Canned Food for Children, Healthy or Not?

Contents:

Medical Video: Children's Nutrition : How to Get a Child to Eat Healthy Foods

Have you ever thought that eating canned foods would jeopardize your child's nutritional health? Whether or not healthy canned food for children is seen from the chemicals that line the can. These chemicals are feared to have a bad effect on children.

Know the content of chemicals in it

Preparing canned food for children does feel very practical, especially for parents who have a busy schedule. However, many parents still doubt whether it is safe to provide canned food for children.

Because the cans that become food containers are coated with various chemicals that might have an impact on health. One of the coatings is bisphenol A (BPA) which is also often found in plastic containers or packaged foods.

Although many parents are worried about the impact of BPA on the health condition of their children, the POM in the United States says that these chemicals are safe when used at low levels. However, the POM in the United States recommends limiting food to BPA substances in children.

Meanwhile, the National Toxicology Program (NTP) reports that there is no direct evidence for the health effects of BPA in humans and confirms that human exposure to BPA is very low.

The sodium content in canned foods is also feared by parents

Besides the BPA that lines the food cans, you might also think of the sodium content in canned foods. Most canned foods contain high sodium. Too much sodium is what makes parents worry, because it can have a negative impact on children.

Both of these reasons make you think it's better to avoid or reduce canned food for children. In addition you also consider that canned food is not a nutritious food choice for your child.

But according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, research shows that canned and frozen foods are as nutritious as fresh foods.

A recent study, published in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, also found that the nutritional value of processed fresh, frozen and canned vegetables could be a nutritious food choice to meet daily nutrition.

Tips for choosing canned food for children

Canned food, has a long shelf-life and can add nutrients to the food that children need.

You can mix canned food with fresh food as your child's practical food choice. Choose canned foods in various forms, especially those that contain lots of nutrients and are low or do not contain added sodium or sugar.

If you are worried about BPA, buy goods that are packaged in BPA-free cans.

Meanwhile, if you want to reduce your family's sodium intake, choose foods that are low or without sodium.

You can also reduce the sodium content in canned foods by drying or rinsing the food. This can reduce sodium content by as much as 9-23 percent.

However, the downside, drying and rinsing can also cause the loss of some other important nutrients in canned food.

Canned Food for Children, Healthy or Not?
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