Although monsoons offer relief from the sweaty and harsh summers, it does bring certain health risks. In fact, kids are more susceptible to health issues during the rainy season. Their body constantly gets affected by allergies, infections, digestion problems, etc. While it’s not possible to completely stop your kids from enjoying the rains, you can still take a few steps to keep your child hale and hearty during the monsoons.
We have listed down a healthy diet plan for kids which you as a parent can follow, in order to keep your child fit during the rains.
Kick Start Your Child’s Day With a Healthy Breakfast
For breakfast you can serve sandwiches (it should be grilled, avoid raw/cold sandwiches), hot parathas, oats idli, methi thepla, upma, poha, etc. If you are a non-vegetarian, you can serve egg omelette or scrambled eggs with toast.
You can even serve homemade fresh juices and milkshakes for breakfast as they help restore energy. Moreover, by adding seeds like chia to the smoothies you can help them stay fit and active throughout the day.
Go For Vegetables
Include lots of coloured and green vegetables in your child’s diet plan. Vegetables have a good amount of nutrients and vitamins. They strengthen the immune system and prevent your child from falling ill in the rainy season. However, ensure you wash and clean the vegetables thoroughly with warm water to get rid of the accumulated dirt.
Note: Avoid vegetables like cabbage and cauliflower, since they are more susceptible to worms or infection in the rainy season.
Include Natural Herbs
You must add fenugreek (methi) seeds, cumin (jeera) seeds, basil (tulsi) and mint to your child’s diet plan as they will prevent your child from all sorts of monsoon infections. You can even add hing, pepper, and turmeric in your food to aid your child’s digestive system.
Opt for Soups
If your child is bored with normal food every day, serve him/her a bowl of healthy soup. Come up with interesting combinations of vegetable soup to entice their tastebuds.
Pick the Monsoon Food – Corn
Add some boiled corn in your child’s diet. Corn is rich in vitamin B-1, vitamin C, folate and fibre. It is known to keep the heart healthy. Not only this, its constant consumption is effective in keeping the digestive system fit.
Food Items That Can Be Avoided
Stop your kid from consuming street foods such as pani puri, bhel puri, vada pav, samosas, and pakoras etc. Although these food items are tempting to have especially during the monsoon, they tend to contain bacteria that may cause illness.
Moreover, avoid fish and meat during the monsoons, as it may contain a lot of impurities. However, if you wish to serve seafood on some days, ensure you clean the fish thoroughly before consumption.
With all the guidelines on the list, make sure you make the monsoons fun for your kids.
However, if you are looking for more such ideas on a child diet plan – contact Kanupriya Khanna. One of the best child dietitians in Delhi, Kanupriya Khanna pioneers the science of healthy eating. Being a certified and experienced practitioner, she will be able to give you authentic food recipes for kids – for any season.