Experts Allow Children Over 2 Years Of Market Snack Consumption

Illustration. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - Health expert dr. Shane Tuty Cornish, CBS, IBCLC allow children over the age of two to eat market snacks and snacks such as green peanut porridge as long as they do not contain high sugar.

"Parents can give them snacks such as green peanut porridge, fruit, market snacks, but as much as possible avoid the high sugar," he said, who practices at RSIA Tambak, Jakarta in his statement in Jakarta, quoted from Antara, Sunday, September 8.

Consumption of high sugar food can be a trigger factor for weight gain which can eventually cause a person to develop diabetes.

Shane reminded that diabetes complications include diabetes, including diabetic retinopathy, glaukuma, cataracts, nerve damage, blood vessel disease, heart attack and stroke, gum disease, tooth damage, infection and many more.

He then invites parents to set good examples for children such as exercising regularly and eating healthy foods. Because healthy children are a reflection of their parents, and therefore parents must set a good example.

Shane then suggested how to prevent diabetes can be done by maintaining ideal weight and if it is excessive, reduce it by a calorie diet and low in fat.

"If you are overweight, try to reduce about 5-10 percent on a calorie diet and low in fat," he said.

In addition, how to reduce excess weight is by increasing food on fruits and vegetables, reducing sweet and soft drinks, actively exercising for at least 30 minutes a day, and limiting the use of gadgets.

Meanwhile, Erwin Setiawan from Indonesian Food Children highlighted ultra-process foods that significantly contain more calories than natural foods.

Food, he continued, produces extra calories to increase weight.

"This is due to the density of calories, low fiber, high fat, sugar, and salt. The ultra-process processed diets consumed are significantly more than 500 calories per day," said Erwin.

For this reason, he suggested eating foods that did not undergo significant processing (real food) such as tubers, meat, vegetables, seeds.

All of this, continued Erwin, is a local food source and Indonesia does not lack this material so there is no reason for the public to choose ultra-process food (UPF).

He also said that every day people meet food products that experience UPF. This food has been changed from its original form, such as watermelon juice or pineapple, the juice is taken to become concentrate, then also vegetable snacks.

"Even though it's vegetables, it's still UPF because some contain dyes, sweeteners, cultivators, and preservatives, causing dependence and addiction," he said.

Erwin believes the food industry should implement food security.

Then, to reduce sugar consumption in children, he advises parents to pay attention to their children's breakfast. According to him, many children eat an incorrect breakfast menu.

"There are those who preparedors, bread and milk, but actually they are refined sugar and salted sugar, that then makes the child eat double sugar," he said.