Healthy food has replaced comfort food in these pandemic times even for kids. Parents are increasingly on look-out for healthy alternatives for their little ones when it comes to preparing their meals, desserts and snacks. Eating healthy is one of the ways to build immunity against highly virulent and contagious Covid strains, the latest one being Omicron.
Especially in winters, when children have an increased appetite, they need something to keep them full as well as help them stay energetic. Considering kids can be a bit picky about the foods they eat, it is important to make your healthy stuff a tad interesting.
Shivani Bavalekar, Senior Nutritionist, Cloudnine Group of Hospitals, Navi Mumbai (Vashi) suggests 5 healthy recipes that you can make for your kid.
1. Dates-sesame seeds laddoo
Preparation time: 10 min
Cooking time: 5 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients
* Deseeded dates: 100gm
* Sesame seeds: 3tbsp
* Roasted khuskhus: 1-2tbsp
* Cardamom: 4 green
Method
* Dry roast sesame seeds on a low heat until they turn aromatic.
* Cool them; add cardamoms and grind it.
* Mash the dates.
* Then add the sesame seeds and cardamom powder and knead it to make a soft mixture.
* Roll this mixture into bite size balls.
* Roll them in khus-khus
* Serve this healthy recipe as mid-meal snacks to your little one.
Health benefits
The above recipe is energy and nutrient dense. It has good amount of zinc, selenium and calories. This sweet helps to increase the immunity and hemoglobin in the blood.
2. Golden Milk
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Total time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
Milk: 200ml
Almond powder: 1 tsp
Turmeric powder: 1/4 tsp
Cinnamon powder: 1/4 tsp
Cardamom powder: 1/4 tsp
Pepper powder: 1/4 tsp
Jaggery powder: 1 tbsp
Method
* Keep all the ingredients ready. Take milk in a saucepan and add all the dry ingredients to it. Mix well.
* Heat the milk in low flame until frothy, transfer it to glass.
* Serve your kid this healthy milk every night for sound sleep.
Health benefits
Turmeric, cinnamon have antibacterial properties that will help your child to fight against cold and flu. Milk will help to improve bone strength owing to its calcium content. Jaggery helps lung health and has tiny traces of iron too.
3. Bajra soup
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
For curd mixture
* 1 cup Water
* ½ cup Curd
* Salt, to taste
* ½ tsp turmeric powder
* ½ cup bajra flour
For soup
* 2 tsp oil
* ½ tsp cumin seeds
* 1 medium onion, sliced
* ¼ cup carrot, diced
* ¼ cup green peas
Method
* For curd mixture, combine water, curd, salt, turmeric and mix it well.
* Dry roast the bajra flour on low flame for 5 minutes. Mix the roasted flour in the curd mixture and keep aside.
* Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds and let them crackle.
* Sauté sliced onion for few seconds. Add the vegetables and saute well for few minutes.
* Add in the curd mixture and cook on slow flame for 10 minutes.
* Serve the soup in the bowl to your little one.
4. Carrot fries with hummus
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Total time: 50 minutes
Ingredients
* 10 carrots
* 2 tablespoon curry powder
* 1 pinch black pepper
* 2 teaspoon honey
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 4 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Method
* Preheat oven to 200 degree celsius for 20 minutes. Wash and peel the carrots. Cut them into thin strips.
* Keep the carrot strips in a bowl then add curry powder, extra olive oil, and pepper with salt according to your taste. Ensure that carrots are coated properly.
* Then transfer the coated carrots in a baking tray and bake for about 25-30 minutes. Drizzle with some honey. Once well cooked, take out, put them in a serving dish and serve along with hummus.
Benefits
Carrot is good source of vitamin A and soluble good fiber. Hummus dip is good source of protein. Curry leaves help to fight against bacteria.
5. Pumpkin thalipeeth
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Total time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
* 1.5 cups pumpkin cooked and mashed
* 1 tbsp oil
* 1.5 cup mix flour (bajara, ragi, jowar)
* Salt as per the taste
* 1/4 tsp clove powder just for taste
Recipe
* Cut the pumpkin and cook it in a pressure cooker for 15 minutes till it get soft and mushy.
* Prepare and set out the remaining ingredients, mix the flour and add clove powder.
* Add the cooked pumpkin puree to the above mixture and knead it completely, if needed. Add around 2 tsp water.
* With a wet finger pat the batter on the plastic or wet cloth and then, make small hole through the dough. Place a few drops of oil in each of these hole.
* Cover and start cooking the thalipeeth on medium flame.
* Serve the thalipeeth with tomato chutney or raitha as per your child’s choice.
Health benefits
A good source of vitamin A, thiamine, zinc and carbohydrate, it boosts immunity and helps meet fiber needs.