Should children eat grilled food?

My 5-year-old child loves grilled meat and fish. How can I feed him safely and healthily? (Thanh Thảo, Ho Chi Minh City)

Reply:

Grilled foods contain a lot of fat, oil, and harmful substances that are bad for health. When grilled at high temperatures, the oil and fat in the meat produce toxic gases and substances that cling to the grilled meat. These can cause cancer if absorbed in large quantities and frequently.

When meat is grilled directly at high temperatures, causing charring, it produces potentially carcinogenic chemicals called heterocyclic amines (HACs). Many types of HCAs are formed from the breakdown of amino acids when grilling meat at temperatures above 200°C. These HCAs accumulate in the charred areas of the meat. The fat dripping onto the grill, and the flames engulfing the food, also create polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), a chemical with a potential carcinogenic risk.

Grilled foods often lack nutrients. They are dry and hard, making them unsuitable for children whose teeth are still weak and whose digestive systems are underdeveloped.

You shouldn't feed your children grilled food or greasy foods regularly because it increases the risk of obesity, high cholesterol, and dangerous diseases that are harmful to their health.

However, if children enjoy it, parents can allow them to eat grilled food in appropriate quantities and preparation methods, perhaps 1-2 times per week. Avoid grilling food directly over charcoal; wrap it in aluminum foil and prioritize grilling using safe equipment. Do not grill at high temperatures to avoid charring, and choose foods with little or no fat. Families can marinate meat with sauces such as tomato sauce before grilling to prevent charring.

Doctor Tran Thi Tra Phuong
Nutrihome Nutrition Clinic System

Readers can submit their nutrition questions here for the doctor to answer.

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