child diet Archives

What is homemade porridge ?

Homemade Porridge – Porridge has been the main food for infants who are starting solids. It is available in a variety of flavours commercially under different brand names. But many mothers are unaware that it’s simple to prepare this quick, wholesome, and easy-to-feed food at home.

Benefits of homemade porridge

The goodness of several minerals that are crucial to your baby’s growth and development are present in this, and it is also packed with a lot of health benefits.

•Ragi: Rai/millet is high in both protein and carbohydrates. Through this, your baby also gets thiamine, iron, and calcium.

•Bajra: This food has a high energy quotient and is high in calcium and fibre. The grain is very helpful in preventing constipation.

•Wheat: Due to its abundance in nutrients like Vitamin B, manganese, potassium, calcium, zinc, and fibre, wheat is the main ingredient in Indian cuisine.

•Rice comes in a variety of colours, each with a distinct flavour and goodness. Unlike its white counterpart, brown rice keeps the bran and germ layers, which preserves the nutrients and minerals. Additionally, it contains a lot of fibre, antioxidants, selenium, and manganese.

•Green gramme: Green gramme is an excellent source of lean vegetarian protein that also strengthens the immune system. It contains iron, magnesium, vitamins A, B, C, and E.

•Dals: Rich in iron, protein, zinc, folate, and manganese, dals help prevent anaemia, boost immunity, and support healthy body and brain function.

Here are a few homemade porridge recipes for babies:

•Porridge made from Poha

Choose the thick poha and thoroughly clean it.

Dry roast it, then allow it to cool.

Blend thoroughly in the mixer.

Cook the powder in water till it thickens.

Add breast milk and mashed fruit to this and combine well and serve!

•Porridge made of dry fruits

Take some ragi flour and cook in water till it thickens

Grind the almonds, pistachio, and walnuts separately. Combine all of these, store in an airtight container.

mix the dry fruit powder with the cooked rahi porridge and breast milk before serving. You can add some date paste for sweetness.

•Porridge made of pulses

Make sure to thoroughly wash the rice. Roast the rice in a kadai.

Each dal like moong dhuli, masur split should be thoroughly cleaned and rinsed.

For two to three days, dry them in the sun.

Without adding additional oil, roast each sun-dried ingredient separately. The dals must all be dry-roasted until they turn golden. Ensure that they are crisp. The rice should be lightly puffed after roasting. Now pulverise them into a fine powder in the mixer.

The ingredients should be kept in an airtight container.

Take a tablespoon of the mix and cook in water until it thickens to the right consistency. Add some cardamom or cinnamon powder for flavour. You can add some breast milk to this before feeding your baby.

If you need to know more about such recipes, connect with Kanupriya Khanna who has been working in this field since 2003. She is regarded as one of the best dietitians in Delhi because of her unwavering commitment to making a difference in people’s lives by instilling good eating habits.

Omega-3 fatty acids are critical for a child’s nutritional needs. It cannot be overstated how important it is especially for a child’s brain health! Omega-3 fatty acids are important for overall health and can help a child focus, reduce hyperactivity, and lead to better memory, uptake and retention overall. It is critical that we provide high-omega-3 foods or supplements to growing children as much as possible.

What exactly are omega-3 fatty acids?

Omega-3 fatty acids are an essential fatty acid, which means that the body cannot produce them and they must be obtained from food or other sources.

The three main omega-3 fats are ALA, DHA, and EPA (the titles are confusing, so don’t memorise them).

DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) are produced in modest amounts by ALA (alpha-linolenic acid), which can be obtained from foods such as certain oils, nuts, and seeds.

The DHA and EPA produced by this ALA are insufficient. As a result, you must consume it!

Fatty fish such as salmon, sardines, anchovies, and tuna provide DHA and EPA to the body.

DHA and EPA are critical for a child’s cognitive and behavioural development.

So, where may Omega-3 fats be found?

Although this is not an exhaustive list of omega-3-rich foods, there are a few items you can try to incorporate into a child’s diet.

• Fish and seafood, particularly fatty fish like salmon, tuna, and sardines that we’ve already discussed;

• Walnuts, flax, hemp, and chia seeds are examples of nuts and seeds.

• Oils from plants.

Even if parents do their best to provide nuts, seeds, and fish to their children on a regular basis, they may not accept them willingly or eat as much as they require. This is where supplements can help to fill in the gaps in your omega-3 intake.

Introducing omega-3 supplements to children

We’ve all experienced how tough it is to convince a youngster to take supplements, right? Omega-3 supplements, especially those in liquid form, make this even more difficult because they have an oily texture and can have an unpleasant fishy flavour. This may not be a problem if your child is older and can take a pill or gummy, but we’ll focus on liquids today.

So, here are a few ways to mask the fishy taste of omega-3 oil:

1. Toss it with your child’s favourite freshly squeezed juice: Citrus fruits, such as orange juice are best for masking the flavour and texture.

2. Toss with yoghurt in a smoothie or frozen yogurt along with fruits: The soft texture and strong flavour of flavoured yoghurt will help to mask the oil’s taste and consistency.

3. Add to nut butter and spread on toast, crackers, or fruit.

4. POPSICLES WITH FRUIT!: There’s nothing like a delicious fruity popsicle to cool off after a long day of school or activities. Before freezing, hide some omega-3 in the popsicles.

In conclusion

No matter how hard you try, not every child will accept an omega-3 supplement, but it is a crucial nutrient to include in their diet. Don’t give up.

Kanupriya Khanna, a Senior Consultant Nutritionist & Dietitian with over 18 years of experience in antenatal nutrition, can provide expert advice. She is regarded as one of the best dietitians in Delhi because of her unwavering commitment to making a difference in people’s lives by instilling good eating habits and lifestyles.

Nutritionist

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Homemade Porridge – Dr Kanupriya Khanna