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You are here : home > Food and Nutrition > Eat Healthy Eat Right > Are Instant Noodles Safe for Kids?

Are Instant Noodles Safe for Kids?

Instantnoodleswereconsideredtobeoneofthefavouritefoodsofkids.However,thenutritivevalueofthesenoodlesisverylowandcanbeharmfulforthegrowthanddevelopmentofkids.Readontolearnwhyyoumustavoidgivinginstantnoodlestoyourkids.Ifyouwanttobringabigsmileonyourkidâ€™sface,allyouhavetotellthatyouaregoingtogetsomeinstantnoodlesâ€“andthen,allgloominessgone!Everysinglekidlovesinstantnoodles.Kidscanstuffonabowlofsoftandstarchyinstantnoodleswithalovelysaltytasteatanytimeoftheday.Youcanbegladtoservethemabowlofinstantnoodlesjusttowitnessthejoyandhappinessitbringstoyourkids,butwait,areyoudoingitright?Areyousureifitissafeforkidstohaveinstantnoodles?Thisarticlewillhelpyoufinditout.InthisarticleAreInstantNoodlesNutritious?AreInstantNoodlesUnhealthy?DoInstantNoodlesContainHarmfulThings?AreInstantNoodlesCarcinogenic?WhatCanYouDo?AreInstantNoodlesNutritious?Instantnoodlesdonotcontainmanynutrients;insteadtheyareloadedwithsomeharmfulchemicalsthatcanactuallyhinderyourkidâ€™smentalandphysicaldevelopment.Instantnoodlesaremadeupofheavilyprocessedrefinedflour,whichdoesnotcontainanyessentialvitaminsandminerals,andthushasnonutritionalvalue.Thesearejustemptycaloriefoods.AreInstantNoodlesUnhealthy?Steamedinstantnoodlesareusuallydeepfriedinoilsothattheystaylongerâ€“thustheycontainalotoftransfatsfromtheoil.Mostcommonlyusedoilinprocessinginstantnoodlesispalmoil,whichishighinsaturatedfats.Thesecancauseobesityinyourchildren.Manyoftheseinstantnoodles,mainlytheseasoningsachets,exceedthedailyintakeofsodiumforachild,whichmayincreasetheriskofheart,liver,andkidneydiseaseinyourchildren.Theycontaincarbohydratesbutnotthegoodones,sotheycanhardlykeepyourkidâ€™sstomachfull,soyourkidmayendupovereating,whichcancauseunnecessaryweightgain.DoInstantNoodlesContainHarmfulThings?Thepreservativesaddedininstantnoodlestokeepitsshelflifelongercanbeharmfulforyourkidâ€™shealth.Instantnoodlesareusuallycoatedwithwaxforasmoothtexture,whichcancontributetoliverdamageinyourkids.Instantnoodlesalsocontainpropyleneglycoltoretaintheirmoisture,whichcancauseseriousheart,kidney,andliverissuesinyourkids.Ifyouthinkoptingforapacketofinstantnoodlespackedwithvegetablesisnutritious,thenyouarethinkingitwrong.Secondly,theinstantnoodlespackedwithvegetablesinthemcontaintoomanypreservatives,whichcanbeharmfulforyourkids.AreInstantNoodlesCarcinogenic?Monosodiumglutamateconsumedinexcessisknowntobecarcinogenicanditalsoleadstobrainimpairmentinkids,butsadly,instantnoodlescontainalotofthisingredientasitactsasaflavoradditive.Otherdangerouschemicals,suchasdioxinandplasticizers,whichareknowntobecarcinogenic,arepresentinthepackagingmaterialofinstantcupnoodlesthatmaymixfromthecontainerswhenhotwaterisadded.WhatCanYouDo?Asyounowknowhowharmfulinstantnoodlescanbeforyourkids,youcanbecarefulbeforeservingthemtheirfavoritefood.Youcandrainthenoodlestodrainexcesssaltandfat.Optforhome-cookedless-saltedseasoninginsteadoftheonethatcomeswiththenoodlespacket.Usehealthyoilinsteadofthepalmoilsachet.Addsomefreshvegetableslikecarrot,spinach,cabbage,greenbeans,peas,etc.toaddsomenutritionalvaluetothebowlofinstantnoodles.Whenyouplantobuyinstantnoodles,lookfortheonesthatarelowinsodiumandsaturatedfat.Youhavetokeepinmindthatthepercentagesmentionedinthepacketofinstantnoodlesarebasedonadultrequirement,soyoushouldchoosetheonesthatcontainlessharmfulcomponents.Thebestwayistogoforotheroptionsinsteadofinstantnoodles,butifyourkidisreallymissinghisorhershareofjoy,thenyoucanbuyapacketofnoodles,butcontrolthenumberofservingsinamonth.Whyisitnotsafetogiveinstantnoodlestokids?Whathealthriskscanbecausedtokidsduetoconsumptionofinstantnoodles?Isitalrighttoserveinstantnoodlestokidsoccasionally?Discusshere.

If you want to bring a big smile on your kidâ€™s face, all you have to tell that you are going to get some instant noodles â€“ and then, all gloominess gone! Every single kid loves instant noodles. Kids can stuff on a bowl of soft and starchy instant noodles with a lovely salty taste at any time of the day. You can be glad to serve them a bowl of instant noodles just to witness the joy and happiness it brings to your kids, but wait, are you doing it right? Are you sure if it is safe for kids to have instant noodles? This article will help you find it out.

Are Instant Noodles Nutritious?

Instant noodles do not contain many nutrients; instead they are loaded with some harmful chemicals that can actually hinder your kidâ€™s mental and physical development. Instant noodles are made up of heavily processed refined flour, which does not contain any essential vitamins and minerals, and thus has no nutritional value. These are just empty calorie foods.

Are Instant Noodles Unhealthy?

Steamed instant noodles are usually deep fried in oil so that they stay longer â€“ thus they contain a lot of trans fats from the oil. Most commonly used oil in processing instant noodles is palm oil, which is high in saturated fats. These can cause obesity in your children. Many of these instant noodles, mainly the seasoning sachets, exceed the daily intake of sodium for a child, which may increase the risk of heart, liver, and kidney disease in your children. They contain carbohydrates but not the good ones, so they can hardly keep your kidâ€™s stomach full, so your kid may end up overeating, which can cause unnecessary weight gain.

Do Instant Noodles Contain Harmful Things?

The preservatives added in instant noodles to keep its shelf life longer can be harmful for your kidâ€™s health. Instant noodles are usually coated with wax for a smooth texture, which can contribute to liver damage in your kids. Instant noodles also contain propylene glycol to retain their moisture, which can cause serious heart, kidney, and liver issues in your kids. If you think opting for a packet of instant noodles packed with vegetables is nutritious, then you are thinking it wrong.Secondly, the instant noodles packed with vegetables in them contain too many preservatives, which can be harmful for your kids.

Are Instant Noodles Carcinogenic?

Monosodium glutamate consumed in excess is known to be carcinogenic and it also leads to brain impairment in kids, but sadly, instant noodles contain a lot of this ingredient as it acts as a flavor additive. Other dangerous chemicals, such as dioxin and plasticizers, which are known to be carcinogenic, are present in the packaging material of instant cup noodles that may mix from the containers when hot water is added.

What Can You Do?

As you now know how harmful instant noodles can be for your kids, you can be careful before serving them their favorite food. You can drain the noodles to drain excess salt and fat. Opt for home-cooked less-salted seasoning instead of the one that comes with the noodles packet. Use healthy oil instead of the palm oil sachet. Add some fresh vegetables like carrot, spinach, cabbage, green beans, peas, etc. to add some nutritional value to the bowl of instant noodles.

When you plan to buy instant noodles, look for the ones that are low in sodium and saturated fat. You have to keep in mind that the percentages mentioned in the packet of instant noodles are based on adult requirement, so you should choose the ones that contain less harmful components. The best way is to go for other options instead of instant noodles, but if your kid is really missing his or her share of joy, then you can buy a packet of noodles, but control the number of servings in a month.

Why is it not safe to give instant noodles to kids? What health risks can be caused to kids due to consumption of instant noodles? Is it alright to serve instant noodles to kids occasionally? Discuss here.