A balanced diet goes a long way!

When it comes to our kids, we as parents, become over-protective. And it’s only justified for us to be that way, considering all the news, articles, google searches that make us paranoid. We keep a vigil on whom they’re playing with, what are they seeing on the smartphone or TV, what they should eat or not eat, which school to send them in, what extra-curricular classes to put them in. The list goes on. But sometimes, I feel, to be honest, the world wide web only gives us an information overload. Pushing news or information to our minds which may not be completely true. Speaking of children’s nutrition for instance, you will come across tons of articles, videos or ads that recommend or are totally against something else.

Tried to make bear shaped rotis to make him eat.

My toddler is an extremely fussy eater. He will drink his milk, but when it comes to solid food – he will say no to fruits and vegetables – which causes me to be stressed out 24/7. I do give him supplements in his milk so that he’s not completely missing out on the important nutrients. He is also quite thin; lean is the word, actually. So, being a worried mom, and being provoked by people at home, every time there is a doctor’s visit I ask the same question – "How do I make my kid gain weight?" And the doctor gives me the same reply every time – why would you want that? There are so many complications with obesity in children. As long as your child is active and picking up milestones age-appropriate, being thin or lean is no problem at all. And as far as fruits and vegetable intake is concerned, we need to try and try till we succeed, but not force them too much which would only make them more averse towards them.

He loves his cupcakes!

I am a real mom. I am a working mom. I’ll be honest, I do not have the time or energy to make 100 kinds of khichdi’s or fancy recipes for the kiddo nor do I have the privilege of hiring a full-time cook/help that would make ten different things for the kiddo to try, and most probably throw or go waste. So, I let him eat whatever he feels like, as long as there is a balance being followed. I feel he atleast is eating something – whether it’s biscuits, breads, khakhra, chakli, mathri, rice flakes, popcorn, Maggi, chocolate or cheese slice (most of his liked things).

Maggi time! (We share a portion)

No single food item is healthy or unhealthy. A balanced diet, moderation and an active lifestyle is the only way to ensure good health. A balanced diet should provide approximate 50-60% of total calories in a day from carbohydrates, about 10-15% from proteins and 20-30% from fat. Lot of news articles have been circulating about how Maggi is unhealthy because it is fried before packing. I have been eating Maggi since I was a kid myself, and the kiddo likes it too, he obviously cannot have a lot as he has a small appetite; and I see no harm in him having it occasionally or me too, for that matter. I did a lil’ bit of research and got to know that –

MAGGI Noodles for instance, strikes a nutritional balance really well. The balance between Protein, Carbohydrate and Fat in MAGGI noodles is very similar to the recommendations made by Indian Council of Medical Research. This includes even the newly launched MAGGI Oat noodles provides energy in this recommended ratio –Energy from carbohydrates (56%), protein (10%) and fats (33%).

According to ICMR recommendation on Dietary Guidelines for Indians, the total fat in the diet should provide between 20-30% of total calories. The total fat intake in the diets can go up to 50g per person per day based on the level of physical activity and physiological status.

We're having a waffle cone here.

Maggi is made in a five-step process- it is steamed, baked, fried, dried and cooled. The frying process is important to retain a longer shelf life of the product as well as for its ability to get cooked in 2 minutes. There are a lot of debates similarly around other similar packaged food, I do think to myself that even the fruits and vegetables we get from our local market may not be healthy (paranoia again thanks to the videos seen of vegetables being injected artificially coloured). So then basically we should start growing them at home, right? Till then, eat everything in a balanced proportion. If your kid is having noodles or chocolate, make sure they’re also having greens or pulses. We’ve been brought up the same way, haven’t we? I don’t remember my parents being so fussy about what to make me eat and what not. 

Please note – If you kid is allergic to a particular ingredient then that’s a completely different story. You are the best judge to decide what’s good and what’s not for your li’l one. Try not to listen to each and every one out there, selective listening is the key.