Healthy food for adults, and children?

| It is common to hear: "I would like to take better care of my diet, but when I eat with the children I cannot". Children in general, even after six months, when they begin to eat, should do so in much the same way as adults, as long as a balanced and healthy diet is followed, adapting the amounts to their needs.

They do not require special dishes where certain food is "camouflaged" or allowed to eat food superfluous "for children". The only thing that we will have to take into account are those foods that due to their toxic load can be dangerous for the little ones.

What toxins do we mean

Toxic substances can be of biological or chemical originThey can be produced due to production, transformation, storage processes ... They are usually discharged into the atmosphere or the sea and end up integrated into the food chain. Other cases may be due to biological contamination due to improper hygiene, cooking or conservation. Adults also suffer from the contamination of these toxins, but due to our size the toxicity would affect us in much higher doses. On the contrary, in young children, due to their small stature and weight, a much lower dose is enough to create health problems, for this reason many of the recommendations of official entities advise to minimize the amount of food where they can be found or even not offer them up to a certain age.

Let's know the most common foods:

• Vegetables:

Due to their high nitrate content, avoid and borage before 12 months and, if they occur, it should never exceed 20% of the amount of the dish. From one year to three years, these two vegetables should not reach or exceed the daily ration. Neither should they be kept at room temperature once cooked, either whole or pureed, and if they are not consumed they should be kept in the refrigerator or freezer. in the body they are transformed into nitrates and these, if they are in high concentrations, can produce methemoglobinemia, a disorder that affects the distribution of oxygen in the body, therefore the skin of babies takes a blue hue (cyanosis), which indicates alteration. There is an increased risk of suffering from it if children have gastrointestinal bacterial infection.

• Meats:

Children under the age of six should not eat Bushmeat, because lead remains from the ammunition and can cause neuronal damage. Heavy metals like lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic, etc. they accumulate in the body and can create long-term health problems. If this happens there is a risk of causing mild problems such as nervousness, insomnia, stress ... or, in more serious cases, neurological, etc.

• Fish:

Due to its high mercury content, the Large size such as swordfish, emperor, tuna (including canned food), salmon, blue shark, or dogfish. In children from three to 12 years of age limit their consumption to 50 grams a week or 100 grams every two weeks. Consumption of prawn heads, prawns, crayfish… Due to its high cadmium content.

• Honey:

It is advisable to avoid honey in children under 12 months of age due to the risk of poisoning. Honey may contain spores of a bacteria called that reach the baby's gut and release a toxin that paralyzes the muscles. In adults and older children it does not cause any risk, since we have microorganisms that prevent it from happening. On the contrary, the immaturity of the intestine of the babies gives the opportunity that the bacteria can lodge and trigger the disease. Symptoms of botulism are droopy eyelids, difficulty sucking and swallowing, muscle weakness, weak crying, poor muscle tone, and shortness of breath.

• Rice cakes:

Arsenic is present in rice and all products made with this ingredient, however, not in sufficient quantities to cause health problems, especially considering that arsenic is considerably reduced if the rice is clarified before cooking, once boiled, even if we rinse it again after boiling. In contrast, high amounts of arsenic have been found in rice cakes. This should not alarm us and lead us to think that it is going to make the little ones sick, but we must bear in mind that they do not amount to "a piece of bread", and that they cannot eat as many as they want each afternoon at snack time. Countries like Sweden advise in their Guides not to include them in the diet before the age of six and to restrict their consumption from this age to no more than four rice cakes a week.

In addition to taking into account the aforementioned foods, we must not forget to carry out a good washing, especially of fruits and vegetables before consumption, since on many occasions we eat them raw and they are an example of food with a high risk of toxic load, both chemical and biological. Following some tips will reduce the risk of contamination:

• Before handling food, we must have very clean hands, as well as the kitchen surface where we are going to work.
• Store fruits and vegetables in the refrigerator, separate from other cooked and raw foods. It is advisable to use the lower part of the refrigerator as it is the least cold area.
• Before consuming them, always wash under the running tap, even if they are to be consumed without skin, because in this way impurities and possible toxins are eliminated.
• In the event that the vegetables are eaten raw or the fruit is eaten raw with their skin on, even more attention should be paid to washing them under the tap, being meticulous in cleaning them. Remember that children are much more vulnerable than adults. You can also use "food safe" bleach.

If we are talking about children under three years of age, it should be remembered that it is not because of a toxic risk, but because of the risk of choking that we have to monitor those foods that, due to their shape and texture, can cause obstruction of the respiratory tract. Foods like whole nuts, raw carrots, whole grapes… Are more at risk of choking in babies and children so we insist on waiting to offer them whole until after three years. This does not mean that they cannot be offered, they will only have to be done in a different way, for example, crushed nuts as part of sauces, purees or used as food for coating, cooking the carrot, chopping the grapes, etc.

• Adults also suffer from the contamination of these toxins, but due to our size the toxicity would affect us in much higher doses. On the other hand, in young children, due to their height and weight, a much lower dose is enough to harm them.
• Proper washing of food can greatly reduce biological contamination of food.
• Heavy metals like lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic, etc. they accumulate in the body and can create mild health problems such as nervousness, insomnia, stress ... or, in more serious cases, respiratory and neurological problems, etc.

Monica Carreira

Diploma in Human Nutrition and Dietetics Master in Pediatric Nutrition