1. Often eating tomatoes before a meal
Tomatoes should be eaten after a meal. This allows the stomach acid and food to mix, significantly reducing the acidity, and avoids an increase in intra-gastric pressure that can cause gastric distension, leading to symptoms such as abdominal pain and stomach discomfort in the baby.
2. Mixing carrots with radishes to make a puree
Do not grind carrots and radishes together into a puree. This is because carrots contain an enzyme that destroys vitamin C, which will completely break down the vitamin C in the radishes.
3. Excessive consumption of carotene
Although carotene is very nutritious for babies, it should be consumed in moderation. If a baby drinks too much vegetable juice made from carrots or tomatoes, it can lead to carotenemia, causing the skin on the face and hands to turn orange-yellow. This can be accompanied by loss of appetite, unstable mental state, irritability, and even restless sleep, along with symptoms like night terrors, crying, and sleep talking.
4. Washing mushrooms too thoroughly or soaking them in water
Mushrooms contain ergosterol, which converts to vitamin D when exposed to sunlight. However, if they are not excessively washed or soaked in water before eating, much of their nutritional value will not be lost. Mushrooms should also not be cooked in iron or copper pots, as this can lead to a loss of nutrients.
5. Eating undercooked bean sprouts
Bean sprouts are tender, delicious, and nutritious, but they must be thoroughly cooked before eating. Otherwise, consumption can lead to adverse reactions such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and dizziness.
6. Giving babies too much spinach
Spinach contains a large amount of oxalic acid and is not suitable for babies to eat in excess. Oxalic acid in the body combines with calcium and zinc to form calcium oxalate and zinc oxalate, which are not easily absorbed and excreted. This affects the absorption of calcium and zinc in the intestines, easily causing calcium and zinc deficiency in babies, leading to poor development of bones and teeth, and can also affect intellectual development.
7. Giving babies bitter gourd that has not been blanched in boiling water
The oxalic acid in bitter gourd can hinder the absorption of calcium from food. Therefore, before eating, bitter gourd should first be blanched in boiling water to remove the oxalic acid. Babies who need to supplement large amounts of calcium should not eat too much bitter gourd.
8. Cooked chives stored for too long
Chives are best cooked and eaten immediately; they should not be stored for long periods. If stored for too long, the large amount of nitrate in them can convert into nitrite, causing a toxic reaction. Additionally, babies with indigestion should not eat chives.
9. Stewing green leafy vegetables for too long
Green leafy vegetables should not be stewed for too long during cooking. Otherwise, the nitrates in the vegetables will convert into nitrites, which can easily cause food poisoning in babies.
10. Cooking frozen vegetables for too long
Most frozen vegetables have already been blanched, so they do not need to be cooked for too long, or they will become mushy and lose much of their nutritional value.