Eating Too Much Cheese Might Give Your Kids Constipation! Here's What Science Says
If you are a parent and your little munchkin loves biting into a pizza slice oozing with cheese or her favorite snack is anything that has cheese in it, then this is a must read for you.
With a lip-smacking flavor and huge variety, cheese is commonly touted as kids’ favorite food. Whether as a topping on vegetables, as filling in sandwiches, as mac-n-cheese or a simple stuffing in parathas, cheese is extremely versatile and nutritious.
A Good Source of Protein and Calcium
A dairy product, cheese has the goodness of calcium and protein. Calcium helps in bone growth, tooth development, and muscle contraction. Nutrition bodies recommend 2-3 servings of milk and milk products daily for children to meet their calcium requirements. Protein is of course needed for tissue growth and building of muscle. Apart from this, cheese is also rich in Vitamin A and D.
Too Much of a Good Thing Can be Bad
Mommies and daddies, you may be wondering if cheese has so many benefits for your baby, then why it is not exactly considered a 'health food'. This is because having too much cheese can cause constipation.
Hard stools, pain during passage of stool or passing less than three stools in a week are all signs of constipation in your child. So, if your baby loves digging into cheese and has a hard time pooping, you now know why! If you desire to know reasons in detail, better consult a Gastroenterologist online.
4 Reasons Why Cheese Might Give Your Kids Constipation
Here are the four prime factors that make cheese a culprit for causing constipation among children:
1. Cheese has almost no fiber
A fiber-rich diet helps in cleaning out the bowels. Cheese is a dairy product so it has negligible fiber content. Eating a lot of cheese can lead to constipation as the bowel movement becomes sluggish. A good idea would be to give your child snacks that are a combination of high fiber foods and their favorite cheese suggest specialists. For example, apple with cheese, spinach and cheese multigrain bread sandwich, or vegetable cheese rolls.
2. Cheese is high in fat
A high fat diet is known to slow down bowel movement. Cheese is basically a high fat food, especially the processed variety. High fat foods take longer to move through the gut so they are constipating in nature. If your child loves to have cheese, you need to limit their intake and offer more of fruits, vegetables and whole grain.
3. Cheese is high in salt
Processed cheese has high salt content. Having too much of it may cause your baby’s body to retain water causing the stools to become hard and difficult to pass. Also, it is difficult for some children to digest lactose. Lactose is milk sugar and is found naturally in all dairy products. Lactose can cause gas, bloating and constipation in lactose-intolerant children.
4. Cheese is usually served in junk foods
Although this point is less related to the properties of cheese and more related to foods that usually have cheese, it does make sense. Children love junk foods such as burgers, pizzas, and pasta. Most often they come loaded with cheese, refined flour, mayonnaise and oil, all of which are devoid of any fiber content. So, most junk foods that have cheese can be constipating for your child.
Having said this, it does not mean that you need to cut out cheese completely from your child’s diet. It means ensuring a balanced diet for your child that contains foods from all food groups. Also, letting your child enjoy any kind of physical activity is a great way to have a healthy digestive system. A balanced diet and regular exercise is the best combination for your growing child to prevent pesky lifestyle conditions such as constipation.
To know more about your child health care so as to inculcate better food habits, you can consult an online Pediatrician now!
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