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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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

Measured Values ~ How do you handle with your Kids!

The other day while nibbling on a treat a colleague brought from home, she happened to mention about how her mom used to give them measured quantities as kids. I was surprised hearing that, because my mom used to do the same thing. I told her that Amma also did the same thing, be it a biscuit or a muruku, it always used to be either 1 or 2! The reasons of course, we now know. If we eat too much of one, we refuse the other regular food.

Like it used to be only 2 biscuits with a glass of milk. We were able to eat our breakfast. But my boys eat about 3 - 4, sometimes even more. They refuse to eat anything after that. Maybe our stressed lifestyle makes us more hesitant to take efforts to accept otherwise? But whatever, I am exhausted end of it, to even try making them understand they should stop with some and have space for their breakfast.

The thought stayed back and I was wondering how will one combat these situations? With my 8 year old daughter, it has always been a case of picky eating habits. So even if she ate just biscuits, I was so relieved. But my 3 year old boys just refuse to listen to anything. I grew up adhering to the fact that even if there were 10 apples, I got to share with everybody at home. So I clean, chop and share with the family the 2 -3 apples that I cut. Now nobody wants to share!

I always believe being very measured teaches kids to share, to know how much one should take in and be receptive to all foods as they are not satiated.

Do you have the problem. How do you handle it with your child? I would welcome suggestions and ideas on improving children's habits!

A Gift to a child!

Some aeons ago, I remember somebody asking me if I ever wanted to relive some period of my life. I remember telling that I wasn't so old yet and I was happy with things as such. But then maybe not. Maybe I might answer differently this time. Maybe I would say wish I can rewrite the history of my most critical period in life. Maybe as most everybody, my answer might sound like I wanted to relive my childhood. Of course not!

Who would want to relive that period again, fearing which teacher is going to give a surprise test that I wasn't prepared. I am kidding of course. But then I think everybody feels they could have done better! I had the best childhood one can ask for. With the best parents one can ever wish for. I always say one can't comment or compare on this aspect. But I have seen what my friends have gone through. Though they were well taken care of, with all luxuries and the usual things a kid can expect, I always felt I had better examples of how one should lead, with special focus on what is good and what is bad, explained by being a role model.

What I would've wished for, is another chance to have been a better child. I had all my vices, yet I was ok to handle I think. But I knew I could have done better. Being a parent now, I can understand what a parent would wish for their child to be. To benefit the best of what was offered. But does the child really understand. I know it is very wrong to expect a child who is 10 years old to understand this. But maybe as they grow older, they must be expected to understand this.

Finally when I thought about this, I really wished every child be given an insight to understand what a parent wants! It is not what the parent want the child to become or achieve in their life. It is the wish of the parent to make the child understand and accept what they want to become and achieve in life. More than any wealth or material gains, the wish is to make the child better equipped to handle life in balance. To make the best of what they have to offer the child, with hard toil and full of expectations!

As a parent now, I know the sacrifice, the hardship a parent takes. A child need not feel indebted for it, but rather should benefit!

That would be a real gift to our child, one who can understand how to enjoy the time that is always flying away!

Being a Parent!

I know most of you must have cracked this equation. I am still at it. I am still taking baby steps towards being the perfect parent. Well is there a state called the perfect Parent? Obviously not, we always have only one set of parents and there can't be comparisons. But I guess each of us end up comparing our parents with our friends. And there will always be cases where one goes up or comes down in esteem. I may have done it and I have seen my daughter doing it on me, whether she knows the effects or not.

The other day I saw a very young girl walking down with even petite baby on hand. The first thought that struck was, is that baby hers? Then I rationalized that it obviously must be. What followed my thought process next were, is that young girl really matured enough to bring up a child? Forget about material and monetary aspect, is she physically and mental equipped for the role?

Bang came the next thought, was I really ready when I had my first child? Does one really undergo some kind of training to bring up their children? Do our parents really teach us how too. I really don't think so. We just do things by instinct some by observation, some by experience So when this was how things are, how did I even doubt that that young girl may not be able to take care of the baby, if it was hers.

Life is a great teacher, every moment teaches us something. And our children are even more greater teachers. They teach us patience, with their tantrums and mischief's, makes us realize how we must have troubled our parents. That makes our parents grow even more fonder. When we think we know all, they spring something new to make us realize that there is still a whole lot to learn!

If there ever was a something to teach you how to crack being the perfect parent, I would want to learn. Till then let me continue to be this imperfect parent, still trying to learn to give my best shot!

Introducing pulses or dals to infants or toddlers ~ Tadka Dal!

I know mothers with infants and toddlers will surely retort to this dal every other day. When my daughter was 6 months old, Dad said it was time to introduce dal to her diet. Since she was the first baby at home, we were all very apprehensive on her intake and the food we give. Of course the feeling never changes. But with the twins, I was able to fall back on our experience. As Amma was cooking my daughter's lunch most of time, she created her own dal which my daughter used to love very much. We started introducing the dal water or the water in which the lentils are cooked, at about 6 months. Then slowly we introduced well mashed dals mixed with ghee and rice together. This was her lunch for many months. Then carrots, potatoes and beans were introduced slowly.

With infants, you should first introduce a little, see if they like it and then make it a part of their meals. You can give it as a mixed vegetable or as a single one at a time.The dal that Amma used to make for Konda, the same one that we latter gave to the twins, was the Tadka dal. Its a simplest way of cooking the toor dal and then seasoning it with few other ingredients. The resultant one is a perfect one to introduce a baby too. One just has to start with the basic one and improvise on it as the baby grows. I can still remember the way Konda's dal evolved!

Amma introduced every spice in a span of few months. It was a gradually improvement, which gives you time to understand your baby's taste and preference. First you start with just plain rice, well mashed with ghee and dal water. Pressure cook the Toor dal with lots of water. Just take the water alone and mix with rice. This can be given for a week or so, based on the baby's preference.

Till my kids were almost 18 months, this is how we did this dal.

Pressure cook 1 cup of Toor dal with 3 cups of water with a pinch of Turmeric and Asafetida.
Heat a tsp of oil in a kadai, add a pinch of mustard, then add few chopped onions. Once they sautéed well, add half chopped tomatoes.
Then add the cooked dal with 1 cup water. Bring to boil, add salt to taste.

You can add little of Cumin seeds and then slowly include 1/2 tsp chili powder as the baby grows.

Now my sons are 26 months and pretty much eat most of the dishes that we make at home. Still we fall back on this dal at times. They also carry a packed lunch box.

Tadka dal gets its name by the process of doing the Tadka, which means seasoned dal.

Tadka Dal

Toor dal - 1 cup
Water - 3 cups
Turmeric a pinch
Asafetida a pinch

For Seasoning

Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Onions - 1 small (very little)
Tomatoes - 1 small
Red Chili - 2 long
Salt to taste
Oil - 1 tsp
Tamarind - 1 small piece.
Curry leaves - few

Method to prepare:

Pressure cook the dal till it is almost 90% cooked. Keep the dal aside and wash the cooker and heat with oil.

Splutter mustard, cumin seeds along with broken chilies, curry leaves. Sauté well. Then add the chopped onions, fry till its done. Then add the tomatoes. Cook for a minute.

Then add the cooked dal, enough water, along with salt and tamarind piece. Cover and pressure cooker for another 2 whistles or till the dal is well cooked.

Check to see if the dal is thin. When you serve the kids, remove the tamarind piece, chilies and mix with well mashed rice with ghee.

The way I normally do is, take the rice when its real hot, mash it with ghee. The aroma that comes out of this combo is awesome. Add the dal to the rice and mix well. The consistency should be thin, else the kids might have difficulty eating.

The above lunch box is what I sent my boys. I am planning to track and record what I send my kids so that it becomes easy for mothers with the same problem. Of course, this is a typical South Indian Lunch Box, but very suitable for any region!

It will be most interesting to know what you pack for your kid! Do share, I can have any many ideas as I can!

Sending this to Sunshinemon's FIC event, this month's being yellow!

Activities for Kids ~ Doll Dresses!

I remembered my childhood days when I made dresses for my dolls and wanted to make them for my daughter. It was some months ago that I thought that I should do. But Konda's vacation got over and another one has also come. Now I thought I should surely make else the vacations would go waste without me not teaching her anything.

I finally came around making them for her Barbie dolls. Since almost a week she has been asking me. Every evening when I get back home, the first thing she asks me is to make those dresses. And every time I tell her Saturday! So I thought I will be able to make only if I take off a day and when morning came, She was ready with the question.

I finally sat down making these. Gosh I really wondered how I managed to make so many all those years ago!

Konda was patiently sitting with me, watching me cutting and hand stitching these. I even gave her a piece and asked her to complete. I still have some frocks and shirt in mind.

I had another type in mind, but taking a needle after almost many years, I was struggling to get going. This took me some 3 hours of labour! I guess most experts would get this done in 10 minutes time. But well I was happy remembering all those years back when I had made similar dresses and I was happy I could make these again for my daughter.

As I thought about not letting our kids experimenting with scissors, i think if you explain and show them how one should handle, they will do fine. I have overcome the fear that she might hurt herself.

As far as activities for girls, there is nothing more interesting than playing with Dolls. Will have to see what to plan when it comes to my boys!

Infact I showed her how to get the needle going. Anyway long way to go for us to learn each other!

How to cope with Sibling Rivalry!

I always wonder how our parents coped with more than one child! For that matter, the previous generation appeared to have had a cake walk, with many kids at home. Of course, it won't have been so, but that's a feeling I have, that they had an easy way out. Even my amma says we never gave so much trouble as the kids these days do. Like yesterday, my elder twin wanted to play with one ball, same time both my daughter and the younger wanted the same ball. What resulted was, who would win the fight. All of them ended up crying because the other won't give up. Normally when one cries, the other feel bad and come to console and give the plaything. But at times, they simply are adamant and won't share.

What happened to the concept of sharing among the siblings? How is it at your home?

Though we always think we should get the kids share the toys with their siblings, the fight that ensues, when all of them want the same toy, is something you can't really manage. This resulted in us getting one for each of them. Now I know this is not constructive in teaching the kids to learn to share. But most times, I am happy to note, atleast one of the twins, go soft when they see the other one crying. So there is some hope. At times when they are not willing to share, we then have to praise that he is very good boy, only then they mellow down. Only after such cajoling and sweet talking, he is ready to share his toy.

I am happy that we don't find so much of Sibling Rivalry among our kids. Though it does come out at times like this.

Since all of us are busy with our daily work and school, this gets displayed during the hours we spend at home. We try to manage, by spending quality time with each one. With my twins, more than me, they are more eager to spend time with their father. When he gets home, both of them want him to spend time only with individual, so I have to intervene and distract one of them, so that he can spend some time with both separately. Then we try to make them be together. Of course, this takes time.

Do you find this sibling rivalry common among your kids? When there is only one kid, he/she is bound to have Single child behaviors. But I find when there are siblings to company, they are not willing to share. How do we go beyond this? It will be interesting to get your views

Making breakfast interesting for kids ~ Mini Breakfast dishes!

Getting kids to eat is always a constant complaint I hear from most mothers. Young adults, as most of us, are most interested in junk food rather than healthy food based on vegetables or lentils.And including fruits in their diet is even more difficult. My daughter, who is now 7 years old, has always been very picky eater. She was only on milk till she was 6 months, then when it was time start weaning, we started including dal and fruits. We tried Nestum Rice, Farex but she didn't like them. Finally we settled supplementing her diet with Cerelac. She was on Cerlac for almost till she was 10 months old.

Its been the same with my twins.We took the twins for monthly checkup which involved vaccines and discussions on their diet. I was more lucky that the doctors were my Dad's colleagues. I felt the difference because friends used to say they were never told on such things. That's when I thought I should record all these informations to help young mothers better. My twins are now 23 months and its been a journey of sorts when it came to their food habit. Luckily they were not so fussy with food, when compared to my daughter. The reasons could be that since she was the only child then, she had almost attentions of five adults. Now with the twins, since we were boggled with so much work, we just about went taking care of them, though the attention was no less, it may not have been so intense as the first and only child gets.

I plan to write about the food habits and how we managed. Suggestions and ideas on those will be most welcome. For now let me kickstart this with a simple topic on making food interesting and exciting for young adults of age group 3-10 years. No matter which age group they belong, if the child knows that the food is prepared specially for him/her, tends to take interest in eating it. I have found this works always atleast with my daughter. Till she was about 3 years, we used to prepare dal specially for her, which she used to eat without fuss. We tried different ways to include vegetables. Sometimes it worked, sometimes not.

When she started going to school, she had to take packed lunches. I literally used to get nightmares, thinking what to pack. So Amma got these mini idli moulds, which was really exciting for my daughter. She used to ask specifically for those idles. I even sent two plates for my SIL kids and was happy to know they were packing these with gusto!

What you see in this post are few of the breakfast items that I make in small size, to make them look more interesting.

Simple Dal powder smeared with ghee over the mini idlis or mini Dosas make it so interesting. I even allow my daughter to make the dosa while I am overseeing it. I don't normally allow her, but am planning to involve her more going forward.

Small Pooris are so much interesting, though it might be hard to roll them out, my daughter proudly says she ate 3-4 pooris.


Trying to give small servings in frequent intervals makes it more easy for the kids, rather than forcing them to eat three full meals. And making it more interesting by doing these and also involving them, makes things easy for us.

Looking forward to your ideas on this topic. Do share with me what you do with your kid's breakfast!