Mistakes made when using food improperly.

Vegetables left overnight can produce nitric acid, a carcinogen. Instant noodles are fried multiple times, and their high fat content can accumulate in the body for a long time, making them harmful to children.

Breakfast offers numerous health benefits and supports children's daily activities. The energy from breakfast helps children stay alert and cheerful, ready to face challenges in learning, playing, and exploring the world around them.

Dr. Dinh Thac, a specialist at Children's Hospital 1 (Ho Chi Minh City), has issued some guidelines on what should not be given to children at breakfast.

Eat leftovers from yesterday.

Many mothers make a habit of using leftover food from the previous night to cook noodles, pho, or porridge, or fry rice for their children's breakfast to save time and food. However, this is a big mistake. Leftover food, especially vegetables, can produce nitric acid (a carcinogen), which is harmful to health. Meat left overnight is also not good for children. Parents should make an effort to wake up early and prepare fresh, healthy food for their children.

Sausages, bacon, canned meat

Packaged, canned, and processed meats contain extremely high levels of nitrates. (Image: imeat)

Packaged, canned, and processed meats contain extremely high levels of nitrates. Starting the day with these types of meat increases the risk of cancer in children. Replace the protein intake for children in the morning with healthier foods such as eggs, milk, and cheese.

Fried foods

Fried foods are high in fat. After frying, many nutrients are destroyed, and some harmful substances are produced. Furthermore, foods cooked at high temperatures and soaked in oil are difficult to digest. If consumed with high-fat milk, it creates a breakfast with an excessively high fat content. Eating too much of these foods for breakfast is really not good for children.

Carbonated drinks and canned fruit juices

Indulging children's preference for sugary sodas or canned fruit juices in the morning will cause them to lose a significant amount of calories. Carbonated drinks also cause bloating and a feeling of fullness, and drinking them early in the morning can affect the digestive system and lead to stomach ulcers. Instead, encourage your child to start their day with a glass of warm milk.

Instant noodles

The busy modern lifestyle leads many parents to choose instant noodles as a breakfast option for their children. While this dish is quick and easy to prepare, the noodles are repeatedly fried, resulting in a high fat content that can remain in the body for a long time. Eating a lot of instant noodles is one of the causes of constipation in children because it doesn't provide the necessary vitamins and fiber for the digestive system. The seasoning packets in instant noodles also contain a lot of MSG, which is harmful to health.

Eating too much instant noodles is one of the causes of constipation in children. (Image: asia)

Western-style breakfast

Western-style fast food is currently popular among many children and is becoming increasingly common. The advantages of this type of food are that it's quick, tasty, and hot, but it has very low calorie content and is completely unbalanced in terms of essential nutrients. This is because its portions often lack vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other nutrients.

According to VnExpress