Last Monday the WHO (World Health Organization) issued a statement that has revolutionized the networks and lives of many of us.
In the statement, which you can read in full here, WHO put processed meats such as sausages, cold cuts and bacon in the carcinogen group, where other products such as tobacco and asbestos and red meat are found in the " possible carcinogens. " With this statement, I came to ratify what was more or less known for some time in certain circles, although it is clear that it was certainly unknown to the general public. In short, the only thing he has done is nothing more than to position himself in favor of facts already proven.
But we want to clarify this controversy and know whether or not it is safe to give meat to our children, for this we have asked two experts in nutrition, they are:
Catalina Prieto, Master in Human Nutrition and Health. Nutritional coach Responsible for the Blog 24 Carrots. Passionate about art, photography, music and design. "Eating is a necessity, doing it intelligently is an art"
Juan Carlos Montero, Dietitian-Nutritionist. Technical Director of the NGO Alimentacción, Member and scientific disseminator in Pantomaka. "sapientia solo libertas est"
Next the interview:
Has WHO said in its statement, something that was not known or simply comes to support all previous studies?
WHO supports a multitude of studies (here for example) and the council issued by the Global Fund for Cancer Research (WCRF) in 2007 and ratified in 2011. However, more than seven years later, apparently The message had not got enough and news of yesterday still surprise us.
So, for those of us who are not professionals, what has WHO come to say? Do we have to throw all the sausages we have in the fridge?
Particularly I am in favor of never throwing away food, so if we have those products at home, we will end it. From now on, it would be convenient to stop buying processed meats and go into much healthier consumption patterns where plant products are predominantly prevalent. As for meats, it is much better to consume lean meats such as chicken, turkey, rabbit and some lean cuts of pork such as tenderloin or sirloin.
That of "processed meats", what are the foods of this type that we usually have in the fridge?
We refer to any meat that has been preserved through processes such as smoking, curing, salting or adding additives, such as ham, bacon, chorizo, sausage, loin, sausages, turkey meat , ham and other meats or sausages. Wow, all those products that we would find in a plate of appetizers.
What is the "red meat", the ribeye? The pig and the birds say it is white meat, can I eat it without fear?
When we refer to red meat, we mean: beef, especially beef, such as cow, ox and bull, horse meat, all types of game and also guts such as liver, kidneys and the heart.
White or lean meats refer to all those that have very little fat content in general and very few saturated fats in particular.
Eat without fear, we must always eat, and for this, we must make a consumption of meat much lower than what the general population usually does. To guarantee the quality of what we eat, which is what really matters, I would bet on consuming local, seasonal products and if you knew the origin much better.
And the processed fish? Why haven't they said anything about smoked salmon, fish burgers or hake bars, for example?
Indeed, processed fish also exists, and I personally consider that they should get a red card, see this example.
They are products that take us away from cooking and healthy patterns. They make us believe that they save us time and also to consume them they generally have to be fried. Valid technique, but that should be practiced occasionally and with olive oil, if possible.
We have to have fruit at home and see us eat it, put a salad frequently in the middle of the table and cook and make them participate
Being fish, it is true that it contains a profile of much more heart-healthy fats in itself and I suppose it will be the reason why they have not yet been cataloged. Although they should.
The technique of smoking, from the nutritional point of view, conserves practically all the nutrients of the fish without smoking, except for the protein content, which decreases significantly but in turn causes the fish to have a softer texture.
If we process food at home, are they equally dangerous or is it true that in this case homemade food is healthier? That is, if I pick meat and make some hamburgers for my children, can I stay calmer?
Homemade food is better since you control what you eat from the first moment, chop the meat that you have previously bought and chosen, give it the form that suits you and add the ingredients that suit you to make a delicious and healthy dish.
It is simply about monitoring and giving the importance it deserves to food, and much more to that of children
We believe that children do not have to take care of what they eat, that they will have time to deprive themselves of everything. Do our children eat well?
If this approach really exists, we have already found the cause of all evil. In Spain, you don't eat as healthy as you think. Despite having one of the best gastronomic cultures, we are becoming too westernized. Increasingly, there is a tendency to throw products, and I say products because I don't like to call them food, precooked, processed, subtracting the great value of cooking.
Spain is the country with the highest prevalence of childhood obesity in Europe and there are many factors that cause it, not just food. Children eat what the elders give them and mature and consolidate their habits from our teachings so at home we must bet on transmitting good manners and the most effective way is through imitation.
In Spain, you do not eat as healthy as you think despite having one of the best gastronomic cultures.
We have to have fruit at home and see us eat it, put a salad frequently in the middle of the table and cook and make them participate as much as possible. There is no doubt that drinking alcoholic or sugary drinks and smoking in their presence is also an aspect to eradicate completely.
An obese child has many ballots of being an obese adult and the elderly are responsible for ensuring their health.
Do you think that one day we will see similar warnings to those of tobacco packages in bacon containers?
WHO and the media have lacked tact to explain this statement. Today, a yellow headline is better for generating audience and expectation than not worrying about reporting correctly.
I don't think it will happen, at least in the immediate future, since the food industry will not allow its products to get stained. I do not know exactly what the drift of all this will be, I am very afraid that the noise caused will disappear shortly and will not have served to generate healthier behaviors, which is what the population really needs.
With this new news, or without it, how should our children's diet be, in general terms?
Neither children nor healthy adults should follow any type of diet; They should eat real foods from those bought in the markets and have no labels and contain very few ingredients. If we consume processed products, at a minimum, the elderly should read the list of ingredients. If sugar, salt or saturated fats appear in that list of ingredients in the first three or four, then it is a product that should not even be bought, at least not in the usual way.
To clarify a bit, the basis of children's nutrition should be based on vegetables.
Legumes are an excellent source of protein along with eggs (there is no need to restrict to 2 or 3 a week, it is a myth) and lean meats and white fish. In children, blue fish should be limited to once a week, two at most, because of the mercury they contain.
The contribution of complex carbohydrates should come from cereals and whole grains.
If children like milk and cheese, they can be offered at some time during the day to consolidate the calcium intake. Notice that I do not mention the custard, or batiditos, or fruit pseudo-yogurts without fruit since they are nothing more than sweets.
The reference dessert should always be the whole fruit, not juices and less packaged.
It is convenient that you always drink water.
Sugary drinks should not be taken as they subtract the possibility of taking quality products.
After an interview, we have asked Carolina to give us some guidelines to improve our children's snacks and thus be able to have more options than the industrial bakery, juice or cold meat sandwich that you can find here.
We appreciate the effort and collaboration of Juan Carlos Y Carolina and we hope we have solved all your doubts, and you already know that both our partners of vitónica with their advice to lead a healthier life or, in the companions of Directo al Paladar you can find sensational dishes to take to your table.
To know more | 24 Carrots //24zanahorias.wordpress.com/), Pantomaka, WHO
In Babies and More | Vegetables in infant feeding, Decalogue on fats in infant feeding
