Choose powerful vegetables

 Choose powerful vegetables

Fresh vegetables, leafy vegetables should be consumed in good amounts.. Not all vegetables are created equal. The darker the color, the higher the concentration of nutrients. For example, spinach has more to offer the mind and body than iceberg lettuce. Other great vegetable choices include bell peppers, broccoli and sweet potatoes. 

Also eating a lot of green leafy vegetable can help us with detoxifying the body

Mrs Shilpa Mittal
Nutritionist and Diet Consultant
Founder Shilpsnutrilife - Diet and lifestylemakeover

Eat a variety of foods everyday

Eat a variety of foods everyday

Eating a variety of foods is very important for a balanced diet. I keep on stressing this point very often with my clients too, that by eating only one or two kinds of foods, you will not get the proper balance in your diet that you should have. As each food has different nutrients in it like grains are rich in carbs, dals in proteins, fruits and veges in vitamins (as can also be seen in the image).

Also by eating only one kind of food, the aspect of boredom will arise. Say, for instance, you have a banana for a snack every day for a month. You will get bored and tired of eating banans. Instead, try a variety of fruit.

Eating many different foods helps maintain a healthy, well-balanced and interesting diet that provides adequate nutrition, also by getting a variety of foods you will make eating a lot more enjoyable. 

So go ahead try a new fruit like star fruit or introduce a new grain which you haven't tried yet say nachni(ragi), Jav(barley)...do share your experience too.

Mrs Shilpa Mittal
Nutritionist and Diet Consultant
Founder Shilpsnutrilife - Diet and lifestylemakeover

KIDS NUTRITION - Don't label foods as "good" or "bad."

KIDS NUTRITION
Don't label foods as "good" or "bad."

Instead, tie foods to the things your child cares about, such as sports or doing well in school. Let your child know that protein in dal, beans, sprouts and calcium in dairy products give them strength for sports. The antioxidants in fruits and vegetables add luster to skin and hair. And eating a healthy breakfast can help them keep focus in class.

Catchy names can influence kids to eat more vegetables

Catchy names can influence kids to eat more vegetables

The age-old parental struggle of convincing youngsters to eat their fruits and vegetables has some new allies. A new study has found that using attractive names for healthy foods increases kid’s selection and consumption of these foods.

Cornell University researchers studied how a simple change, such as using attractive names, would influen

ce elementary-aged (5-11yrs) children's consumption of vegetables.

In the first study, plain old carrots were transformed into “X-ray Vision Carrots.”

By changing the carrots to “X-ray vision carrots”, a whopping 66 percent were eaten, far greater than the 32 percent eaten when labelled “Food of the Day” and 35 percent eaten when unnamed.
The success of the changes is stupendous, and the fun, low cost nature of the change makes it all the more enticing.

In the second study, carrots became “X-Ray vision carrots,” broccoli did a hulk like morph into “Power Punch Broccoli” along with “Tiny Tasty Tree Tops” and “Silly Dilly Green Beans” replaced regular old green beans to give them more pizza.

“These results demonstrate that using attractive names for healthy foods increases kid's selection and consumption of these foods and that an attractive name intervention is robust, effective and scalable at little or no cost," Brian Wansink, lead author of the study said.

"This research also confirms that using attractive names to make foods sound more appealing works on individuals across all age levels."

Source: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-09-18/us/33924658_1_green-beans-vision-carrots-vegetables

Nutrition for pre-school children

NUTRITION FOR PRE-SCHOOL CHILDREN

The ages between one and four are a crucial time for learning  good dietary habits that can lay the foundations for future good health. GOOD NUTRITION AT THIS AGE IS LIKE SOWING SEEDS FOR HEALTHIER TOMMORROW.

Diet directly affects optimal development  of  the body and the brain.
Nutritious food help to form strong teeth and bones, muscles and a healthy body; a good immunity. 

Young children’s need for energy and nutrients is high, but their appetites are small due to small stomach capacity and they can be fussy, too, and it can be a challenge to get your child’s diet right. At this age, children are often good at regulating their appetite. If they’re not hungry, insisting on larger amounts of food can create a battle, which you’re likely to lose. 


Key foods and nutrients

Base your child's intake on the following food groups to help ensure she’s getting all the important nutrients. If the family diet is healthy, children can just have family food. 

Make sure your child has the following, every day: 

Cereals

Include at least one kind of starchy carbohydrate, such as whole wheat bread, rice, pasta, or potatoes. Young children have small appetites, so high fibre-rich carbohydrates can be bulky and inhibit the absorption of some minerals. Gradually introduce higher fibre carbohydrate foods, so that by the time children are five, they're eating the same fibre-rich foods as the rest of the family. 

Key nutrients:- Carbs which is mainly needed to provide them energy throughtout the day, along with energy they also provide B complex nutrients and also some minerals esp nachni which is rich in both calcium and iron.

Examples:- poha, upma, parathas, khicdi, pulavs, briyani, sandwiches, porridages, bhel, potato chat, tikkis, jowari, corn, nachni 

Fruit and vegetables

Aim for at least five servings a day, where a serving is about a handful in size. Use fruit in puddings, chats and as snacks.

Vegetables can be eaten raw or cooked (serve crunchy rather than very soft to preserve the vitamins and minerals). 

If your child doesn’t like vegetables, try hiding them by pureeing in to soups, sauces, casseroles and pizza toppings.

Key nutrients – Iron, vit A, C, Antioxidants
  
Milk and dairy foods

Your child should be having the equivalent of about 500 to 600ml of milk and its products a day. Milk can be used in cereals or in drinks,milkshakes, puddings and sauces. Cheese, panir, yoghurt can be given instead of milk. Grated cheese/panir, cheese spread can be used on sandwiches or toast. Try yoghurts as a pudding or snack between meals, served alone or with fruit.

 
NON VEG – Egg, Meat, fish and alternatives 
 
Recommend at least two servings of fish a week, one of which should be oily. Use eggs, either boiled, in sandwiches, as omelettes or scrambled.

Pulses and legumes
Try different beans and pulses, such as lentils, baked beans, peas and chickpeas. 

Nutrients- Protein, Calcium, B-12, Vit D, Zinc

BEST FOOD COMBINATIONS- khicdhi, milk+roti, dal+rice/roti, curd rice, dal + roti, idli, dosa, dhokla, uttapa i.e combination of cereal + pulse gives the best quality protein comparable to that of an egg which is considered excellent.



Fats and sugar - Foods to be careful with....

Fatty and sugary foods include spreading fats, cooking oils, sugar, biscuits, cakes, crisps, sweets, chocolate, cream, ice cream and sugary drinks. Don’t give these often, and when you do, make sure they’re in small amounts only. Many of these could affect your child’s intake of more nutritious foods and lead to a less healthy diet Offer them at the end of a meal rather than between meals as a snack.  

Keep total fat intake between 25 to 35 percent of calories for with most fats coming from sources of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, such as fish, nuts and vegetable oils.

To sum it up…..

Most kids are going to have fussy food days (or years)
If it’s up to them, kids will only choose food that tastes good and that they are familiar with. 

 
Kids have to be taught to think about nutritious eating
Parents are food teachers - kids learn eating habits and food choices from their parents......so please look at your food habits first.