Fresh food remains best
Levels of nitrates in food have increased. Take care in what we are feeding our children, writes Nathan Adams
THE dangers that could be lurking in your children’s lunch boxes and on their plates are increasing steadily every year. Fruit and vegetables would be the first go-to ingredients for any parent packing a lunch box, but there are risks there as well.
One that is often looked at is how modern farming and agricultural methods have resulted in the contamination of fresh produce with harmful pesticides, impacting the “goodness” of our fruit and veggies today.
In 2015, the World Health Organisation alarmed the public when it announced the link between eating processed meats and ingesting carcinogenic chemicals such as nitrates and nitrites which are used to preserve food and can also be found in fruit and vegetables.
Although nitrates occur naturally in fruit and vegetables and in small amounts are not harmful, the levels of nitrates occurring in food have increased over the years.
Registered Joburg-based dietitian Lila Bruk highlights the need to think before we eat and to take care in what we are feeding our little ones.
“As consumers, we are becoming increasingly aware of not only the nutritional value, but also the safety of the food we eat.
“With conditions like cancer on the rise, greater precautions need to be taken to choose foods that will not only provide immediate nourishment but will also manage the future health and well-being of both ourselves and our children.
“It’s important that we start with being mindful of what we are feeding our children as they are more likely to become ill from contaminants than adults, as their little bodies function differently.”
Bruk cautioned parents against feeding children tinned, dried and frozen fruit and vegetables and to rather opt for fresh organic produce.
“Generally, if one is eating fresh fruit and veg, the vitamin C in these foods will to an extent naturally help to reduce the conversion of the nitrates and nitrites to nitrosamine,” she said.
Fresh remains best and that is the only way to take food safety into your own hands.
Cook the pasta al dente according to the directions on the package. Drain, then transfer it to a large bowl, toss with 1 teaspoon of the oil and allow it to cool completely.
Whisk together in a small bowl the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil plus the vinegar, oregano, basil, garlic, salt and black pepper to form a dressing.
Add the bell pepper, tomatoes, broccoli, mozzarella and dressing to the pasta. Toss to combine.
Dice apples and toss with broccoli slaw. Mix in a bowl with dressing. Add in the remaining ingredients. Serve or store covered, in the refrigerator. – Recipe courtesy of superhealthykids.com