Eating the right kind of food is a vital for everyday living, especially for kids and toddlers. It is in the early life stages that a human body grows and develops most, and for this reason, it is imperative for you to ensure that you give your children healthy and safe foods. The food that your child takes plays a significant role in his or her development, and it is expected of you to feed your child with a lot of nutritional foods.

Malnutrition is a major concern for kids because in extreme cases, it may lead to death. As a parent, you are delegated the duty to ensure that your child eats a balanced diet. It is also okay to give your child things such as candy and crisps occasionally and in measured proportions.

Which Foods Are Safe for Your Child and which Are Not?

As your child grows, he or she starts to sample food. As such, you are required to add a variety of foods to his or her diet at this stage. However, you must keep in mind that not all foods out here are safe for your child, especially if he or she is under the age of 5. There are a lot of dietary concerns for children at this age and you have to play by the book to ascertain the well-being of your child.

When it comes to feeding your child, for instance, you need to watch out for choking hazards such as large chunks of food. It is recommended that you cut your child’s food into pieces that don’t exceed half an inch. This applies to foods such as carrots and celery. This means that you have to blanch these vegetables and dice them into the recommended size before you serve them to your child. Moreover, fruits such as strawberries and grapes should be diced into quarters before serving them to your child.

You also need to pay close attention to your child’s eating habits. After all, a habit is a disease. It is not advisable to let your child eat whatever he or she wants, especially when it comes to junk foods. Children have a tendency of being selective about the foods they want, and if you aren’t careful, your child may adopt some bad eating habits that he or she may be unable to stop even in his or her adult life. Unhealthy eating habits are associated with serious nutritional problems, and if you fail to ensure that your child adopts healthy eating habits, he or she may encounter some health problems in his or her adult life.

Moreover, you have to watch out for unpasteurized milk, cheese, and related products in the foods that you serve your children. It is not recommended to let your child drink unpasteurized milk or take unpasteurized cheese. These products may contain harmful bacteria that may bring about infections such as tuberculosis, listeria, and salmonella.

If your child starts drinking cow milk before he or she is two years old, you should serve him or her whole milk. Whole milk contains fats that are essential for developing brain tissues. When your child starts weaning, you should source the fat he or she needs from foods such as fish and avocados to supplement the fat obtained from the whole milk. Moreover, milk has calcium, which helps in strengthening the child’s bones.

It is also advisable to watch out for your child’s sugar intake. Sugar has a way of making kids hyperactive and too much of it is not suitable for your child’s diet. If it is your child’s birthday party, you could serve sizable portions of sweet treats, and the candy given shouldn’t be too small or slippery. You can supplement these snacks with a healthier option like a French toast without the egg white.

When buying foods such as almond, soy, and coconut milks, you could check for the food additive called Carrageenan. This is a gel similar to casein, which is a protein isolated from milk and is used to thicken food. When this additive has high weight molecules, it could be highly beneficial to the body.

In order to ensure that your child’s health is at its best, you should not give your child eggs that are undercooked or raw. Unpasteurized powdered eggs should also be avoided at all costs because they expose your child to serious infections. Proteins such as meat and poultry should also be well-cooked and cut into sizable pieces before serving them to your child. Also, before you feed hot dogs to your child, ensure that you have cooked them well. You should also cut them into noodle-like strips when feeding your child.

Some children don’t like fish mainly because of its smell. Every parent should know that fish is one of the most nutritious foods. Money spent on fish is a worthy investment especially if your child loves fish. The FDA recommends fish intake because the benefits of eating fish outweigh the risks posed by fish being white meat. You could learn different methods of cooking fish to make it more palatable to your child. It is critical, however, that you avoid letting your child eat raw shellfish.

Food Poisoning in Young Children

Children are prone to food poisoning more than adults. Food poisoning in children results from ingesting food that has been contaminated by bacteria, parasites, or viruses. In order to avoid instances of food poisoning occurring to your child, you need to ensure that:

• You handle food appropriately

• You store food as recommended

• Your child’s food is properly cooked

For children under the age of 5, food poisoning can be critical because their immune system is still developing and it is incapable of fighting off such infections as effectively as in an adult’s body. If you are not careful enough in handling your child’s food, your child may be exposed to complications associated with food poisoning. Such instances require hospitalization, and when critical, the food poisoning may take a toll on your child. Therefore, you must handle your child’s food with care and cook it to precision to avoid such instances.

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Food Safety Information: Caring for Your Child