What is the use of meat for a child and how to choose it correctly? What meat is dangerous for adults, and what should not be given to children? The opinion of Dr. Komarovsky
There is a heated debate among nutritionists about meat. Someone insists that red meat is necessary in the diet of adults and children, someone advises replacing it with poultry and fish, and someone is sure that it should be completely excluded from the diet. Recently, the WHO has updated its adult meat consumption standards and reduced them from 90 to 70 g per day, further strengthening the position of vegetarians. Doctor Yevgeny Komarovsky on his Youtube channel urges parents not to deprive children of such an important source of vitamins and minerals. However, he warns that some types of meat are indeed life-threatening.
Why you shouldn't give up meat
Baby meat is a storehouse of protein, iron and vitamins / istockphoto.com
For a growing body, meat is incredibly useful, says Evgeny Komarovsky. Firstly, it is a valuable source of protein, which is necessary for the formation of a child's skeletal and muscular system. For example, chicken breast or lean beef contains three times more animal protein than milk or cottage cheese. Secondly, meat contains a large amount of vitamins, and first of all, it is vitamin B12. Its deficiency can develop in a child even while breastfed - provided that the mother is a vegetarian and does not eat animal products.
In addition, meat is an optimal source of iron and zinc. It is in meat that iron is in the very form that is ideally absorbed by the body, emphasizes Dr. Komarovsky. It is no secret that children who do not get enough meat per day are more at risk of developing IDA or iron deficiency anemia. This is the most common type of anemia in children, which can lead to disastrous consequences: with IDA, the child develops oxygen starvation of all systems and organs. One of the first reasons for its development is when the baby himself refuses meat or vegetarian parents deliberately remove meat products from the diet.
What meat is dangerous for children and adults
The more fat in meat, the more dangerous it is for health / istockphoto.com
The most dangerous meat, according to Dr. Komarovsky, is the so-called red meat (pork, beef, lamb). According to recent studies, its systematic (that is, daily) use actually increases the risk of developing cancer. However, this does not mean at all that you need to completely abandon red meat in the diet of both adults and children. The main thing is to comply with the norm and choose the right meat.
"Right" red meat is, first of all, lean meat. “The more white meat on such meat, the worse,” Yevgeny Komarovsky figuratively explains. The fact is that animal fat is exactly the same unhealthy thing that can be in red meat (as opposed to, for example, fish). It was he increases cholesterol levels in the blood, causes jumps in blood pressure and impairs the functioning of the cardiovascular system.
For an adult, the harm from fatty meat will be much greater than for a child, notes Dr. Komarovsky. However, keep in mind that with your daily diet, you are shaping your baby's eating behavior. And if he sees that dad eats barbecue or steaks every day, then in the future he will have health problems. “It is better if dad regularly consumes poultry meat without skin and fat, then the child will form the right eating habit,” the expert assures.
How to choose the right meat for your child
The most harmful meat is found in sausages and convenience foods / istockphoto.com
When choosing meat for a child, one of the main criteria should be its freshness. It's good if you have a trusted supplier that you trust and know for sure that this cow was mooing this morning. If this is not the case, it is better to buy meat not in the market, but in the supermarket: at least there is some kind of quality control. In any case, trust your instinct: “Our ancestors constantly ate meat, and man has preserved this instinct. If the meat causes you doubts by its appearance and even more so by its smell, you should not buy it, ”says Yevgeny Komarovsky.
However, the most harmful meat for children is the one that we cannot control. “We cannot control the sausage, sausage or cutlets bought from the cookery. Because the amount of fat and the freshness of the meat there simply defies description. Therefore, if you want to experiment with yourself - please, but save the child from this. Sausage and baby are incompatible things. Even if it's a baby sausage, ”emphasizes Dr. Komarovsky.
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