Healthy Recipes For Children
“It is extremely essential for children to consume foods from all food groups to avail of a wide variety of nutrients”
In this age of fast foods and smart marketing, more and more children are falling prey to exotic meals, while they continue to turn up their nose at home cooked traditional foods. Thus, the rise of childhood obesity has become a worldwide concern and the International Association of the Study of Obesity (IASO) and International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) has estimated that 200 million school children worldwide, are either overweight or obese!
Gorging On Fatty/Sugar Dense Foods
It has increasingly become a serious task for mothers and caregivers to figure out recipes that their children would happily eat, without any fuss. But this seems like a distant dream. Leafy vegetables, fruits, nuts, wholegrains and pulses are out of the list which is instead replaced with cheese, butter, refined flour, burgers, pizzas, hotdogs, fries etc.
Today, children and adults alike, are more inclined to gorge on fatty/sugar dense foods because we have allowed Westernization to fabricate our food culture. But while change is important, it is also extremely essential for children to consume foods from all food groups to avail of a wide variety of nutrients.
Nutritious/Colorful Recipes
Children need food to be attractive and appealing, because they anticipate a mouthwatering taste at the sight of colourful, well plated meals. Hence, the short list of colorful foods/recipes above, provide not just ample taste, but also adequate nutrition for your children.
Setting An Example
For children to adopt the right kind of dietary practices, it is equally essential for parents to eat healthy and nutritious foods, in order to set an example because it has been observed that children of parents who eat unhealthy and ready-to-make foods are usually overweight, if not obese.
Teaching To Choose Right
It is important that children are taught to make the right choices by teaching them why exactly dal, roti, sabji, fruits, nuts etc. are important to consume, instead of burgers and fries. Today’s youth is curious, inquisitive and smart and it they are provided with proper reasoning, there is no reason for them not to understand. You may succeed in preventing childhood obesity through education and awareness, because when children realize which foods are beneficial for them, they will want to consume only those foods and also share this knowledge with their peers.
| Recipe | Ingredients/Method | Nutritional Content |
| Mixed Vegetable omelette roll | Add bell peppers, spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, chicken/paneer pieces and whisk the omelette mixture. Roll the omelette around a whole wheat paratha and grate some cheese over it. | The recipe promises beta-carotene, B vitamins, calcium, vitamin D etc. It is also a protein-rich and energy dense recipe, ideal for breakfast/ snack meal. |
| Jowar Chicken or paneer Pizza | Make a thin jowar and spinach pizza base. Add a variety of vegetables, cheese and paneeror chicken as toppings and bake it. | This recipe can be a packed breakfast item that is rich in fibre, complex carbohydrates. The addition of cheese and paneer/chicken can provide enough protein and yet provide energy to kick start the day. |
| Sweet potato and oats tikkis | Mix vegetables like boiled carrot, sweet potato, potatoes, green peas and form tikkis. Coat with oats and shallow try. | Most children run late to school and this tall nutritious glass of hot chocolate is an ideal early morning drink. It is a rich source of calcium, potassium, antioxidants, fibre, magnesium, iron and provides ample energy for enhanced attention at school. |
| Homemade Hot chocolate | To a tall glass, add milk, banana/ berries, dates, almonds, roasted rolled oats and a pinch of cocoa powder and serve. | Since most children have their lunch at school, beetroot fried rice is an apt recipe for a packed lunch option. It is rich in fibre, antioxidants, B vitamins, beta-carotene etc. |
| Beetroot fried rice | Toss vegetables like cauliflower, cabbage, tomatoes with beetroot, spinach, tomato, carrot puree and rice. Pressure cook and serve. | The addition of a tetra packed buttermilk can be an add-on to calcium requirements. Paneer cubes/ whisked eggs/ chicken can also be added to the rice to enhance protein content. |