7 foods to avoid when your child is constipated

Children with constipation are often due to an overloaded digestive system, so parents need to be careful to avoid foods that contribute to worsening symptoms.

There are many causes of constipation in children, the most common of which is from eating habits. Lack of fiber and drinking less water are two of the many factors that cause constipation in both adults and children. To help improve symptoms of constipation, here's a list of foods your child shouldn't eat:

Rice

The process of bleaching and milling rice will lose some nutrients that help laxatives, especially fiber. According to statistics, a cup of whole grain rice contains up to 8g of fiber while bleached rice has only half.

Instead of choosing white rice, give your child who is constipated brown rice. A 2020 study has shown that a diet rich in brown rice is more effective in reducing symptoms of constipation in than white rice.

White bread

White bread is one of the foods that contain a lot of starch, especially flour. In young children, when eating processed flour will make the baby's stomach heavy, indigestion, increased risk of constipation. Furthermore, children who are intolerant to flour may experience digestive problems when eating bread such as constipation or diarrhea.

Fastfood

This is a dish parents should not give their children a lot of food, including when constipated. Fast foods such as burgers, fried chicken, pizza... often have a lot of fat and lack fiber. In addition, some contain extra sodium, which can cause dehydration, unbalance the amount of fluid in the child's body, thereby making the digestive system work poorly and symptoms of constipation in children worse.

Children with constipation should limit eating fast food. Photo: Freepik

Processed meat

Dishes such as hot dogs, ham, sausages... are fiber-free, high in fat and sodium, both of which can slow down digestion. Therefore, these can be convenient foods for children, but they should not be given too much, instead, increase fiber-rich products such as green vegetables, fruits... for your baby.

Milk and dairy products

Dairy products such as cheese, cottage cheese, fresh milk, formula milk ... can contribute to slow digestion in the intestines due to their high calcium and protein content. The reason is that these foods often do not contain fiber, the more children eat them, the poorer digestion process, leading to constipation. Not to mention some sweetened milk contains lactose which can cause bloating in babies.

Unlike other dairy products, yogurt contains many beneficial bacteria, helping to balance intestinal bacteria, helping children have healthier toilet habits.

French fries

French fries are a favorite snack of many children, but they are low in fiber and rich in fat, so they will slow down the digestive process and cause constipation.

Parents can replace potato chips with fresh fruits, vegetables, salads, nuts or low-sweet biscuits...

Sweets

Candies are one of the foods that can interfere with your baby's digestion. The reason is that the majority of sweets and pastries contain a lot of sugar , synthetic sweeteners, flour, preservatives but do not contain fiber.

If your child likes to eat sweets, instead of choosing candies that are manufactured, choose candies that are low in sugar or naturally sweetened fruit to help them eat more fiber.