Watching your kid growing is the most amazing experience of the world. As they grow being a parent our responsibility also increases to make them healthier both physically and mentally, so it narrows down to correct child nutrition.
As any other transition, this phase also requires some care and guidance so your child can be a healthy and bright citizen.
Here are five guidelines for child nutrition which can help you to take care of your growing kids-
Start healthy- Starting the day with good food is just like fuelling right to give a kick start to the day. Start it with combination of one kind of nuts (almond, cashew, pistachio, walnuts etc) and any one kind of dry fruits (raisins, figs, apricot, dates etc). Make sure these are overnight soaked so your kid can get full benefits of them.
Short breaks- In most of the schools there is provision of short break in the initial 2 hours of start of school. This is the time for having fruits choose any seasonal fruit this will give your kid enough energy for performing school tasks plus daily requirement of antioxidants will also be fulfilled.
Lunch time- Now this is the time to have cereals, pack any home made cereal based lunch with them of their choice so they can relish it, options are poha, stuffed parathas, upma, vegetable pulao, veg sandwich, fried rice, idli with coconut chutney etc. one tip for this meal use lemon, coriander, curry leaves, peanuts, cashews in the preparation as garnishing and yes do not forget to pack it in a steel lunch box without using aluminium foil.
Home time- If your kid feels hungry this time then give them full meal that you have cooked for your lunch otherwise evening snacks will do great for this chhota mota hunger, option are peanut jaggery mix, bhel, homemade chivda mix, homemade laddoos (coconut, besan, wheat, rawa flour, etc) these are best early evening snacks.
Before play time- Milk is the best thing to have this time as it is complete meal in itself but do not mix any kind of health drink rather make it yummy by adding some cardamom, nutmeg. Sweeten it with mishri or jeggary.
Other option is lassi or buttermilk sweet or salty both goes well and provide energy for play time.
Dinner- Again this is the time for cereals pulses and vegetables. khichdi, dal rice, veg pulao with curd, roti sabji, idli/dosa with sambhar is best suitable ideas for dinner. Do try to have it before 8pm and yes don’t forget to go to bed before 10.
Now with these tips your knowledge for child nutrition must have enriched, so apply and make them bright.