Parents all want to give their children the best nutrition to make them smarter and healthier, so they have a particular preference for foods that are said to "make children smarter." In fact, the role of diet is to ensure healthy growth. A lack of certain nutrients can affect a child's physical and intellectual development. However, on the basis of a balanced diet, no specific food can make a child "smarter." Fish and meat each have their own advantages. Parents need to approach food rationally; the key is to provide their children with a balanced and reasonable diet!
The Smart Way to Eat Meat
When Chinese people refer to "meat," they usually mean meat from mammals such as pork, beef, and mutton. In nutrition, these are called "red meat" (they contain more myoglobin, which gives them their red color). Compared to "white meats" like poultry and fish, red meat contains more fat, and fatty red meat has an even higher fat content.
Epidemiological and experimental studies over the past few decades have found that excessive consumption of red meat may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer. Therefore, it is now generally recommended to "limit the amount of red meat consumed."
However, more in-depth research points out that the adverse health effects are mainly from "processed meat." So-called "processed meat" refers to meat products that have added salt and other additives and have been processed through methods like curing to allow for a longer shelf life, such as sausages, ham, cured bacon, salted pork, and more. Whether industrially processed or homemade using "traditional methods," these foods are considered "processed meat" and pose the greatest health risk among all meat products. An occasional treat is fine, but long-term consumption is not good for your health.
In fact, moderate intake of fresh, lean meat is very important for health! "Red meat" is rich in iron, zinc, and B vitamins. Iron is a particular strength of red meat; it not only has a high content but is also the easily absorbed heme iron. For a child's healthy development, sufficient iron intake is crucial. In dietary guidelines, the recommended daily meat intake (including poultry) for adults is 40-75g, while for children, it should be even lower than 40g.
Chicken is an inexpensive and readily available meat, so many people consider it an "inferior" meat. In fact, the nutritional value of food has little to do with its price. Its low cost and availability are the result of advances in farming technology. And a major reason why so much effort is put into researching and developing chicken farming is its high nutritional value.
From a nutritional standpoint, the best part of a chicken is the breast meat, which has very low levels of myoglobin and fat, making it very suitable for children. However, many people don't like chicken breast because its texture is "dry" and bland, preferring the taste of chicken wings and thighs. In fact, the "deliciousness" of chicken wings and thighs comes from their rich skin fat and high myoglobin content, similar to that of pork. From a health perspective, chicken wings and thighs, especially when fried, can be considered representative of unhealthy foods.
Eating fish is good, but in moderation
In food nutrition, "fish" is often considered together with "aquatic products." Compared to livestock and poultry meat, aquatic products have lower fat content, are rich in protein, and contain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, with DHA and EPA being the most well-known examples.
The human brain is made up of a large amount of fat, and DHA and EPA cannot be synthesized from other fats in the body. They must be obtained from food, which is the origin of the saying "eating fish is good for the brain." However, this saying is not supported by definitive experimental evidence; it's more of a "it can't hurt, and if it helps, that's a bonus" approach.
Nevertheless, much evidence shows that DHA and EPA may have multiple health benefits, so the field of nutrition recommends "eating more aquatic products."
However, the contamination of aquatic products is something to be aware of. Heavy metals and organic pollutants in the water can accumulate in these foods, especially methyl mercury, which is found in almost all aquatic products, regardless of whether they are domestic or imported, freshwater or deep-sea, wild or farmed, to varying degrees.
From a nutritional perspective, you can "eat more" aquatic products; from a safety perspective, you need to be mindful of the amount of contaminants. To balance these two factors, the U.S. recommends eating 340g of low-mercury aquatic products per week, while China's recommendation is 40-75g per day. These are recommendations for adults; for children, the amount should be correspondingly reduced.
Regarding the selection of aquatic products, I would also like to remind parents: the price differences in aquatic products are mainly due to flavor and rarity, and have little to do with nutrition and safety. The impact of food on health does not depend on what you've "eaten" once, but on your long-term diet. Therefore, for aquatic products, there is no need to pursue "expensive" or "rare" options. A reliable source and a price that fits your budget are good choices.