Not to Miss Nutrition Tips for Kids #NutritionNiche

Parents worry about their kid’s diet and nutrition all the time but they forget that they are a big influence in their kids eating habits.

Remember these tips-

You can teach your kids healthy eating habits by being a role model yourselves. Only you can help your children to maintain a healthy weight and normal height.  Moreover, the eating habits your children pick up are similar to you and your lifestyle. When they are small things are easier and maintain a healthy lifestyle when they grow up. Your child’s doctor can check your child’s weight and height and let you know if your child needs to lose or gain weight or if any changes in diet are needed. I will address 3 common issues – Overweight, Underweight and Picky eaters today and in my next post.

Today I am addressing a common issue we see in kids these days –

Overweight child– First of all we should control how much fat your child is eating. Also, reduce the amount of sugar and salt in your child’s diet. To reduce fat, please give non-fat dairy products, healthy snacks and more fruits and veggies. Do not give sweetened drinks. Sometimes we feel like offering our child food treats so that he or she ‘eats something’. But if you offer sugary or salty snacks as substitutes, your child might just refuse healthier options as he/she will know the other options which are tastier.

Remember these points-

1. Buy healthy snacks
2. Encourage consumption of a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. Avoid fruit juices as it is usually high in calories and sugars and has fewer nutrients than whole fruit.
3. Cut back on fast food, junk food, and sweets
4. Encourage exercise and to be physically active.
5. Avoid starchy carbohydrates, like white bread, white rice, and potatoes, dissolve into glucose soon after you swallow them.

I will be writing about picky eaters and underweight child in the next series.

Coming back to snack box recipes for school, as promised, today I will share different sandwiches my daughters take to school.

You can experiment and create many different types of sandwiches according to your kid’s tastes and preferences. Here are few from my list of sandwiches –

1. Potato sandwich- Filling- A mix of boiled potatoes, onion, red chili and salt.
2. Paneer Sandwich- A filling of crumbled paneer with onions salt and spices.
3. Cheese sandwich- Add a cheese slice with vegetables.
4. Egg sandwich- Filling- Boiled or scrambled egg with some veggies and spices.
5. Vegetable sandwich- Filling- Make a coleslaw with different vegetables like carrot and cabbage with mayonnaise.
6. Chicken sandwich- Filling- Mixture of chicken with mayonnaise.
7. Cutlet sandwich- Squeeze a vegetable cutlet in two bread slices with sauces.
8. Simple sandwich- Use peanut butter, cheese spread, jam, Nutella spread to create sandwich bites.
9. Iyengar style toast sandwich – I found this sandwich on Mayuri’s blog. See this interesting recipe here.
10. Pizza sandwich- This is invented and named by my daughters and I am sharing the recipe today.

Dietician mom tip – Use whole wheat bread or brown bread instead of white bread to make them healthier. If you have a toddler at home, you can make sandwich bites and give in school. It will be easier for them to eat. 

A sandwich is a very easy dish and does not require too much work. The best part is there is no hard and fast rule, we can experiment according to what we want.

Pizza sandwich recipe-

In Nutrition niche, I not only share recipes with a healthy twist but also some tips as a dietician mom. See previous week’s recipes- 

Mango Mania for kids

Yummy and healthy burritos

Oats dosa with coconut chutney 

Bread Rolls

Paneer rolls