María Merino is a graduate in nutrition, has a blog about food and dietetics and yesterday she experienced an unpleasant situation through social networks when she received hundreds of criticism for a photo he published of his son eating breakfast chickpeas.
There were many people who criticized for the food he was offering to his child, and judged an image that Maria had shared for the sole purpose of demonstrating that there are more breakfast foods apart from the classic cookies and cereals.
Criticisms of a mother nutritionist about the food she offers to her child
My son doesn't know what a cookie is. He is happy having chickpea breakfast. @SinAzucarOrg #Nutritional Education #SnacksSaludables pic.twitter.com/mbwzeJH8Qw
- Eating with María (@comiendo_maria) January 9, 2018
With this photograph of her son eating chickpeas breakfast, Maria only intended to show people a healthy breakfast idea for children, and that in turn is far from the ideas that society usually has in mind.
But far from penetrating everyone's conscience, the photo went viral and a large part of the comments he received were jokes, memes and criticisms - some very disrespectful and hurtful - towards their nutritional option.
When he grows up he will probably hate you and leave home forever.
- Le Sogù (@RodriShogun) January 9, 2018
Well, I wish you a happy outcome to your digestion every day: chickpeas are not exactly the most digestive in the world, and cause meteorism. Anyway. The kids at school are very cruel. I hope you didn't mark your son, making all this public.
- Llar llar binks (@LlarllarBinks) January 9, 2018
It is not that you do not let them decide, that they are not trained either, but you do not tell them that there are more options. When they discover them, I didn't miss you being taken to a bad residence 😒
- Unicornia Pelirrosa (@PeliCornia) January 9, 2018
Espachurras some ripe bananas, the mixtures with oat flakes, you shape them, oven and in a few minutes, cookies. No shit, and without being so Nazi. I agree to educate from babies to eat well, or have a little fun, right ??? What do I say ...
- MomProject (@ BebedeParis87) January 10, 2018
Social Services are already informed of this aberration.
- EL QUEBRANTAHUESOS (@mellicintas) January 9, 2018
Yes, there is more to see, he does not fit the smile on his face.
- Bo))) rja (@Soft_as_chalk) January 9, 2018
I do not know why it smells in my nose that besides breakfast chickpeas is also vegan by obligation and they do not invite you to meet because you can not go to the mcdolar or eat cake
- Txema Tirado (@Gusabecquer) January 9, 2018
Already set to humiliate him, give him food to eat.
- Nacho García (@cagon_ros) January 9, 2018
Until I go to school and see that the other children eat something very rich called a cookie that, in most cases and always in moderation, I think they don't hurt anyone. In the end we will end up eating stones.
- Claudia Guerrero (@ claudiamalaga9) January 9, 2018
And I say, since you're a nutritionist, treat it a little and make some cookies for your child (without sugar). It’s pretty bad to see him there with the chickpea tupper…
- ~ NievesBlanca ~ (@ Nievex79) January 9, 2018
The comments and criticisms that Maria received throughout the day came to overwhelm her, and as she herself has confessed today in her blog, she has been forced to publish a podcast giving explanations about what happened.
Ensures that your child does not know the cookies or breakfast cereals sold in supermarkets and that he chooses to offer healthy alternatives such as chickpeas, although he wanted to make it clear that "nor do you eat chickpeas every day, or only chickpeas"
In addition, he has released a last message on Twitter in which he has made it clear that the criticisms received will not change his way of feeding his child:
Your bad eating habits fill my query. You eat what you want, I will continue to feed my son instead of feeding him. 2 very different concepts 😉
- Eating with María (@comiendo_maria) January 9, 2018
When I see these types of situations, I keep wondering: why are we not able to respect the parenting options of other families? Why is it so difficult discuss, argue or expose our ideas with respect and without attacking or offending a mother for the option chosen?
And it seems terrible to me that someone be obliged to give explanations to people about his way of raising, educating or feeding his children, as if what he was doing was something terrible and worthy of confession.
Maria is a nutrition professional and knows perfectly well what foods to include in the diet, but even if she had not been a nutritionist, who are we to criticize what she offers her son for breakfast?
Reporting from rigor is fine, and discuss constructively contributing our point of view It is something that we all surely accept and welcome. But criticizing, for the mere fact of doing so, is highly offensive and can undermine our confidence as mothers. Because we all raise and educate our children the best we know and can, and I am sure that no one likes to be judged or criticized for the option of parenting chosen.
Benefits of legumes in the diet
As a mother, I am quite aware of the feeding of my children and I try, as far as possible, to offer them healthy alternatives and run away from processed foods and highly sugary.
The breakfasts in my house are based on fruit, homemade porridge and banana porridge, scrambled eggs, homemade pastries ... But I confess that I would never have thought of incorporating legumes as the first meal of the day, despite knowing that the properties they provide are numerous.
Legumes have high nutritional quality by offering complex hydrates, vegetable proteins, fiber, vitamins, minerals (phosphorus, iron, magnesium, iodine and potassium) and iron. Specifically, chickpeas is the legume that has the highest percentage of carbohydrates, and its high protein value makes it an excellent source of energy.
So, offer legumes for breakfast It seems to be a wonderful way to give children all the energy they need to start their day. However, not all children accept them willingly, so it is important to include them in their diet on a regular basis and, if necessary, resort to small culinary tricks that make them irresistible.
Feeding our children in a healthy way is possible. Escape from processed, sugary foods and certain forms of cooking is in our hands. Just put interest, inform us about it and not get carried away by marketing and advertising; especially when they refer to infant feeding.
"Every time they eat worse and children have a high sugar content in their diet. It is the marketing industry that has been in charge of selling us cookies and cereal packages as a healthy breakfast, but all these products are ultraprocessed and are loaded with sugar. Sugar that eventually leads to overweight, obesity and all associated chronic noncommunicable diseases (diabetes, cholesterol, hta ...) "- explains the nutritionist in his blog.
Therefore, far from criticizing, I prefer to choose to learn from the photo of Maria and open the range of healthy alternatives to offer my children every morning. Because, as she herself indicates, there are many more foods apart from cookies and industrial cereals.
IStock photos
In Vitónica Back to school healthy: ideas for breakfast and snacks of the kids in the house, Learn the benefits of legumes with this infographic, Seven breakfast forbidden for children
In Babies and More Healthy Eating, Childhood Obesity, Sugar
