A new study undertaken in the UK has found that babies eating diets higher in real, fresh and homemade food were less likely to develop food allergies than babies who were fed predominantly on processed or packaged foods.
This is something that health professionals have been shouting about for years. Children’s consumption of homemade, real food is something that should be encouraged from the very first introduction to solids.
During early weaning, offering homecooked foods means that babies are likely to be exposed to different tastes, textures and flavours – thereby reducing fussy eating later on -as well as allowing them to become familiar with the taste and smells of family meals.
Additionally foods that are highly processed such as ready meals, convenience foods and even processed baby foods often contain lower levels of nutrients and higher levels of fat, sugar and salt – which we need to keep to a minimum in the diets of our children.
As this study shows there may also be a link with high intakes of these foods and higher risk of your child developing allergies.
Dr. Magnus Wickman, a professor in Sweden commented on the study saying that
“Healthy food has so many good things, and maybe it also can reduce the risk of food allergy in the child,”
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