The other day, I was chatting with a colleague/friend then, she told me how she had to stop a cereal for her child because she found that her poop was an array of colors. She actually said the poop was ‘rainbow color’. I was like what?! Then, I asked, ‘Which cereal is that?’ ‘Where was it made?’ ‘What did it contain?’ etc.
The cereal apparently contained added colors which should not be present in children’s cereals at all. In her investigation, she found out that the same cereal of the same brand made in another country actually had better ingredients: to give the colors to the cereal, they were sourced from nature.
The fact a food is more expensive does not necessarily make it a better option. In fact, it may be more detrimental to health. For instance, there is a formula brand which I give to my children. While they are not unnecessarily chubby/ fat as we mothers tend want her children to look as babies; they are healthy children. Everything about them falls within the acceptable range. Now, there is another brand, which is more than double the price of that one and I have found that most babies that consume it are unnecessarily big; obese even. Some of us parents with tiny frames even expect that our babies should be ballooned. We forget that the genetical make-up of a child actually has a lot to contribute to the stature of the child.
Children who are overweight/ obese are more likely to be overweight/ obese adults and suffer other non-communicable diseases including diabetes, certain cancers and cardiovascular diseases. We need to protect our children health-wise and one of the ways ways we can ensure our children lead healthy lives is by giving nourishing diet.
There are some things which should not be found at all in children’s food which are allowed for adults in certain amounts because we have a better developed system to manage these things. For all you know, that drink you call a yoghurt may just be yoghurt-flavored. Read labeling well. Your baby’s stomach is too small to be filled with junk when you should be giving them nutrients-rich foods.
Whenever you are buying anything which will be ingested by your family member especially children, always check the labels. When you find a name on labels which sound unfamiliar, research about them (Thank God! for Google). The closer a food is naturally, the better it is for your family.
This article was contributed by Adeola Akanbi
Do you have questions for Adeola? Send an email to [email protected]
