Sinopharm Parenting Knowledge Classroom: Can’t babies eat snacks? not necessarily! Choose snacks scientifically for children

When it comes to giving snacks to babies, many parents may frown and wonder whether to "let them go". On the one hand, babies love snacks, and parents also want to give their babies more food to try. But on the other hand, I am very worried that eating snacks will affect the baby's health and may develop "bad habits." In fact, snacks are an indispensable "added meal" for preschool babies. Eating some appropriately is not only harmless, but also beneficial to health! How to choose and eat snacks for your baby? Parents can refer to the "Snack Guide for Children and Adolescents in China (2018)" jointly compiled by the Institute of Nutrition and Health of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the Chinese Nutrition Society. Parents can refer to the key points of knowledge in the guide. Let's take a look. Check it out!

Why should you give your baby snacks?

Parents, don’t simply equate snacks with junk food. "Snack Guide for Chinese Children and Adolescents (2018)" describes the definition of "snacks" as: various small amounts of food or drinks (excluding water) consumed during non-meal times. It is divided into three levels: "regular consumption", "appropriate consumption" and "restricted consumption".

Babies first perceive the world with their mouths, which is why they are often seen "putting everything into their mouths." For babies, many flavors are new. Trying different flavors will not only give you a sense of satisfaction, but the more varieties of food you try and accept, the wider the range of food you can accept in the future, and the less picky you will be. Therefore, rather than just eating monotonous food, giving your baby some snacks is actually a choice that has more advantages than disadvantages.

During the critical stage of baby's growth and development, three rich meals and two appropriate snacks are the guarantee for them to obtain comprehensive nutrition. Babies have a small stomach capacity and a large amount of exercise. It is difficult to meet the required nutrients and energy with three meals a day. Eating snacks in addition to meals can make up for the lack of three meals. But how to make babies eat snacks more healthily and safely will test the skills of parents.

How to eat healthy snacks

01 Eat a good meal, appropriate snacks, and a small amount of snacks

Give your baby a regular and quantitative amount of "three meals and two o'clock" or On the basis of "three meals and one snack", you can choose appropriate snacks as necessary nutritional supplements for meals. According to the principle of nutritional balance, snack consumption should not be excessive, and the energy provided should not exceed 10% of the total daily energy intake.

Providing snacks to the baby must be based on the premise that it will not affect the eating of staple food. Especially when the baby is unwilling to eat well, snacks should not be used as an exchange or combination to coax the baby to eat. This is not conducive to the development of good habits. eating habits.

02 Choose fruits, milk and nuts for snacks

Dairy foods are rich in high-quality protein and calcium, and fresh fruit and vegetable snacks contain a variety of vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber. Choosing more of these foods as snacks is good for your baby’s health.

"Snack Guide for Children and Adolescents in China (2018)" created a fan chart based on snack categories and whether they are beneficial to health. Based on the nutritional value and characteristics of 9 types of snacks, they are divided into green (can be eaten regularly), yellow ( Moderate consumption) and orange (limited consumption) represent three recommendations respectively, and list the corresponding common snacks for parents to refer to.

03 Eat less high-salt, high-sugar, and high-fat snacks

Fried and high-sugar foods can easily lead to overweight and obesity in babies. Sugar and high fat can easily cause babies to develop heavy food preferences, posing potential threats to health.

04 Do not drink or drink less sugary or carbonated drinks

Let your baby develop the habit of drinking boiled water. Drinks cannot really quench thirst, and drinks contain high sugar content. The content of other essential nutrients is very small, and the baby will easily feel full after drinking it, which will affect normal eating.

05 Snacks should be fresh, diverse, easy to digest, nutritious and hygienic

For babies who don’t like to eat vegetables, you can choose fruits as snacks, so that you can get vitamin A, Vitamin C and other nutrients. For babies who don’t like to eat meat, you can provide soy products and various nuts so that they can get enough protein.

Since the baby’s gastrointestinal tract is not fully developed and the digestive ability is weak, it is best for parents to choose snacks that are easy to digest and not snacks that are not easy to digest such as dried meat and dried meat.

06 Eat quietly and be careful not to block the trachea

Do not let your baby eat snacks while playing or crying; do not give peanuts, beans, or spherical candies to smaller babies , jelly and other foods. Because their teeth are not fully developed, their chewing function is poor, their coughing ability is weak, and their protective reflexes in the throat are not perfect, it is easy for unchewed food to become embedded in the throat or trachea and cause accidents.

For snacks that are likely to cause choking in babies due to their size, hardness, and shape, special attention should be paid to the way they are eaten, such as not sucking jelly, and not eating nuts and popcorn by throwing and catching them.

07 Keep your mouth clean and don’t eat snacks before going to bed

Eating before going to bed may cause indigestion and affect your baby’s sleep, so don’t give your baby snacks before going to bed. ! In addition, pay attention to cultivating good hygiene habits in your baby, such as washing hands before eating snacks, gargling after eating snacks, etc.

Pay attention to these things when choosing snacks

Unlike when parents were young, children’s snacks are now in a variety of styles, with more and more choices. Some even add super-rich snacks to cater to babies’ tastes. Amounts of flavors, fragrances, synthetic colors, sweeteners and other ingredients. Babies' bodies are not yet mature, and their tolerance, digestion, and metabolism of various additives are not as good as those of adults. If they eat snacks that are produced according to adult standards or even contain too many additives for a long time, they are prone to excessive intake of harmful substances. When parents choose snacks, they should also pay attention to the nutritional content and ingredient list.

Cannot contain trans fatty acids

Foods containing margarine, hydrogenated vegetable oil and other raw materials are likely to contain trans fatty acids. Parents should pay special attention to the nutritional label.

The fewer food additives, the better

The simpler the ingredients of the snacks for babies, and the higher the natural ingredients are in the ingredient list, the better. Some food additives are not directly marked like trans fatty acids in the nutrition facts table. Parents need to pay attention to specific words when looking at the ingredient list. There are several commonly used additives below. Babies should eat less or try not to eat them:

Pay attention to allergen information

For babies who are allergic to milk, seafood, etc., parents must pay attention to label safety reminders when buying snacks. Regular children’s snacks will be labeled with allergen information. And prominently mark the tips that affect the safety of children during consumption.