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Dietician for Children
Categories Children Diet

4 Simple Steps To Handle Kids Sugar Obsession

Categories Children Diet Tags , , , Author kanupriya123 Posted on

One of the most common dilemma that all parents face today is how to tackle the sugar consumption of their children. The point is not just about the consumption of desserts, cookies, etc., but one also needs to take into account all those foods that have hidden sugar in them; for eg.: sauces, take outs, salad dressings, low fat alternatives that otherwise might seem healthy, etc. With both parents working and children living in nuclear families, this gets even more difficult as convenience sometimes takes over the priority. After a busy day at work, we do not want to deal with temper tantrums or opposition to a meal.

Here are 4 steps that can be the start of your journey towards dealing with your child’s sugar fixation:

1. Serve the dessert with a meal

There’s nothing that works better than surprising your children with a dessert when they least expect it. As a family, you may have decided that your children are allowed a dessert twice a week on say Wednesday and Saturday. Try giving them on a Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and catch them off guard. They will be delighted and slowly over time the negative relationship with these foods will start improving.

Better still, serve them with a meal rather than after a meal. Over time you will see that they start eating more vegetables without any extra effort. It’s all about building a positive relationship with different types of foods.

2. Increase fluid intake

Sometimes the reason for your child craving sugary foods can be due to inadequate fluid intake and certain deficiencies like magnesium, calcium, iron, etc. Taking care and correcting the above can also help.

3. Change your language

From a young age our children hear us talking a certain language hen it comes to fruit and vegetables, and sugar. We brand the former as healthy and the latter as unhealthy. It’s time to change our language about these. Start talking more neutral, and focus more on the properties of the foods. The second thing to do is to stop offering them as rewards and associating special importance to them. Make them equivalent to fruits and vegetables and while talking your tone should be neutral. Do not react if they want second helpings or want to eat a dessert out of turn. This will ensure that over time these foods will lose the importance and become less special.

4. Swap healthy and natural sugars for refined sugars

It has become easier to source desserts, cookies, etc. with natural sugars like coconut sugar, dates, etc. nowadays. Look out for brands that make these and order from them. One such brand is KARAMELE that is based in New Delhi. You can also try experimenting in the kitchen yourself with these, the internet is full of tutorials and recipes.

I hope the above helps you. To know more or if you need further help get in touch with me, Kanupriya Khanna, one of the best Dietitian and Nutritionist in Delhi.

Child Nutritionist and Dietician in Delhi
Categories Children Diet

How Healthy Are ‘Health Powders’ We Add To Our Children’S Milk?

Categories Children Diet Tags , , , , , , Author kanupriya123 Posted on

All food that we eat, whether fresh or processed, contains sugar in one form or the other. It could be natural sugar that is present in fruits and vegetables, or processed sugars that are added to processed or packaged foods.

According to pediatricians, endocrinologists and nutritionists; children get enough sugar from the natural foods that they eat, i.e from grains, pulses, fruits, vegetables, etc. Feeding our children processed foods like health powders, that contain processed sugars, puts an additional burden on their systems. Not just that, these so-called fortified foods when fed to children at a young age, makes them crave sugar throughout their lives in varying quantities.

The marketing campaigns that surround these powders are so glamorous and inviting, but more importantly, to the innocent eye they can lead to one or more of the following emotions or concerns:

  1. if these powders are not given to children, their growth will be hampered
  2. if the child is lagging behind in their growth, giving these powders will help them catch up faster
  3. these powders will ensure that the child is free from various nutritional deficiencies
  4. vegetarian or vegan parents feel these powders are necessary to meet the protein needs of their children
  5. enhancing the taste of the milk by adding these powders will encourage the child to drink milk easily

There are a number of reasons why these so called ‘health powders’ are not healthy and should not be given to children:

  1. the amount of added sugar they contain
  2. they may contain addedflavours
  3. some might food colours that can be detrimental to health, especially if your child is prone to allergies
  4. they are fortified with multiple minerals and vitamins: some of these should not be consumed together simply because they interfere with each other’s absorption. For e.g the same enzyme is responsible for the absorption of Iron, calcium and zinc. So if these are taken together, the amount that will be absorbed of each mineral will be minimal or negligible
  5. they lead to a huge spike in insulin levels
  6. They lack fibre

Increased consumption of these ‘health powders’, coupled with more sedentary lifestyles of the children today, increases their chances of become overweight and having other lifestyle diseases in later life.

With India soon heading towards becoming the diabetic capital of the world, it becomes important for us as a population to arrest the problem at our end, sooner rather than later.

We as consumers need to become aware and smart today. Get into the habit of reading the list of ingredients and nutritional labels that are mandatory on every packaged food that you buy. Look at not just the calories or sugar content of the product, but also at the carbohydrate content, sodium content, etc.

Our children are our future, and we want them to be healthy and happy individuals that will be at the forefront of a healthy and happy nation.

To know more or if you need further help with your child’s nutritional needs or concerns, get in touch with me, Kanupriya Khanna, one of the best Dietitians and Nutritionists in Delhi.

best Dietitians and Nutritionists in Delhi
Categories Children Diet

6 Mistakes While Packing Lunchboxes For Children

Categories Children Diet Tags , , , , Author kanupriya123 Posted on

With the summer vacations almost over and schools reopening, lunchboxes gain importance in every house with a school going child. All of us as parents want to see empty lunchboxes when our children come back from school. Planning and preparing them is a huge task every morning. Lunchboxes are very important in meeting a child’s nutritional needs as almost 30% of a child’s daily food intake, is in school.

Here are 6 things you should not do when it comes to packing a meal for your child’s school tiffin:

 

  1. Packing new or unfamiliar food:

The most important rule is to never pack something that your child has not eaten before. A child can feel hesitant and unsure when he/she encounters the food and can leave it untouched.

Anything new you want to try should be done at home in a comforting environment.

  1. Not putting fruits or vegetables:

This is especially true of parents of fussy eaters. In the hope that their child will eat, and not bring back food, you skip putting it in the lunchbox. But these are two reasons why adding fruits and vegetables is important:

  1. The lunchbox makes up a large chunk of your child’s nutritional needs of the day.
  2. Constant exposure to fruits and vegetables helps in encouraging them to eat these at some point.
  1. Keeping it the same:

You keep giving the same few foods to your child because you know that he/she likes it and will eat it. but, again just as previously mentioned, it is important to give a variety to encourage them to start eating a larger variety of foods.

  1. Not adding protein:

Proteins are an important component of a daily diet. They are after all called as the building blocks of the body for a reason. It may seem difficult to include this in a lunchbox, especially if you are a vegan. But its not really at all. Add some nut butter, tofu, seed butter in a preparation; and lo and behold, protein is now added.

  1. Giving too much carbohydrate:

The easiest thing to give in a lunchbox id a crbohydrate meal. Simply because these are the things that most children will eat happily. For e.g: white bread sandwich, pasta, chips, biscuits, etc. But remember that these do not provide enough nutrition, can contain too much sugar, and will leave your child feeling hungry very soon.

  1. Packing too much:

An important thing to remember when packing a lunchbox is the amount of time a child gets during recess to eat the food. If you pack too much food, there is a strong likelihood of it coming back uneaten or half eaten, simply because there was not enough time to finish. Sometimes seeing too much food can be scary to a young child and he/she can get overwhelmed.

I hope the above helps you in packing a good lunchbox for your child. If you need some recipe ideas for the lunchboxes, check out my website www.kanupriyakhanna.in under the blog section.

To know more or if you need further help with recipe suggestions, etc., get in touch with me, Kanupriya Khanna, one of the best Dietitians and Nutritionists in Delhi.

healthy eating habits for children
Categories best Dietitians and Nutritionists in Delhi

How to encourage healthy eating habits for your children during holidays

Categories best Dietitians and Nutritionists in Delhi Tags , , , , , , , , , Author kanupriya123 Posted on

Vacations are synonymous with celebrating the freedom from school and a disciplined routine. Children look forward to holiday travels, visiting relatives and generally having a good time. It can thus be a challenge to ensure that they are eating healthy at the same time.

A few options can ensure that your children inculcate healthy eating habits during the holidays.

1. Involve your children in buying and prepping

Children love playing adults and respond well when given certain duties and responsibilities. Take them along and let them choose groceries with you. Let them participate in meal planning and then meal prepping or cooking, depending on age appropriateness. Children will automatically want to eat a dish that they have been involved in; it’s the simplest way to teach them to eat healthy.

 2. Mealtimes should be friendly and calm

Whenever trying to introduce anything new to children, remember to never create a sense of urgency to it. children adapt better when they know that the parent will not get upset with them, there is no retribution involved, and that they can express their true feelings be it likes or dislikes. They need to feel that you trust and respect their feelings and do not make light of them.

Mealtimes should also not be about lecturing them or teaching them life lessons or reprimanding them. It should be a time that is stress free and a time to bond as a family.

3. Avoid strict restrictions on favourite foods

 Holidays are a special time for everyone, including the children. They look forward to having a leisurely time, indulging in their favourite activities and foods, and generally expecting that they will be allowed forbidden foods once in a while. It is very important to think about their mental health and the feel good factor that some so called junk or unhealthy foods bring with them. Once in a while it is alright for them to eat these foods. This is especially true of birthday parties and other get-togethers that they will attend.

4. Stick to the same routine

 As far as possible try not to change their routine too drastically during the holidays. Children are happier and more secure when they follow a routine over a long period of time.

5. Plate up food in a fun way

For younger children and toddlers, plating up their less favourite fruit or vegetable in a fun way can encourage them to try it. Do not pressurize them into finishing it if they don’t like it, trying is a great start. Offer it to them again at a later day without creating too much fuss or giving it too much importance. You can also add their favourite food to the same plate in a creative way so it becomes a part of the food that you want your child to eat. For eg: if your child loves carrot but does not like broccoli, then make a carrot and hummus dip in which they can dip their broccoli cutlets. Remember to be calm and friendly at all times.

6. Be a role model

It is rightfully said that kids are a reflection of their parents. Kids always look upto their parents when young and imitate them. Make sure that you follow the basic rules of healthy eating yourself before you try to teach your children:

  • Eat fruits, vegetables, whole grains, etc. and stay away from fast foods
  • Eat at regular intervals
  • Eat slowly
  • While eating be happy and calm
  • Take small portions. Once you finish them, take extra helpings I needed
  • Do not leave unfinished food on your plate

I hope the above helps you and your children in having a fun filled holiday. To know more or if you need further help with recipe suggestions, etc., get in touch with me, Kanupriya Khanna, one of the best Dietitians and Nutritionists in Delhi.

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