Parents of Schoolgoers  Discussion Forum

Fast to cook, good to eat goes the line. Add to that, bad for health. Instant noodles like Maggi, Top Ramen and Wai Wai are loaded with fat of the sort that could trigger heart disease. They re also high in sodium.
The noodles also contain MSG which effects the childrens brain as it makes addicted to the food and ask for noodles again and again.
MSG is also linked to children doing poorly in academics and hyper and aggressive behaviour.
But labels on instant noodles don't tell you this. Maggi, for instance, merely lists ingredients, including hydrogenated vegetable oil. Hydrogenation converts relatively healthy vegetable oil into solid fat containing artery-clogging trans fatty acids, or trans fats. Vegetable oils are hydrogenated to increase the shelf life of products made with them Ebiscuits, ready-made cakes and namkeen among them.

Trans fats shouldn't be consumed at all in any quantity,Esays nutrition expert Shikha Sharma. In the US, points out nutritionist Ishi Khosla, the government has moved to ask manufacturers to list details about trans fat contained in food.

Indian manufacturers aren't obliged to print such information on their packaging. Besides, Nestle, for instance, claims that its noodles are consumed as part of a balanced diet

Trans fats, according to the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, cause significant lowering of HDL or good Echolesterol and an increase of LDL or bad Echolesterol.

Traditionally, noodles were boiled. Instant noodles are deep-fried to remove the water and form them into blocks.

In India, two-minute noodles often target young children. Our consumer research shows that Maggi Noodles are consumed by children once a week on the average, Esays a spokesperson for Nestle.

Says Khosla: There is no awareness of just how harmful instant noodles are. EBut poor labelling isn't a problem with noodles alone. What's printed on packets is just part of the story Eoften, when it comes to your health, the less important part.

*******************8

SNACK ATTACK-I

** Maggi says only 4% of total calories come from harmful trans fats

** Top Ramen just says a serving has 44% of daily fat requirements

** Wai Wai claims each pack has 14.6 gm of fat
anindita replied. Do u know that replents --like goodnight ,all out r not gud for infant--till they r of 5yrs old --it increases the danger of asthama,skin iritation as wellas heart problem--if u r using these things then make sure u don't if u have a baby who is below 5yr s---they can be a reason to early neonintus(i.e bronchitis) --- anindita replied. Thanxs rachel--good u told me --as my son is in a growing stage --i will keep in mind --not to give him ne more of maggi--etc--from where u got ths insight --did u read in ne article??