Tips and tricks to make your child’s food healthy and diet enriched #63PercentMoreProtein
Moms are constantly on the run finding healthy and diet-enriched food options for their kids. Adding to it, the recipes need to be tasty as well. You all know how choosy kids become. The other day while taking kids back from school, we discussed different meal options to keep our kids protein fulfilled as they grow so fast.
Children need nutrient-dense foods that provide them with a good amount of protein, vitamins and minerals to support healthy growth and development.
Protein is essential for your child’s growth, maintenance and repair of the body (source). Irrespective of whether you are a vegetarian or non-vegetarian family, we need to include protein in every meal so that we can get the recommended daily dose. Especially since the body cannot digest too much protein at one go. So, we need a steady flow of intake throughout the day.
How to make your child’s food healthy and diet enriched with essential nutrients
1) Have meals together as a family
Having meals together as a family can be an amazing ritual for you as parents to bond with your kids and introduce new food to them. It will also give you a chance to be their role model for eating healthy and balanced meals. It is often seen that kids pick up what they see. So, by eating fruits and vegetables yourself and not overindulging in junk or less nutritious stuff, you will be sending the right message to your child.
2) Stock Up on Healthy Food items
To eat healthy and diet food, you need to stock healthy food. Kids, especially the younger ones, will eat mostly whatever is available at home. That is why it’s important to control what we stock in our kitchen and refrigerators: for meals or snacks. The more healthy foods you stock, the more likely for them to pick them up.
You may follow these basic guidelines:
- Include fruits and vegetables into the daily routine. Ensure to include vegetables in your meals and have 2 servings of fruits daily.
- Make it easy for kids to choose a healthy snack by keeping a few seasonal fruits and vegetables handy. Put them on a centre table and ready to eat. For other good snacks, opt for plain or fruit yoghurt, peanut butter or whole-wheat, oats, millet or other healthy cookies and slices of bread.
- Serve a handful of nuts, nuts are a good source of nutrients and are often loved by kids.
- Choose whole-grain bread for snacks so kids get more fibre along with taste.
- Limit fat intake by avoiding frequent fried foods. Opt for healthier cooking methods like grilling, roasting or steaming.
- Limit fast food or any low-nutrient snacks, such as chips or candies. Instead of completely banning their favourite snacks, make them “once-in-a-while” food, so kids don’t feel deprived.
- Lastly limit sugar-based drinks, such as colas, and other fruit-flavoured drinks. Serve fresh fruit juices, chaas, milk shakes or fruit smoothies.
3) Include a nutritious drink in their diet
Including a nutritious drink as part of a balanced diet can be a good way to make up for any missed nutrients in their diet. A drink like Complan is scientifically formulated for growing school children and contains 34 vital nutrients like iron, Iodine, Vitamins, etc. along with the power of 100% milk protein.
Complan supports 2X faster growth and is clinically proven to support memory and concentration in kids. What’s even better is, it has 63% more protein than other nutrition drinks.
4) Never Battle Over Food
It is vital, that there is no negative approach when it comes to food for growing kids. It is often seen that food becomes an easy reward for bargaining or bribing which may also be a source of conflict later.
Well-intentioned parents might find themselves bargaining or bribing kids so they eat the healthy food in front of them. A better strategy could be to give kids some control but to also limit the junk foods available at home.
Further, the kids should decide if they are feeling hungry and ready to eat the next meal or snack. And how much to eat from the foods served, and stop when they feel full. Here are some easy guidelines to follow:
- Establish a schedule for meals and snacks. This could easily stop odd-time meals or snacking when both parents and kids would know when to expect the next meal or snack
- Don’t force kids to clean plates. Forcing kids to finish their plates overrides their feelings of fullness and is not a healthy way.
- Don’t bribe/reward kids with food. Avoid using chocolates or any other favourite snack as the prize for eating or finishing the meal.
- Don’t use food to show love. Don’t offer more food to show your love, rather give kids a hug, some of your time, or praise and share your love and affection.
5) Get Kids Involved in meal preparation
Most kids love to decide what they want to eat for dinner. Instead of asking them what to eat, offer them to be a part of preparing the meal. You may start with their favourite food ingredients and continue with new food items or foods they often say no to. Take them grocery shopping or grow and harvest some veggies in your kitchen garden and include them in your meals. You may also make them part of your dining table conversations to talk about the health benefits of the day’s food item.
Talk to them about your choices of preparing and planning a balanced meal for the day. These discussions also help prepare them to make good decisions on their own about the foods they want to eat. It is certain that they won’t suddenly ask for a salad instead of pizza, but the mealtime habits you help them create at a young age, would lead to a lifetime of healthier choices later.
So, keep serving them a healthy diet full of nutrients and help them make a healthy choice for themselves.
Must Read
Health Benefits of Millets: A Superfood for kids
Is delayed growth a long-term effect and consequences of fussy eating?
How to Boost immunity in toddlers and Kids.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in the blog content are independent and unbiased views of solely the blogger. This is a part of the public awareness initiative supported by Complan.
