Tips to make the food tasty, healthy and attractive ~ Guest Post by PJ!

Read the article on Nutrition for Children & Nutrients – Functions and sources by Padmajha Suresh.

**************************************

We sure know that how much ever we talk about nutrition and other important facts about food for children, finally we have the task of getting them eat. So making the food more attractive helps.

Having said this, here are some tips to make the food tasty, healthy and attractive.

1. Rice can be made interesting by adding vegetables to give a different color and flavor -like beetroot rice, coriander rice and children will never be bored.
2. Adding oats to other dishes like dosa, Chapathi or in desserts is a definite way to assure that the cereal is consumed.
3. If buckwheat flour is available, it can be mixed with wheat flour to make chapathis and buckwheat noodles will make the child more inclined to savor it due to its color. Addition of vegetables in it will make it healthier.
4. Pulses/legumes can be included by preparing dishes like adai which are different and preparing them in interesting shapes will defiantly make them attractive to eat.
5. If the child does not like to eat a single fruit then they can be given as a salad in an attractive bowl and adding honey to it for sweetness which is more healthier than adding sugar
6. Nuts and dried fruits can be mixed to the breakfast cereals
7. Children don’t like Popeye’s favorite spinach as much as they love him. Yet we can trick them to eating the greens by adding a handful of them to dhals, using them as gravy bases [Palak paneer], chutney [coriander,mint etc]
8. Milk and milk products are the easiest to feed a child as they can be given in many forms and sometimes the little one doesn’t even realize what he is eating!! Adding a teaspoon of grated cheese to soups, mixing tofu with other dishes, and flavored milk like strawberry milk prepared with home made strawberry syrup, milkshakes, smoothies, adding a teaspoon of ghee to the rice dishes, serving raitas are all ways to ensure they get the proper nutrition.
9. Mask eggs in other dishes, by sandwiching them between idlis or as omlettes, bhurji [scramble] with some coriander leaves/mint to mask the odor -if that’s what is preventing them from eating eggs.
10. Whenever possible substitute jaggery/honey for sugar

The most important thing is that parents should not show their likes or dislikes towards a particular food during the meal time as children imitate the adults and it can form a bad impression on them!

Avoiding processed /preserved foods, instant foods –like instant noodles and too many servings of deep fried foods and chocolates will definitely pave wave for a healthy body. That does not mean they should be deprived of all the goodies but they can be given occasionally and substituting baked and roasted foods instead of deep fried foods all the time.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and many a times children tend to miss/avoid it. We must ensure that they have a cereal based dish,fruit and milk [or milk product] for breakfast as it will help them perform better in school.

Did you know that the child’s lunch box must provide 1/3rd of the daily nutrient requirement? So when packing a lunch box for the kids, it is better to keep a small portion of all foods groups so that they are not bored with a single item in the box and this way we can meet the 1/3rd need as well.

When the child is at home, it is better to serve small frequent meals that are nutrient dense so that they provide variety and also meet the requirements.

Many parents prefer to watch TV during the meal time especially during dinner time and hence neither the parent nor the child knows how much food is being consumed!!! It is best that the meal time environment is calm, relaxing and pleasant.

And last but not the least, here are some more Tips to make kids eat better

****************************

Thank you PJ for your wonderful post!

Finally check out what other bloggers have to share about cooking for children and their tips to make them eat well….

Harini of Tongue ticklers.
Nivedita of Nivedita’s Kitchen
Pallavai of All Thingz Yummy
PJ of Seduce Your Tastebuds.
Roma Sharma of Roma’s Space
Sailaja of Sailu’s Kitchen
Trupti of Recipe center
Sharmi of Neivedyam
Vidhas of Appetizing Recipes.
Vibaas of Delectable Vegetarian Recipes
Veena of Curry world

If you are interested to share your knowledge on food or other things related to Kids, please mail me at spicingyourlife@gmail.com

Nutrients – Functions and sources - A quick guide ~ Guest Post by PJ!

Read the article on Nutrition for Children part 1 by Padmajha Suresh.

******************************

In my previous article, I discussed on Nutrition for Children, with brief introduction to various aspects related to it.

Today I will focus on some facts that you may want to consider while planning a meal for the little one..

Nutrients – Functions and sources- A quick guide

1.Energy – It is required for the overall growth and development of the child and the sources include cereals, pulses, milk products, nuts, fats and oils.

2. Protein – It is the basis for tissue building and development of skeletal muscles. Sources – Pulses[lentils/legumes],milk and milk products[including cheese, yogurt etc], tofu, nuts, egg whites, soy products, meat, etc

3. Fats – These are the concentrates source of energy and are also the carriers of fat soluble vitamins- A,D,E,K. Major sources- Oil, Ghee, butter, margarine, nuts and egg yolk, cream

4. Fibre – As we are aware, fiber gives satiety and avoids constipation. Sources - Raw fruits, vegetables, cereals and pulses.

5. Vitamins-We can classify them as Fat soluble and water soluble vitamins…

A] Fat soluble vitamins –

i] Vitamin A – Needed for good vision, immunity and an adequate diet with Vitamin A prevents night blindness. Green leafy vegetables are the best source, along with yellow/orange colored vegetables/fruits like papaya, mango, carrots, pumpkin, papaya, mango, sweet potato, winter squash, cantaloupe and spinach, eggs and milk.

ii] Vitamin D- It is needed to help the body assimilate Calcium from our diet and hence indirectly helps in building strong teeth and healthy bones. Milk and egg yolk are the best sources of this vitamin. It is also found in Fatty fish, liver and fortified milk. 5-10 minutes of exposure to direct sunlight 3-4 times a week also an additional way to get this vitamin.

iii] Vitamin E- It is an anti-oxidant and is required for proper cell functioning. Sources include vegetable oils, butter and margarine, broccoli, whole grains, peanuts, sunflower seeds, mayonnaise, wheat germ, yam and sweet potato.

iv] Vitamin K – This vitamin is vital for normal blood clotting and is found in Green leafy vegetables, fruits, potato, beets, fruits, dairy products, eggs, seeds, and meats.

B]Water soluble vitamins

i] Vitamin B – It is a group of vitamins, each one performing a crucial function in our body.

ii] Vitamin B1 –It is needed for energy production and also for transmitting the nerve impulses. It can be found in cereals, green leafy vegetables, legumes, nuts, sunflower seeds, whole grains, pork, and seafood.

iii] Vitamin B2 – It aids in the release of energy and promotes healthy skin and eyes. Its sources include milk, yogurt, milk, breads, green leafy vegetables, cereals, fruits, almond and chicken.

iv] Vitamin B6 – Its functions are to maintain the nervous tissue and regeneration of red cells and can be found in whole grains, fortified cereals, oats, chick peas, banana ,vegetables, baked potatoes, chicken and peanuts.

v] Vitamin B12 – Proper functioning of the cells are ensured by including adequate quantities of this vitamin by including a liberal portion of dairy products in the diet along with eggs, fish, beef, pork, yeast and fermented foods.

vi] Niacin – Helps to convert food to energy. It is found in breads, cereal grains, nuts, vegetables, peanut butter, brewers yeast, tuna, chicken breast, sunflower seeds and beans.

vii] Folacin- It is required by the body to use up the proteins and also to prevent blood disorders. Include dried beans, wheat germ, nuts, oranges, bananas, beets, beans, peas, , broccoli ,Popeye’s favorite-spinach, other green leafy vegetables and mushrooms.

Vitamin C-It is an antioxidant vitamin needed for the formation of collagen to hold the cells together and for healthy teeth, gums and blood vessels. It improves iron absorption and resistance to infection. Good sources of this Vitamin include citrus fruits like oranges, sweet lime, lemons, guava, Indian gooseberry, strawberries, melons, broccoli, green peppers, Brussels sprouts, red peppers and cranberry juice, pineapple.

6] Minerals

A] Calcium, which is required for the formation of healthy bones and teeth, is also needed for blood clotting and proper functioning of the heart .It is found in milk and milk products, green vegetables, broccoli, cabbage, kale, tofu, sardines and salmon.

B] Phosphorus works with calcium to promote the formation of teeth and bones, maintain acid base balance in the body. Found in Milk and milk products, grains, nuts and legumes, lean meats

C] Sodium – It regulates the fluids in the body and thus regulates the blood pressure. It is also essential for the nerve function and energy production .It is present in Table salt and most processed foods and hence care should be taken when the diet has too much processed foods as higher sodium levels will lead to increase in blood pressure. Other sources include baking soda, monosodium glutamate (MSG), various seasonings, additives, condiments, meat, fish, poultry, dairy foods, eggs, smoked meats, olives, and pickled foods.

D]Potassium – It also balances the fluid level in the body and can be found in milk, yogurt,oranges, bananas, raisins, apricots, oranges, avocadoes, dates, cantaloupe, watermelon, prunes, broccoli, spinach, carrots, potato, sweet potato, winter squash, mushrooms, peas, lentils, dried beans, peanuts, lean meats.

E] Iron –This important mineral is necessary to prevent anemia and is an essential component of hemoglobin. A diet rich in leafy vegetables, dried beans, beaten rice, jaggery, dried fruits, nuts, lentils, meats, eggs, dark green leafy vegetables, whole grains and enriched food products is a sure way to keep anemia at bay.

F] Zinc- It promotes the tissue growth and also helps prevent anemia. It is found in Eggs, milk, meat, seafood, and liver, whole-grains.

G] Iodine- It is essential for the proper functioning of thyroid gland and can be included in the diet by using iodized salt and milk.

There are quite a few other minerals like Magnesium, chromium which are needed a for energy metabolism. They can be found in whole grains, breads, vegetable oils, milk and cheese.

No single food can meet the total nutritional requirement for a day, hence the meal should be planned in such a way that at least a few foods from each food group are included and distributed in the menu.

Please note that Nutrition in itself is a vast topic and it has been consolidated here to provide the details in a nutshell.

In my next article, I will be talking about how to make food more interesting with the things we learnt from above.

Nutrition for Children ~ Guest Post by PJ!

I am pleased to introduce Padmajha Suresh, known as PJ in the blogging world. It is a pleasure having her here to share her knowledge as a dietitian and health educator!

PJ is a trained dietitian and a health educator. She started her career in a multi specialty hospital that gave her ample opportunity to apply and expand her knowledge.She is specialized in handling dietary needs for women, children, including other health conditions like diabetes, hypertension etc. Apart from this she also taught yoga for pregnant women and the elderly.

She is a multi talented lady with two Master Degrees, one in "Nutrition and Dietetics" and the other in Sociology. Not to mention her being graduated in Veena [Indian classical music]. Her hobbies include photography, philately and other forms of fine arts like Indian classical music, Rangoli.

Right now she is implementing what she learnt and taught to others, by being a full time mom to her lil one. So I can say practice makes a better teacher!

This will be a series of articles, today post will introduce us to the nutritional aspects we will have to think about.

*************************************************

A sound mind in a sound body can be achieved only by starting off with the right type of food from the very beginning.

During infancy, the nutritional needs are looked after the mother, i.e. by the breast milk. The mother however has to eat the correct food to pass on the nutrition to the baby which sometimes is not achieved.

The next stage comes the weaning. Weaning begins when supplementary foods are introduced into the baby’s meal. Different people have different ideas on this topic. Some suggest weaning at 3 months and some at 6 months.[My daughter’s pediatrician suggested that I start weaning my daughter at the 6th month and not earlier than that.]

Weaning is essential as the nutrients in breast milk alone are not sufficient to satisfy the nutritional needs. There will be an increase need for calories and protein which cannot be met by mother’s milk. Iron stores in the infant’s liver will last until the first 4-6 months of life and hence have to be supplemented by other foods later.

Sometimes, weaning foods are introduced too early and even if they are starting it in the right age, they are directly introduced to the adult foods. Bulky adult diets do not meet the nutritional needs especially the calories. Some mothers in their eagerness to provide the best food for their kids often end up force –feeding the child with dense foods that may not be suitable for them. It can results in the child falling sick or developing an aversion towards food. . A gradual pace has to be set when introducing new foods to the little one which not only meets the requirements but are also easy to digest. [Read more on weaning food here]

Children at any stage need a balanced diet and the mother of course tries her best to feed the child with all the nutritious foods so that her little darling grows up big and strong. She faces the daunting task of putting together a meal that will be attractive to the platter and the taste buds.


In my next post I will talk more about a quick guide on Nutrients – Functions and sources. So stayed tuned!

Part 2 - Nutrients – Functions and sources- A quick guide