A leading dietitian has criticized a social media trend of feeding children meat for breakfast and issued a particular warning against a British favourite.
Dr. Federica Amati, chief nutritionist at popular diet app Zoe, expressed concern about parents advocating a low-carb diet for their children, swapping cereals for meat-rich breakfasts.
Speaking on Zoe’s podcast, she said ultra-processed meat such as bacon could be particularly harmful, due to its link with several types of cancer.
“There are voices online telling people not to feed their children carbohydrates in the morning and to give them bacon,” Dr. Amati said.
“Please don’t give your children processed meat.”
Ultra-processed meat, such as bacon and sausages, contain preservatives that interact with substances within the intestine to increase the risk of tumor development.
In addition to sugary cereals, pastries and sweet yogurts, there is one food in particular that Dr. Amati highlights that parents should not give their children for breakfast: bacon.
Speaking with Zoe co-founder Jonathan Wolf in a podcast episode about the difficulty of getting children to kick the habit of eating ultra-processed foods (UPF), Dr. Amati warned parents about the dangers of certain foods for breakfast.
An easy sign that a food might be UPF is if it contains ingredients you wouldn’t find in your kitchen cupboard, such as unrecognizable dyes, sweeteners, and preservatives. Another clue is the amount of fat, salt and sugar hidden inside each package, and UPFs usually contain high amounts.
Eating more than 70g of red meat a day increases the risk of bowel cancer by five per cent, according to a 2019 study by researchers at the University of Oxford. This amount is equivalent to two slices of bacon or half a hamburger.
The NHS recommends eating no more than two portions of processed red meat per week.
Dr Amati, who is also a scientist at Imperial College London, has urged parents not to “fear carbohydrates”.
She explains that it is vital that children eat enough carbohydrates to “fuel their growth and activity,” as the body quickly converts the nutrient into energy.
Podcast guest Rhiannon Lambert, author of books including the Sunday Times bestseller The Science of Plant-Based Nutrition, emphasized that carbohydrates are actually “our brain’s preferred fuel source.”
She explained that it is important to feed children “good quality” carbohydrates, such as low-sugar whole grains like Weetabix and bread.
To reduce added sugar, swap sweet yogurts for plain yogurt with honey, fruit, or dark chocolate for flavor. Dr. Amati suggests making a yogurt bowl with fruits, nuts, and seeds or even sprinkling on some Cheerio’s as a topper for your child’s breakfast.
One convenient breakfast food that Dr. Amati recommends parents avoid is flavored yogurts, as each small container may contain a teaspoon of sugar.
Experts warned parents not to choose products that contain claims such as “high in protein,” as many of these foods also contain added sugar and additives.
Dr Amati added that, on average, UK children are exposed to 15 billion junk food adverts per year.
“We currently live in a world where children are more accustomed to opening a bag or packet of chips than to peeling a banana,” he said.
Ultra-processed foods (UPF), which can also include biscuits, sausages, French fries and industrially produced bread, often contain ingredients that are not used or used very rarely in home cooking, such as colorings and sweeteners.
For example, about 95 percent of baked goods, such as processed white bread and cakes, contain at least one emulsifier.
These are mixed with foods to help bind fats and water, which helps improve the texture, appearance, and shelf life of foods.
But according to Dr. Amati, they can alter the microbiome (the gut microbes that help digest food) and cause inflammation in the gut.
She explains that inflammation contributes to an “increased risk of discomfort,” adding that it can trigger irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and indigestion.
But increased inflammation in the gut for a long time can also increase the risk of “developing obesity, type 2 diabetes and autoimmune diseases,” he said.
As for the breakfasts that experts do recommend, they suggest sticking with Weetabix, Shredded Wheat and Bran Flakes.
Although Dr. Amati confesses that they are more “boring”, she explains that they are less caloric and sugary than Honey Loops, Fruit Loops and Frosties.
Other breakfast foods she suggests include eggs, chopped apples, adding an avocado to a smoothie, and, surprisingly, pancakes.
Pancakes can be “absolute nutritional powerhouses,” she said, and suggests making them with banana, oatmeal, and some eggs for a nutritious breakfast.