PT Health Life – One of the main causes of digestive disorders is an unreasonable diet. Therefore, adjusting diet plays an important role in preventing and treating digestive disorders in children.
1. The importance of diet for children with digestive disorders
Digestive disorders are common diseases that greatly affect children’s health. The cause is that the digestive system and immune system of young children, especially newborns and children under 2 years old, are still weak, making them susceptible to attacks by bacteria, viruses, and parasites that cause gastrointestinal diseases.
In addition, poor hygiene, prolonged use of antibiotics… Especially improper nutrition or food allergies… are also important causes of digestive disorders in children.
According to nutrition experts, giving children solid foods too early, eating foods that are difficult to digest, high in protein, high in fat, eating at the wrong times, drinking age-appropriate milk, does not ensure food hygiene and safety. products… are common mistakes that lead to digestive disorders in children.
most children with digestive problems who go to the doctor are mainly due to mistakes in their diet. drink.
The time when children are most susceptible to digestive disorders is when they are eating solid foods. Or there are children who are malnourished due to being too strict; eat unbalanced amounts of fruits and vegetables, limit fat; Or eat a lot of fat but are lazy to eat fruits and vegetables…
Therefore, experts recommend that to prevent digestive disorders, it is necessary to take proper nutritional care for children: It is necessary to breastfeed the baby exclusively with breast milk for the first 6 months, and when the baby is weaning, it is necessary to supplement meat, vegetables, fruits, oils…; Follow the principles of eating cooked food and drinking boiled water, and wash your hands regularly to avoid infection; Avoid restaurants, unsafe foods, do not let children eat fast food…
2. Essential nutrients for children with digestive disorders
Regarding the diet for children with digestive disorders, nutrition experts advise parents to prioritize nutritious foods that are easy to digest and absorb to provide enough energy and help children recover quickly. .
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), children with digestive disorders need to pay attention to the following nutritional principles:
2.1 Foods rich in nutrients, soft, easy to digest
To supplement nutrition, children need to eat nutritious foods, prepared in liquid, soft, and easy-to-digest forms such as porridge: chicken porridge, lean pork cooked with carrots, potatoes, pumpkin, vegetables. … helps children easily digest, absorb easily and does not irritate the digestive tract mucosa.
2.2 Add water
Children with digestive disorders such as vomiting, diarrhea, etc. need more water than usual to compensate for the amount of fluid lost through stool and vomiting. Children should drink liquids such as: soup, porridge, fruit juice (no added or very little sugar), fresh coconut water, cooked water…
You can use roasted rice water, rice water, salted porridge, sugar porridge, carrot soup… very good to rehydrate and electrolytes for diarrhea. If your child is nauseous or vomiting, give him or her some foods that help relieve nausea such as: clear broth, chicken broth or vegetable broth…
Note: It is necessary to limit children’s intake of foods that irritate and can damage the digestive tract such as foods high in fat and sugar; undercooked, unsafe food; foods that cause flatulence and bloating; coffee, carbonated soft drinks…
Supplement probiotics
Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that help improve children’s digestive system. Children can be given yogurt or probiotic supplements according to the doctor’s instructions.
2.3 Pay attention when preparing food and how to feed children
- Wash hands thoroughly before preparing and feeding children. Food should be prepared in a soft, easy-to-digest form such as steaming, boiling, stewing…; Avoid frying, stir-frying and cooking with lots of oil; Cut food into small pieces so children can chew and swallow easily; Season food blandly, don’t add too much seasoning.
- Meals should be divided into several meals throughout the day. Feed your child little by little, don’t force him to eat too much. Encourage children to drink plenty of water. Monitor your child’s condition after each meal.
3. Suggest some good foods for children with digestive disorders
3.1 Carrot soup
- Ingredients: 300g carrots, 30g sugar, enough salt.
- How to prepare: Wash carrots, chop them, cook and then put them in a blender. Put the pureed carrots in the pot, add enough water, add sugar and salt, boil again, let cool and eat gradually.
Lean meat and carrot porridge
- Ingredients: 50g lean chicken or pork, 100g plain rice, ½ carrot, enough spices.
- How to prepare: Wash rice, put it in a pot, add water and cook until the rice grains swell. Peel the carrots, cut them into small cubes, and put them in the pot to stew with the porridge. Minced chicken or pork, marinate with spices for 15 minutes. Put the meat in the porridge pot and boil again for about 5 minutes, add seasoning to serve.
3.2 Porridge with pork, carrots, potatoes
- Ingredients: Plain rice: 100g, potatoes 50g, carrots 50g, lean pork 50g, spices just enough.
- How to prepare: Wash rice, put it in a pot, add water and cook until the rice grains swell. Chopped carrots and potatoes and put them in the pot to stew with porridge. Minced pork, marinated with spices for 15 minutes. When the porridge is cooked, add the meat and boil again for about 5 minutes before serving.
3.3 Chicken and pumpkin porridge
- Ingredients: 100g plain rice, 50g chicken, 50g pumpkin, enough spices.
- How to prepare: Wash rice, put it in a pot, add water and cook until the rice grains swell. Minced chicken, marinate with spices for 15 minutes. Slice the pumpkin, steam, mash or finely chop it, put it in the pot and cook with the porridge until smooth. When the porridge is cooked, add the chicken, stir well, boil for another 5 minutes, add seasoning and serve.
3.4 Yogurt
Yogurt is a food that is especially good for intestinal health. Yogurt provides the body with a large amount of beneficial bacteria that help protect the digestive system and improve resistance.
Yogurt is easy to digest and enhances nutritional absorption, so it is very suitable for children with anorexia and digestive disorders. At the same time, it is also rich in protein, calcium and vitamin D that are beneficial for children’s health and development.
