What NOT to feed to children!

Note:  Since this post  this post was first published, some of the supporting articles have been amended, but the basic premise of the blog post still remains valid: there are clear answers to the question “What not to Feed to Children”

I should first start this post by stating this is not for the faint of heart.  Last night,  I came across an article about how chicken nuggets are made and had to share it as I know so many kids are eating this stuff.  Notice I used the word “stuff”, NOT food.  In other words, what not to feed to children!

Let me state some of you may find this makes you queasy in the stomach but I think it is worth reading! 

This is a real photo of Chicken Nugget Meat Paste that shows up in many processed foods!!

You can see other similar pictures for other types of meats at this link – none of them are pretty!   http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/04/mechanically-separated-meat-chicken-mcnugget-photo_n_749893.html

Quick Summary on How Chicken Nuggets are Really Made  (i.e. What Not to feed to Children!)

This paste is used in many processed chicken products and includes ALL parts of the chicken.  It is washed in ammonia (YES -AMMONIA!!)  and then lots of artificial junk is added to make it taste and look like real food. It really is revolting when you read the article above.

It seems innocent enough sitting in the refrigerator section of most grocery stores and is cleverly marketed to time-strapped parents who just want their kids to eat dinner.

I am sure most parents have no idea this is what they are feeding their kids.  I find it interesting that the FDA determined that the beef equivalent of this process is inedible for human consumption but poultry products are ok??? I am going to share this photo with my kids as future insurance they will never want to put this stuff in their mouths!

Telling your kids chicken nuggets are for dinner is usually met with smiles I know. However, this picture says it all and is one of the best visuals as to why cooking healthy dinners for our families with whole REAL food is so important.   A very good rule of thumb is that the more processed the food is, the less nutritious it is.  What not to feed to children?  Anything that is highly processed. This is why all of The Dinner Daily’s recipes are created to be easy to make but use simple, fresh ingredients.  It is so worth the bit of extra time and effort and will pay huge dividends in their long-term health.

If you’re interested in more help figuring out how to organize your weekly dinners and provide healthier recipe options to your kids, download a free copy of our Weeknight Survival Guide. It will give you a shopping list, tips and 5 dinner recipes you can try next week.