National Nutrition Week is celebrated every year from 1st to 7th September. The initiative was conceptualised by the central government in 1982 to talk about the causes, effects, and the solutions to malnutrition. The theme of the program varies every year. This year the theme is ‘Better Child Health’ and focuses on addressing issues related to undernutrition in the first 1000 days of a child’s life. Children’s nutrition is a crucial factor which determines the quality and well being of the adults that they will grow into.
In the first 6 months or 180 days, of a child’s life, the sole nutrition should come from milk. The government and other regulatory & informative bodies have been working hard to propagate the virtue of breastmilk for babies should attain prime importance. In practice, while most are fairly successful in achieving this milestone, they are stumped when it comes to nutrition in the days proceeding the 6 months where other foods are introduced for baby. Even well-meaning & determined caregivers find themselves at a loss when it comes to children’s nutrition .
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Issues with children’s nutrition
Sometimes it is not just access to healthy and nutritious foods. That is the primary monster of course. But it is other speed breakers such as teething, loss of appetite, routine illness or lack of awareness about nutrition that hampers efforts.
Kids also tend to be moody and picky eaters on the most part. Their eating habits are still developing. Also there is this whole new world to play in, learn from and explore. Food is not their main priority.
Children’s nutrition is a grey area which many people fear addressing.
5 ways to enhance nutrition in children’s foods
There are, however, a few simple ways in which families and caregivers can ensure that nutrition intake of children is at an optimal level. Here are just 5 ways in which you can impact children’s nutrition.
Add fresh veggies wherever you can
The person who cooks for a child is capable of hiding veggies in the unlikeliest of places. Play this to your advantage. Grate veggies like carrots, or finely chopped broccoli, pumpkin, leafy greens like spinach or dried methi into obvious meals like soups, khichdi.
Don’t stop short of experimenting and adding a multitude of veggies to meals like poha, upma and even dosas and idlis. I have shocked my family many times when I first grate or chop a ton of veggies and then finally add them to the dosa batter. This especially comes from the older folk for whom an heirloom recipe is sacrosanct and must be followed to the word.
Read: Recipe for Rajma – Beetroot Hummus
I pride myself on my “veggifying” skills. If it’s going to be eaten by a child I will enhance it. Since eating vegetables is a big concern for most parents, adding them to daily meal items is a big win. It not only adds vital nutrients – vitamins, minerals etc. but also ups the fibre content of foods.
Reduce the whites
Whites here refers to the refined and processed ingredients and food items such as salt, sugar, white (maida) flour, white bread/rice/pasta.
The ground rule is if it’s white don’t eat it.
This objective is easier said than done because whites like salt and sugar are part of our daily diet and eaten multiple times at that. For adults it may be easy to switch to a low sodium salt or aspartame based sugars, this practice is not recommended for children. Instead, a conscious effort must be made to reduce the amount of salt and sugar you feed your child.
Experts on children’s nutrition will also ask you to keep in mind hidden salt and sugars. Foods and condiments such as chips, fried Indian snacks such as farsan, tomato sauces, processed cheese, biscuits, chocolates and the like contain high amounts of salt and sugar. It may come as a surprise but even foods which are not sweet or salty on the tongue can contain high levels of sodium or sugars. A classic example is tomato ketchup. The tangy taste may fool us but a look at the nutritional information in it will startle you.
Source: The Health-science journal
What are the alternatives then?
Just be conservative when it comes to seasoning food. Or go natural. Use natural ingredients to flavour food – lemon to season or jaggery and date syrup to sweeten. These also add valuable vitamin C and vitamins and minerals to the food. Make your own sauce & dips at home using tomatoes or pumpkins or hung curd.
Similarly, white flours such as maida should be avoided. Use wheat flours or even gram & millet flours in its place. White store-bought bread can be substituted with whole wheat or multi-grain bread. Do remember to check the ingredient list though as some brands simply get away with making brown coloured bread but without any added goodness.
Read: Recipe for maida free cake
This also goes for rice, pasta and noodles. Wheat pasta is available. I recently saw millet noodles too.
Rice is a staple part of our diet and most Indian sub-cultures swear by it. But once in a while, white rice can be substituted with brown or red unpolished rice, millet grains cooked like rice.
The key theme that emerges from much of these guidelines is that it is best to eat healthy home cooked meals.
Add superfoods to meals
What is a superfood? It is a food that is rich in nutrients and so considered healthy. The debate on what foods are superfoods is still at large. Purists would say it is nothing but a way to put a food trend into the limelight. But nonetheless, there are certain food types that can be said to be incredibly healthy.
Foods popular as superfoods today are blueberries, beans and legumes, grains like millets and quinoa; nuts and seeds like flax, sunflower, chia; sweet potatoes, leafy veggies like kale, mustard greens (sarson); broccoli, fruits like kiwi, dragon fruit. While eating most of these may seem fun and cool in the short term, is it really possible to Indianise and make them a part of the regular diet for our kids?
The answer is yes it’s doable.
Dried blueberries are available online or in speciality stores if you can’t find fresh ones. These can be eaten as you do dry fruits and raisins. Adding them to kheer, porridges, cakes or even milkshakes gives a lovely colour to the dish. children’s nutrition never tasted so good, eh?
Millets and quinoa are fast picking up the pace as the must-eat foods today. The options to cook and eat them are limitless. Salads, porridges, breakfast items like upma, pongal or dosas, or millet rice or even kheer. Nut butter is very easy to make and all it takes is to roast the nuts and grind them in the mixer until u get a thick, pasty consistency. It doesn’t even need the addition of salt, sugar or oils. They make a great sandwich filler or accompaniment to fruits as a dip.
And did you know broccoli puree makes a great sauce for pasta? My son who cannot consume dairy loves his green pasta. Super healthy and yummy too.
Make friends with healthy bacteria
Gut health is an important factor that ensures overall health and wellbeing. A healthy digestive system is important for proper nutrient absorption. This impacts overall health and development of body systems including brain development and better immunity. It is therefore very important that children be given foods that will boost their gut health.
Fermented foods, high fibre foods and prebiotics are great for boosting gut health. Fermented foods like yoghurt or curd are of course great. But also foods which require fermentation such as idli, dosa or even kimchi provide the right nutrition.
Fibre can come from beans, lentils, fruits & vegetables, nuts and seeds. Adding a little flax seed powder to porridges or on top of puddings or even in roti aata is a good way to enhance children’s nutrition. Similarly, foods such as garlic, onion provide the prebiotics which helps the gut.
Turn towards ancient wisdom
Revisit the times of our forefathers and add foods they have believed in for years.
Indian food and diet are rich in fruits and vegetables. A multitude of beans, pulses and legumes are consumed almost on a daily basis – every family makes a dal dish for their meal times. Millets which are becoming fashionable today have always been relied on in hardy times of colds or winters. The power of millets to provide valuable nutrition was well known. As already mentioned in many places above, adding millets to your diet will only ensure that your child receives a lot of nutrients in the form of iron, vitamins, minerals and fibre without the heaviness of carbs or gluten.
Also, traditional Indian spices and condiments like garlic, ginger, turmeric which are abundant and common in Indian foods are today researched to be vital for good digestive health. These ingredients can also be added very easily to children’s meals even if they don’t consume spicy Indian curries.
Did you know: Turmeric is not easily absorbed and should be paired with substances that enhance its absorption, such as black pepper.
Healthy eating does not have to be complicated. It does not mean cooking separate meals for your child. As your child grows he will do as you do and not do as he is told to. What this means is that the change needs to happen in you too. Parents and other elders around the child should set the right examples and the child will follow. Do you have any other tips to make sure children’s nutrition is right?
Nothing is more important as parent the child’s health and the nutrition he/she needs during his growing up years. Not just the physical well being but his mental development happens the way the child does the eating. And it all depends on the parents how they make eating good food a habit, and how they making eating together a practice. There is always this contest between the taste and the healthy quotient of the food ingredient. The white stuffs from sugar to salt are a no, no but the taste comes from those stuff. We need to work out on the alternatives. Yes cooking is both a art and a science and we need balance the subject to get the best result for our child.
You have so beautifully and so simply identified and depicted the need and importance of various ingredients and items that we need to include in our daily eating. There are so many creative ways to get the mix done and not affect the taste beyond a point.
Very useful tips and indeed the Indian traditional platter beats the rest.
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#MyFriendAlexa, #MakeupReads
This was such a great post. I felt I have found my soul sister. I totally do the “veggifying” haha… Cool term. I am called the Queen of veggifying at home (by my kids… In annoyance of course…) All the points are so apt and I follow each one. Thanks for sharing.
This is a really useful article
Nutrition always matters overall development of children, very useful tips
Child Nutrition is a top concern on every parents mind. While I personal deal with an extremely picky eater, who even at 5 years will not eat on his own, I have learned to make sure that he has a decent intake of nutirents from amongt the food items he eats willingly. These include dry fruits, bananas and other naturally colored fruits, inserting grated veggies in pancakes, an extra glass or half of milk etc. My focus now is on quality than quantity
A very informative article. Great tips.
This was a great post, Tara. I love how well researched it is! Recently i was called for a meeting for joinging a health supplement tablet called moringa and the superfoods that made moringa are easily available to us, but we are so blinded by ” fast food”
i am not so diligent with what i am feeding the kids, but i do make sure they get enough nutrition. adding superfoods and eleminating some stuff needs to be done 🙂
Very Very informative post, Tara. I follow most of the points you have listed above, however many new things I learned from this post like the fact about turmeric etc. #vartikasdiaryreading #myfriendalexa
I love this post Tara. You have done great research. Thanks for sharing veggifying ways. I do try to keep my kid’s plate colorful with real food.
There are a ton of writeups on the internet on this topic but loved your introduction to superfoods. Will try it.
After coming to Kerala I have started eating red rice and that has indeed made me healthier. And I remember my childhood when my mom used to hide vegetables cleverly in several dishes that she fed me. :). My wife does the same for my daughter now. A very exhaustive and informative post. #MyFriendAlexa #JaiSReads
These are some good tips. I try to slip veggies in every possible way in my kids’ diet too.
“change needs to happen in you too” so true. We keep on talking about kids not eating well but we ourselves do not follow it. I liked the idea of broccoli puree for pasta sauce. I use vegetable juice as my base for pasta sauce and add all the veggies to it. Since my daughter prefers a smooth texture for the sauce so I blend it. Atleast, she is consuming vareity of veggies.
#MothersGurukulreads #MyFriendAlexa
Nice well-written article. I usually sneak a lot of veggies into my daughter’s food. Like you make the broccoli pasta, in a similar manner you can try to make it with spinach puree or beetroot. The colour and taste of both are equally awesome. My daughter loves the pink pasta (beetroot). I also sneak in a lot of veggies in her roti and parathas. Try to include mushrooms and ragi also in your child’s diet. Great work and pictures.
you’ve written an extremely extensive and informative post on child nutrition, many moms would like to thank you for that. few kids are such a fussy eater that it’s difficult to meet the nutritional requirements too… great post
All the points are apt. Very informative article.
Yes nutrition is very important in the food we eat. Not only for children but also for adults. We ready availability of fast and junk foods full of saturated fat, transfer, cholesterol, refined sugar and white refined flour, there is no fibre in our food. No wonder as many as thirty percent Indians suffer from obesity and metabolic syndrome. This tendency is also on the rise among children and teenagers. Earlier, kids used to play games outside. Nowadays, they play sedentary computer games and munch on fast food. I guess we parents have to much more creative in what we feed our children. Vegetables are the most ingredient of any meal. Very nice post.
As mothers, we try to inculcate good eating habits in kids. You have so innovatively added so many recipes without bringing too much of change to taste.
Just when I thought I knew everything that I needed to know about nutritious food, I come across this informative post. WOW! This is power-packed with so much useful information. The brocolli puree was a total surprise – never knew that it could be used this way. Also the point about hidden salt and sugar. Thank you for writing this post. Keep writing. Looking forward to reading more posts from you. #MyFriendAlexa #MayuraReads
Definitely going to try some recipe from here and I love adding multiple veggies to one dish.. so satisfying. We have already switched from white sugar to brown/cane sugar or jaggery.
#MyFriendAlexa #momlearningwithbaby
Very nice and informative post. Deals in detail about how to care for children by providing right, nutritious kind of food. Must be useful for people raising small children.
Thank you so much for this informative post. It is wonderful the way you have connected the past and the present, by identifying the kinds of foods that were eaten by our forefathers, and putting forth the healthy alternatives available today. Kudos.
#DeepTiesReads #MyFriendAlexa
Not only is it a well-researched post but it gives parents a solution to their worries about what to feed their children. Concealing veggies in different ways so that the kids cannot discover what they are while eating is a big challenge for every mother. This informative post will help many. Great work!
I’ve tried some of these before but often in the rigours of time, the nutrition essentials are lost. I’ll keep this post handy! Thanks for compiling the food alternatives.
Liked the idea about broccoli purée for making pasta. Will definitely give it a try. Though I have a very fussy eater at home, who thankfully likes fruits and hates anything that has sugar.
Good article for mothers who struggle to enhance nutritional value of food they feed their children.
Thanks so much for these. Simple and easy things to remember to make sure my child gets the right nutrition
I so believe in everything you said in the post. We should pass the baton of sustainable living and food to the next generation. lovely post #myfriendalexa
I think it is quite important to pay attention to these pointers. Usually, parents are busy agreeing with all the tantrums of their children but it is equally important to make their diet nutrition rich. Good informative post!
This is very interesting but many of the foods you have mentioned like Kale , Dragon Food are not native to India and one of the principles of nutrition is to eat local .
I remember your cauliflower white pasta and now you’ve given me another idea of broccoli pasta. I love broccoli so going to try this one for sure.
Great tips by the way. Grated vegetables are my best friends and I have added them in almost every dish you can think of. One more idea I have recently started toying around with is food art. This morning N ate French Toast stars and the other day he had an apple and pomegranate lion.
Thanks Nayantara for sharing such an informative and detailed post on child’s nutrition. What would be more important than a healthy child for the parents! And in order to take care of the health, both physically and mentally, one needs to supply proper and adequate nutrition to their kids.
Agree with your veggifying dishes. Even I try that in different ways:)
Choose the best alternatives and superfoods is a good idea. A post that every mother should read.#msarorasays
Must say this is an informative article , thanks for sharing
I have bookmarked your post. I have a fussy eater in the form of my toddler and it gets difficult to feed him veggies or boiled items. I’m taking down notes from here for implementation.
These are some great tips for moms as nutrition is one thing where moms always worry. A healthy wholesome meal with fresh fruits and veggies is the best. As a mom and a nutritionist, I avoid preservatives and artificially cooked and provide more home cooked meals.
This is a well researched great post Tara, being a mother hiding healthy and nutritious food comes naturally to us. But at times I struggle feeding fresh fruits to my son. those days look like a dream when he would eat them raw and I have to stop hiding them
You are truly innovative… I still struggle making food look good or hide veggies…
#myfriendalexa #indiabeautywrites
Such a well researched post this is. I loved the small pointers you shared to enhance the nutrition. I try to add beetroot, seeds, nuts, carrots, greens in as many preparations I can. Gut health is important and hence I have always focussed on curd, yogurts.
mommyinmereads #myfriendalexa
Very well written post, love the intricate details you have shared. It’ no doubt that making our kids eat a healthy and nutritious diet is a big task. And as parents, we try to find out ways to fulfill their nutritional requirements.
Nayantara,
I found the post really useful and I have noted down a few points for improving our family’s nutrition. I am going to start ‘vegefying’ more and make nut butter to start with.
#greenladyreads #MyFriendAlexa
you’ll love nut butter. we haven’t had amul butter in over 2 years
That’s a very informative post, nayantara. There is no dearth of nutritive foods, but kids and adults still go for those crisps and biscuits. In my house, we don’t get store bought cookies, and try to make things at home. It’s not much but at least a step in the right direction.
I’m sure every little bit helps ?
That really a detailed write-up. I love to read and implement more and more good things when it comes to kids and family nutrition. Glad that most of the things you mentioned I am trying to follow at home.Thank you
that’s good to hear Neha
I just loved this post, Nayantara.
And I feel like I’ve found my mommy soul sister in you too! I swear I’m as cautious as you when it comes to feeding my family the food I cook. Just like you, I’m a veggi-fier too & I try to include maximum nutrition in our food. Off late, jams have made an abrupt exit from my home & I’m one of those who spends most of my time in scanning the ingredient & nutrition lists of whatever I buy from supermarkets.
I love how you stand by the apparently ‘ancient’ food facts, which is something that I brazenly do.
yes true. nothing makes us more cautious and scrutinising than turning into moms. there’s a strange unifying force in becoming mothers
This is such a detailed post and the wonderful ways to include the superfood in our kid’s diet. Beetroot, spinach goes into my kids roti for school lunch usually and more dry fruits and berries. Since I love eating ginger, garlic so my everyday cooking is loaded with it.
thanks for the read Pooja. Berries is a great way to send some nutrition into kids
Such an informative post. what to tell you I am one of those mammas who knead floor in milk only because her choosy daughter refuse anything of milk!!
#mannreads
hahah i get that. but i have to tell you this. my son is allergic to milk and so he cannot consume anything with milk in it. but he’s doing fine. As long as you have other sources of calcium in her diet it’s ok.
I really loved the details you have mentioned and I too feel little proud that I am giving right nutrition value to my kids
Great post like always Tara… I am.happy that I have included some of the superiors that you have listed in my child’s diet without even knowing that they were superfoods ?
Quite an informative post, Tara. Hiding veggies in my child’s meals used to be my passion. 😉 Now he laps up pretty much everything.
A great post with a lot of detailed information about the nutrition value. I do most of the veggifying at home as you’ve mentioned… Loved the superfoods
Good tips for the moms who have fussy eaters and also for all the moms for providing healthy, attractive food that would be welcomed by the growing kids.
Informative post for fussy eaters.
Super informative Tara. I too am an expert in sneaking veggies in kid’s meals. I wasn’t much knowing about millet noodles though! Shall try them soon.
Like u I am too the queen of “veggifying” my kids meals. Loved the suggestion of broccoli puree. Well researched and informative post.
A very well written and informative post. The most important thing for making our child eat healthy is to set an example ourselves. If we eat healthy food, and maje it a habit to sit together and eat, child will emulate us.
I can connect so well with what you are sharing, Tara. I was the same with my kids. They are grown up now but still love their veggies.
#MyFriendAlexa #wordsmithkaurreads
A great post reminding us the benefits of home cooked meals.
I would say everything in moderation…
Very informative for new mothers. Loved the variations and how interesting the options are.
Nutrition…thats what must be taken care from the childhood days, very helpful post for the moms.
A very informative post. I so agree with all the points and I ensure I provide a wholesome nutrition to my child
This is just what my bhabhi and my sis-in-law have followed when their boys were little. In fact, your dosa batter with grated veggies reminded me of my sis-in-law’s dosa recipe for her son! I agree with each of your points here, Nayantara. Actually, following these tips is sure to keep kids healthy and happy, too! All you need to do is be particular about following these diet rules.
An uber-post that is loaded with information worth saving. I am glad you included curd and other ingredients as part of ancient wisdom too, in this list.
i must say this ones quite useful for child health and nutrients.
Very informative Nayantara. thanks much for the info.
#sindhureads #myfriendalexa
Sometimes when you are really confused if you are giving the right nutrition for your child articles like these help you clarify what exactly you need to give.
Very helpful. Thank you!
these are true facts. I have reduced the whites as much as possible for us and my baby both. He loves roti so I add vegetables in it and make him colored rotis.
Such a useful Post. ?
I tried the veggifying option but my kiddo was on to me! I do like your idea of broccoli puree for pasta. Let me give that a shot ?
Whites are dangerous. I have heard my mother say this so many times.
The more refined a thing is, the unhealthier it becomes.
Tara.. Your posts have always been informative but this one is so well researched.. Great ways of veggifying the meals 😉
Thanks for this detailed post! I have been thinking what to provide for my 15 month. Most times I am left with so much varieties that I hardly have no idea which one to shortlist. A simple meal time involves adding as much veggies as possible for our little ones that will fill them and also let them grow stronger and smarter.
Such an informative and well researched blog nayantara.. I just realized I am not doing half of this and its time i should
Some great tips. I m not a mother but I still found it interesting and informative. The turmeric pepper thing, i will keep in mind.thanks
Looks like I found the article that I have been looking for. The ideas are great, surely gonna try them as I have a fussy eater at home. Thanks for the informative post.
Very informative and practical ways to include nutrition to child’s meals.
amazing post nayantara. I always had great experience whenever I visit your blog. love the topic and information you conveyed. #Surbhireads #Myfriendalexa
Very informative and useful article Nayantara. If the foundation is strong there are more chances that the building will come out good too, same with kids whatever we feed them in their early days, they will reap the benefits later.
#MyFriendAlexa #ContemplationOfaJoker #Jokerophilia
Do visit http://www.manasmukul.wordpress.com and share your experience.
Many think of giving a full plate of a couple of condiments along with staple food is nutritious. But how wrong are we in that approach.
We follow the pattern of ‘rainbow in my plate’, with the mix of fruits, veggies, proteins, carbs and healthy fats.
Wow! Such an informative post. I’ve noted some points and will see to implement them in the kiddos diet.
https://www.rohankachalia.com/2018/09/payback-part-2/
Experimenting is the right trick with kids. My daughter used to try every dish but my son is fussy. I need to try and introduce dishes that he has removed from his checklist. Someday he tries and adds it to his menu.
I could relate to all the points in post. My child recently started solid food and I have been giving him soups, vegetable puree. Your post gave me more ideas.
Ancient wisdom is what we all need at the moment. We have come too far from our roots and westernization of food is definitely showing up its effects on kids health. Too much of whites, just like you said is a killer for sure!
A very well researched post, I loved that you have explained everything very nicely, the best part is these tips are very easy and can be implemented in daily life.
#MyFriendAlexa #zenithbuzzreads
Hi Nayantara , your tips & tricks to enhance the nutritional value of Idli , Dosa , Poha , Upma, Paratha are very interesting . 5 ways to enhance the nutritional value of meal should be practiced in all household for the whole family.
#MyFriendAlexa #SujatawdeReads
Nicely written post, one of the rare post which I feel is complete and well reaseached
informative post
Well put – I like how you grate veggies into everything. A little bit of white is allowed on my end, because I know the family doesn’t eat them very often.
Very Useful Tips. As a mother I also tried many ways to feed healthy things to my son. You have heard Adv na…Mamma Baingan…Pizza mein…koi nahi dalta….I am that kind of mother since my son very taste conscious, i put things in his favourite dishes. I had added green papaya in maggi and pasta…can you believe it? Loved reading the write up..Wonderful.
Very insightful post. I agree on all the things from importance of food in first six months to adding superfoods in the meal.
Post written with doable actions. I follow 4/5 in the list. Superfood is the thing I need to work on.
Cheers
MeenalSonal from AuraOfThoughts
I feel its complete guidance for nutrition of child. Each amd every topic u covered is so valid that if someone takes out time n do all this thing in detail we don’t need to go to doctor forever
This is a really informative and we’ll researched post! I didn’t know the process of making nut butter, will definitely try it as my kids love it.
Such a detailed and well-researched post. Going to bookmark for future
Very informative post and I loved those small easy tips of yours. Nutrition is the most important part in the life of a growing child. Your tips are easy to work upon without getting strained in the kitchen for long hours. #readbypreetispanorama for #MyFriendAlexa
Totally agree with you healthy eats need not to be complicated. And way more options are available nowadays
#myfriendalexa #dewreads
Child health is the most important and i liked the way you simply described every aspect on it.
#MyFriendAlexa #DelhibloggerReads
Very informative article on balanced nutrition
Its so heartening to see parents who make the effort to keep their kids away from junk and make an attempt to feed them healthy food. Kudos
This is one of the best posts I have read today… and it’s a lot considering I am doing my entire list of the week today itself ?
And did you just say it was for kids? It is for everybody. I mean, I know I needed this. Everybody does. Thanks for writing this!
Face this problem with my youngee brother. Will definitely share and follow as well.
Nice post dear . Will keep these tips in my mind and will try to add more nutrition in my baby’s meal.
Very very informative post . I will be more careful in future adding nutrients to my family’s food. I feel like eating vada and idli now.
well researched.. the effort truly shows.
The blog is superb for nutrition diet for childern. It is very essential to keep watch on diet in growth year of children. The mention tips will help to maintain good diet plan for children.
My baby is one year old and I am trying to feed him a lot of nutrition.
Can you suggest me food items they proves good for my baby?