There are foods that for children and for the whole family it is very healthy to eat raw, like some salad vegetables. However, there are some foods that you need to cook for the little ones. What are the foods that cannot be given raw to children?
Some foods present a hygienic risk of their raw consumption, and in this case cooking is the best solution to eliminate risks. The heat exerts a microbicidal function, eliminating bacteria and destroying other harmful substances present in many raw foods.
- Molluscs, especially those of external cocha such as mussels, clams, oysters ... In general, it is not convenient to eat raw seafood because of the risk of Annisakis, a small worm-shaped parasite that nests in marine mammals, fish and crustaceans. Raw and undercooked seafood (marinated, in oil, salted ...), in addition to hindering digestion, may contain bacteria and viruses that can be tolerated by healthy adults, but make young children seriously ill.
- With respect to Raw FishAlthough it is digestive and light, it is a food with a high hygienic risk, and there is also the risk of Annisakis, so we will have to choose very fresh, large fish (they degrade less easily) and proceed to freezing. Although I personally believe that raw fish can wait for the little ones.
- Some vegetables such as potatoes and eggplants, which are indigestible if they are raw.
- Eggs must be eaten cooked to avoid the risk of disease transmission if they are raw or undercooked.
- Raw cow's milk Pasteurization kills microorganisms, such as bacteria that grow rapidly in milk, but if the milk is not pasteurized they remain. Therefore, raw milk must be boiled at least 70 degrees for 15-20 seconds.
- Dried legumes (beans, chickpeas, lentils ...) require prolonged cooking to destroy the anti-nutritional factors they possess: components that the body cannot digest or that are even toxic.
- Poultry and pork. Unlike certain lean red meats that can be consumed as a carpaccio, the white meat of poultry or pork if it is not cooked to the point has an unpleasant taste and exposes to hygienic risks. However, in all meats we must take into account that certain types of meat cooking, such as those produced at very high temperatures (iron, frying) can favor the production of heterocyclic amines, substances that over time, If they accumulate, they can be harmful. This is why softer cooking is better (steam, charcoal, stew, oven).
While these meals cannot be given raw to children, some like mollusks or smoked fish when they grow up may take them in moderation, in the same way that adults sometimes consume them.
