Back to school season is in full swing and moms are doing their best to make sure that their kid’s snack is fun and healthy to eat. It can be a challenge to interest kids in healthy snacks so hands-on moms are tempted to just give them failsafe “baon” such as biscuits, candies and chichirya.
Is Chichirya Bad for your Child’s Brain Development?
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The brain grows at its fastest rate during the first three years of life. This will be the perfect time for moms to stock up on brain-nourishing food!
Food packed with vitamins and nutrients helped boost mental performance as youngsters grew, a study in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health claims. Diets that are high in vitamin B, K, D, fatty acids, Omega-3s are essential aids for developing a healthy brain.
Is chichirya bad? But why do kids love it so much?
Feeding your kids food rich with the said components can be tricky. Food that are packed with the said components are not very popular to them such as vegetables, fruits, fish, meat etc.
Typically, kids prefer to eat snacks that are familiar to their palate which will most likely be something sweet, tasty, salty or sour. If it comes in pretty bold colors and at a cheap price, kids dig it!
Chichirya ticks all the boxes, when it comes to cheap and easy merienda for kids. You can’t blame them. Who wouldn’t fall for the tasty, salty and crispy goodness of deep fried potato chips?
Does it negatively affect brain development?
The aforementioned study suggests that food high in fat, sugar and chemicals (such as chichirya) are lowering children’s IQ. A predominantly processed-food diet at the age of three is directly associated with a lower IQ at the age of eight and a half.
For the duration of the study, parents completed questionnaires. They detailed the types and frequency of their kid’s meals when they were three, four, seven and eight-and-a-half years old.
Every one-point increase in the study’s dietary pattern score – a record of processed fat intake – was associated with a 1.67-point fall in IQ.
What food will be best for sharpening your kid’s mind?
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As parents, we want to guarantee that our kids get the right amount of nutrients daily. The challenge here is choosing what healthy food to serve and how to make them appetizing for your kids! Yes, it’s difficult, but it’s not an impossible task.
Here are some healthy food options for the picky eater kid:
1. Egg helps your kids to concentrate.
You can serve it boiled, scrambled or why not do a smiley sunny side up for their snack!
2. Vegetables are full of folate and vitamins which lowers the chances of getting brain related diseases such as dementia, Alzheimer’s and many more.
Not all kids are fans of veggies! So you can slip in some shreds of leafy veggies into their sandwiches or mince and mix them into their favourite cheesy meatballs.
Be creative!
3. Fish is an amazing source of Omega-3s and vitamin D which protects the brain from degrading mental skills and memory loss.
You can grill or cook soup with fish, like the family favorite Sinigang na salmon. Or why not fry fish fillets cut into funny shapes and add a sweet dipping sauce on the side? This will surely be a yummy treat!
4. Nuts and Seeds are packed with protein, essential fatty acids, vitamins and minerals will be a great alternative for chichirya!
They are awesome mood boosters for your kids, too! You can simply include them with their salad or simply let them eat it as it is.
5. Oatmeal is protein and fiber-rich which keeps your brain arteries clear.
You can add milk, honey or fresh fruit slices into your kid’s bowl of oatmeal for breakfast.
6. Fruits like apples and plums can be great sources of quercetin which is an antioxidant that helps keep your mental skills sharp.
These are a good alternative for sweets as well just in case your child craves for candies!
7. Greek Yogurt contains good fat which can help brain cells stay in good shape by amping up blood flow to the brain. This is a good substitute for ice cream!
Though delicious, chichirya does not have a positive effect to your child’s brain development. Encourage healthier habits at mealtime to sharpen your kid’s mind and feed the flourishing of their brain development.
sources: theGuardian.com, Science Daily
Also READ: 15 brain-boosting food that kids should eat during exam week