Eat Right: 9 food combos to be avoided for better gut health in kids

Most of us growing up remember our grandmothers telling us not to mix certain foods. We have also grown up to the warning: DO NOT eat fish and milk together. While there is no scientific evidence to prove that having milk after fish is harmful to health in any way, there are certain food combinations that can impact the child’s health. The wrong food combinations can trigger several gut-related health issues.

According to Dr Rakhi Chottrra, a dietician, practicing homoeopath, and mother of a student at Apeejay School, Model Town in Jalandhar, certain food combinations need to be avoided. “One has to understand that there are certain foods that are alkaline and others are acidic. Alkaline foods (fruits, nuts, legumes, and vegetables) should not be mixed with acidic (meat, poultry, fish, dairy, eggs). Some foods are neutral (natural fats, starches, and sugars) in nature and can be eaten with alkaline and or acidic foods,” Dr Chottrra explained.

“Watermelon, eaten on its own, does wonders for the body and digestion. But when combined with dairy (acidic) food, it impacts the pH levels in the stomach and can lead to indigestion and bloating”

–Dr Rakhi Chottrra, a dietician, practising homoeopath, and mother of a student at Apeejay School, Model Town in Jalandhar

These food combos can especially lead to stomach-related issues in kids since they are still at the growing stage and their digestive system is still weak as compared to that of an adult, she said. “So, yes, there was some wisdom in what our grandmothers said. For example, there is a reason why watermelon should not be combined with a dairy product. Watermelon, eaten on its own, does wonders for the body and digestion. But when combined with dairy (acidic) food, it impacts the pH levels in the stomach and can lead to indigestion and bloating issues and in turn affecting the gut over time,” Dr Chottrra said.

Another food combination that should not be given to children is bananas and milk. “This can even cause health problems for those who have chest congestion. Milk and bananas lead to the formation of mucus. Similarly, citrus fruits and milk should be avoided; for example, orange with milk. It has also been found that children tend to have water with their food. This dilutes the digestive juices in the stomach and takes food longer to digest,” she said.

Drinking juice with the meal is a no-no as well. “When you eat food, sugar in the blood gets released slowly. If you give your child fruit juice, there will be a sugar rush and a spike in blood sugar levels. I always advise parents that if they must give fruit juice, it should be at least 30-45 before the main meal. However, I recommend that parents give fruit instead of juice,” Dr Chottrra asserted.

Second, Dr Pooja Sabharwal of Chaudhary Brahm Prakash Ayurved Charak Sansthan in the capital. “There are several food combos that are very tasty but can be a disaster when it comes to your child’s health and well-being. Even in cases where there is no immediate manifestation, prolonged consumption of such food combinations can give rise to lifestyle diseases like diabetes to name a few,” Dr Sabharwal said.

She added a few more food combos to avoid when planning a child’s meals

Fruits and yoghurt: Packaged fruit yoghurt is often a go-to healthy ‘ready food’ option for many moms. However, this is doubly harmful as it not only combines fruits and yoghurt but also has a lot of preservatives.

White bread and jam: This combination is deadly because it leads to a spike in the blood sugar level. Second, to cope with the sudden burst of sugar in the bloodstream, the body works extra hard to produce a proportionate amount of insulin. This stresses the body, especially the pancreas.

Meat and starch: Meats (chicken, lamb) and starchy foods (potatoes, bread) should never be eaten together. Different digestive juices are produced to digest them. When you feed this combination, the child’s body is confused about what it should digest first.

Tomatoes and cheese: Tomatoes are an acidic fruit. Combining them with starches has the same effect as combining meats with starches – the acidity of tomatoes causes the starch to be reduced to poisonous end products.

Juice and dalia: This food combination takes a toll on your blood sugar levels by giving it an instant high, which tends to drop drastically later. Drastic fluctuations are not good for a child’s health.