Eating heat inducing foods excessively during summers can cause health problems in children. Therefore, it is a must to include appropriate food items in the diet of children during summers. Read on to know about the foods children should avoid during summers.The Indian summer is here, and with it comes the necessity of regulating your diet to soothe the discomfort that inevitably follows. Especially for your children, maintaining a healthy summer diet could be the key to keeping them fit through the intense heat and humidity.
There are many food items that are tailor-made to suit the summers and make your body feel better. At the same time, there are a number of food products that are likely to cause discomfort coupled with the heat. Keeping that in mind, here are a few foods children should avoid during these summer months.
Red Meat
Meat can offer your kid’s body protein in the summer months. However, the body could struggle to assimilate this protein, leading to digestion complications. This could also lead to food poisoning, especially in case of children. In addition, red meat is known to increase body temperature which is definitely not desirable in this hot weather. Ditching red meat in favour of vegetarian options could keep your child’s body cool and comfortable.
Fried and Junk Foods
It comes as no great surprise that fried food finds its place in a “foods to avoid” list. Fried food contains a lot of oil which tends to make your skin oilier and thus leave it more susceptible to problems like rashes due to sweating in the summer months. Fried foods could also lead to food poisoning for your child, since the body has a difficult time breaking down the
junk food.
Mangoes
This might be a shocker, as mangoes are often branded the best thing to happen in summer. However, it is advisable that you do not let your kid overdo his or her favourite seasonal fruit, no matter how much you want to savour the taste. Having too many mangoes over a regular period of time can upset your stomach and cause indigestion and general discomfort in your children. A mango now and then to mix up the palate is no danger, however, so there is no need to panic at dieticians trying to take away your favourite fruit.
Ice Creams and Cold Drinks
It might be surprising to note that ice creams and cold drinks act as heating agents, rather than the cooling nature that it seems to boast of. However, just as we have mentioned with respect to other dairy products, ice creams as well tend to heat up the body during digestion, which means that after the delicious cooling sensation is gone it would most likely lead to complications like stomach disorders in children.
Soft drinks work in a very similar fashion, heating up the body just after it is done providing that cooling sensation in the throat.
Excessive Dairy Products
Dairy products heat up your body during digestion; even if that cold glass of lassi provides momentary comfort.
Milk, butter and cheese have a similar effect and can lead to stomach problems if consumed in excessive amounts. Your child could also suffer from indigestion arising from the heat produced by milk products. Children and young adults often feel intense discomfort as the body tries to digest the milk products consumed. This effect is amplified in the summers.
The summer comes with its own set of challenges, and maintaining a healthy diet is one of them. Some food items may seem delicious, but could ultimately have a detrimental effect on the human body, especially in the case of children. Therefore, heat inducing foods like
eggs, chicken eat should be consumed in moderation.
Food items like mangoes or soft drinks are piped as favourites in the heat, but as we have seen, they are more likely to make the summers even more uncomfortable for your child. The best option to beat the heat would be resorting to simple home-cooked meals with lots of green vegetables and plenty of water to keep your child’s body fit.
Which foods should be consumed in moderation during summers? Why is it not safe to eat mangoes excessively? What are the effects of including excessive amount of dairy products in diet of children? Discuss here.