monounsaturated fats which are good for the heart and are usually in plant oils; and polyunsaturated fats that have Omega-3 fatty acids that fight free radicals, which can be found in nuts and fish fat.
Bad fat on the other hand are in the form of saturated fats and trans fats. Both of these can affect the heart and increase heart disease. Saturated fats are usually found in whole milk and products made from such. It is also present in coconut and palm oils while trans fats are found in shortening, margarine and foods made from these. You can also be creating trans fat when you reheat used vegetable oil with hydrogen gas.
Choose Your Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are essential to the body since it is a main source of energy for the system. These can be broken down by the body and turned into glucose which the cells in the body for energy. Yet, not all types of carbohydrates can be good for the body.
Good carbohydrates are those which are not easily broken down by the body leading to more stable insulin levels. More stable insulin levels mean that you get full faster and stay full longer too. Good carbohydrates can be found in grains and products that are made with whole wheat. These can also be found in vegetables, fruits and beans.
Bad carbohydrates are those which have been refined and removed of all its nutrients, bran and fiber. Examples of products that contain bad carbohydrates are refined white sugar, white bread and foods that contain numerous additives, colorings and seasoning. Bad carbohydrates are easily broken down by the body and can cause quick changes in the body’s’ sugar levels. As a result diabetes and being overweight can occur.
Pick Your Sugars
Even if most people think that there are only bad sugars, there are actually good sugars too. Sugars that are naturally occurring can actually be good for the body. Sugar from fruits such as apples and pears, berries are completely fine. Sugar from honey and maple syrup can be good as well. These can all help the boost the body’s immune system, increase the health of organs like the pancreas and increase muscle conditions.
The sugars that you should definitely stay away from are the bad sugars which are generally processed sugars. This will include the white and brown sugar that you use, glucose, fructose, corn syrup and many others. Sugars such as these can prevent the immune system of the body from functioning properly causing you to be prone to infections and diseases. Other than these bacteria can feed on sugar, allowing them to multiply and make conditions worse.
By knowing what is good and what is not when it comes to food, having healthy eating kids can be much easier than it seems.
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