Is it good for children to eat a lot of tofu in their daily meals?

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The main ingredient of tofu is made from fermented soybeans. Tofu is also a popular food in Vietnam. The nutritional composition of tofu is rich and can provide health benefits. However, so far, the consumption of tofu, especially for children, is controversial. This article will provide more information about this food.

1. Nutritional composition of tofu

Tofu is made from fermented soybeans. The nutritional composition in 100g of tofu has about 40% protein, 15-20% lipid, 200-300 mg calcium, and other ingredients such as: Iron, zinc... Amino acids in tofu are roughly equivalent to the content. that the body needs, However, soybeans belong to the legume group, so they need to be eaten in combination with cereals to compensate for the deficiency of lysine. In addition, the content of iron and B vitamins in tofu is higher than in cow's milk, so those who have allergic reactions to cow's milk can use soy milk.

2. Some effects of tofu in disease prevention and treatment

According to Western studies on the effects of tofu, the results show that tofu brings a lot of health benefits, especially for subjects with cardiovascular diseases, preventing cancer cells. cancer, or prevention and treatment of overweight and obesity, treatment of type 2 diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), neurodegenerative disease...
As for Eastern studies, that tofu is like a panacea to help increase body energy and aid digestion. In addition, tofu also has properties to help clear heat and eliminate toxins from the body, relieve intestinal obstruction as well as soothe pain caused by joints.
According to Oriental Medicine, tofu belongs to the food group that has an excellent source of nutrition for people who are suffering from stomach diseases. Because tofu can support the stomach to work better in metabolism and digestion of food when loaded into the body. Moreover, tofu also belongs to the group of cool taste, heat clearing and detoxification, so it is very suitable for people with constipation.

3. Use tofu in children's daily meals

Tofu is known as a food that contains quite a lot of nutrients, especially with a high protein content in tofu. However, in addition to providing the body with the necessary amount of protein, the amount of protein in tofu can make children difficult to digest, because the child's stomach has not fully developed. So children eating a lot of tofu may not be good. But to overcome this shortcoming, pediatricians all encourage mothers and caregivers to give children tofu with meat, egg yolks as well as some other complex protein-containing foods when the baby is born. about eight months old or more.
For babies when starting to enter the period of weaning or complementary foods, you should not give them tofu because children at this age may have allergic reactions to soy ingredients - source the main ingredients to make tofu.
Along with the nutritional composition of tofu is quite rich, when using tofu, it is necessary to pay attention to eat tofu once, do not eat too much. Because the glucide in tofu is mainly composed of fiber and multi-sugar, the starch content is low, when the bacteria in the intestines break down these glucids, they will produce a lot of gas. So eating a lot of tofu can easily cause bloating and flatulence. In addition, you should not eat raw peas, because in its composition there are compounds including: Toripin mineral, red blood cell condensate are not good for health. And these ingredients can only be decomposed by heat, so eating raw tofu may cause digestive conditions such as: Nausea, vomiting, bloating...

4. A few notes when using tofu in children's meals

Tofu can be used quite flexibly in food processing that can be raw, baked, fried or cooked in soup... The dish should only be used for children from eight months of age and older. And there are a few ways to prepare tofu for children:
Cut soft or hard tofu into small balls and mix it with cereal, wheat or crackers Puree tofu with banana, wheat germ or you can blend tofu with other fruits such as apples, pears, strawberries, blueberries... Cut tofu into pieces and then add them to soup or broth with spices. with vegetable oil. Puree tofu with cheese, butter or mix tofu with dipping sauce Use tofu to make a burger with bread flour, chopped onion and some of your child's favorite seasonings Can be mixed with drunken tofu Smooth with yoghurt, fruit and fruit juice to create fruit smoothies for kids.

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