On hot days, ice cream is always a great choice for many people, especially young children.
There are many opinions that eating ice cream will not be good for your baby's health. Is this true and when can my child eat ice cream? The following article by aFamilyToday Health will answer this question as well as share tips when feeding children ice cream.
When can children eat ice cream?
Children can eat ice cream after 12 months because ice cream is also a dairy product. Even though the cream is made from whole milk and pasteurized fresh cream has eliminated bacteria, young children can still be sensitive to the proteins in milk and other ingredients.
One year is the time when a child often uses dairy products such as cheese, milk, butter and including ice cream. However, according to the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating, foods like ice cream or confectionery are often not good for children because they are not nutritious enough.
4 reasons to limit ice cream to children under one year old
The first 12 months after birth is the time to give your baby nutritious foods . Therefore, you should not give your baby ice cream at this time.
Here are four reasons to limit ice cream consumption to babies under 12 months:
1 / Preservatives
Most of the creams on the market contain levels of preservatives, fat, sugar, flavors and colorants. The best way is to feed your baby ice cream when he is 1 year old.
2 / Whole milk
Ice cream made from whole milk. Therefore, when your baby is less than one year old, you should not give your baby whole milk or whole milk products, as he or she may be sensitive to the ingredients in the milk.
3 / Opportunity for bacteria to grow
Ice cream can contain bacteria whether you buy it at the store or make it at home. Exposure to bacteria can easily lead to infections due to the baby's weak immune system. In some cases, infections require urgent medical attention.
4 / Digestive problems
Whole milk and other ingredients in the cream will cause indigestion, flatulence in babies, and upset stomachs or upset stomach.
Tips when feeding children ice cream
Consult your doctor before giving your baby ice cream for the first time. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
1 / Choose to buy a reputable ice cream brand
Most of the branded creams on the market have been pasteurized so it is possible to ensure food hygiene and safety. However, please pay attention to the sanitary conditions of the place of sale. If not stored properly, bacteria in the cream can grow. As for floating ice creams, the water source for ice cream production may be untreated. Poor water quality can cause common gastrointestinal diseases in children.
2 / Ensure the ingredients in the cream
Read the ingredients in the cream carefully before giving it to your child because there are some ingredients that will cause allergies in children. Common ingredients that cause allergies in ice creams include nuts, peanuts and colorants, preservatives. Avoid creams made with raw milk as they can contain bacteria. Also, you should choose simple creams that don't have many additional ingredients.
3 / Do not let children eat ice cream too much
You can start offering your child ice cream from small pieces. After your child starts to eat ice cream, do not overdo it just because you find your child tastes good. The sugar content of ice cream can be harmful for children because eating too much sugar will cause tooth decay and overweight in the long run. Note, you should only feed children 1-2 tablespoons of ice cream at a time and should not eat more than once in 1-2 weeks.
4 / Give your child lots of choices
If your child likes ice cream, you can substitute homemade fruit smoothies, yogurt, fruit ice cream, fresh fruit, chilled mashed fruit, confectionery and jellies. In addition, you cool them before giving them to your child to feel like they are eating ice cream.
Simple ice cream recipes
Homemade baby creams are generally safer than commercial ice creams. You can guarantee the ingredients used in the cream so that your child doesn't have allergies.
1 / Homemade vanilla ice cream recipe for children (12 months and older)
Raw materials:
1 peeled ripe banana;
5 strawberries washed, chopped;
1 chopped avocado;
80ml unsweetened coconut milk;
1 teaspoon of coconut oil;
1 teaspoon vanilla essential oil (optional).
Making:
Put all ingredients in the blender and puree.
Pour the mixture into a box and put it in the freezer for one hour. Then, remove from the freezer and empty the product from the box.
Replace the freezer again until the desired freezing point is reached.
Note:
You can replace the strawberries with some other fruit like mango. Besides, you can also use ingredients entirely of banana or other ingredients to make the cream more nutritious. Try adding some sweet-tasting veggies or pods to cook like mashed potatoes, boiled carrots and sweet corn.
2 / Banana ice cream
Resources:
1 frozen ripe banana;
1 teaspoon cocoa powder.
Making:
Put the frozen bananas in the blender, add the cocoa powder and puree.
Add in a teaspoon of almond butter or peanut butter to flavor your dessert.
Note:
Frozen bananas help reduce pain in the teeth and gums.
3 / Vanilla yogurt ice cream
Resources:
720ml of yogurt;
12 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons of sugar;
1 teaspoon vanilla essential oil.
Making:
Mix sugar, yogurt and vanilla essential oil in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate.
Place the refrigerated mixture in the ice cream maker and continue to cool until soft porosity is reached.
Transfer to plastic box with lid.
3 / Cocoa ice cream
Resources
8 teaspoons of unsweetened cocoa powder;
12 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons of brown sugar;
8 tablespoons of granulated sugar;
180ml whipped cream;
360ml of cream;
1.5 teaspoons of vanilla essential oil;
Some salt.
Making:
Mix cocoa powder and sugar in a bowl. Add the milk slowly and continue mixing for 5 minutes;
Add cream, vanilla essential oil, salt to the mixture and stir well;
Put the mixture in the ice cream maker and beat for 20 minutes;
Put in the freezer until it hardens.
You can add a number of other healthy ingredients to the ice cream for full nutrition and a better appetite.
Hopefully, through the above tips will help you and your children enjoy ice cream properly and safely for your health!