Tips for Fulfilling the Nutrition needs of School going

Lack of physical exercise, abundant consumption of junk food, stress of modern day life, the increased effort required to be put in studies -these and so many other related factors have made children victims of life style diseases. Children become obese and then one has to struggle to make them lose weight. For those children who gulp down eggs and omelets and are hopelessly addicted to non-vegetarian foods the problem is further compounded. Right from the time a child is born the dependence on artificial foods commences. Says Dr V Kulkarni attached to Baliga Hospital, Mumbai - "It is very important to focus on giving natural foods to your kids right from a young age. Did your grandparents have artificial milk and milk powder? Were they not healthy? All these products contain preservatives. This is not good in the long run". We all know how there was a public interest litigation filed against one of the fortified health drinks that promised to make your children taller. This brand has forever capitalized on this growth theory but the concerned activist rubbished all their claims. A Balanced Diet Dr. Sudha Menon attached to Spectrum Health Care once told me, "Traditional South Indian food contains carbohydrates, proteins and fats. What is required is moderation as you grow old". It is a fact that South Indian diet is full of vegetables, salads, curds, while one has reason to believe that some sections of North Indians and Maharashtrians and Gujaratis do not eat all the vegetables that South Indians eat. Children need a balanced diet that takes care of their nutritional requirements. If they indulge in physical activity like jogging/ cycling/ playing outdoor games, then they will burn their calories. Eating Outside - more of a habit rather than compulsion One of our distant relatives had given us this advice when we got married. "Never allow another woman into your kitchen. Once you do that you will start depending on her forever. Plan your cooking the night before. When you cook, you tend to be a bit careful with the use of ghee, oil and coconut. Outsiders who cook for you for earning their livelihood do not feel the pressure to be careful." Sneha Vaidya, a Bangalore-based IT professional once discovered that the lady whom she had hired for cooking the meals in the night could never take bath for days because the chawl where she stayed had minimal water supply. This poor lady did not even have time to cut her nails. Worried about her children and at the same time not wanting to hurt her cook, Sneha eventually allowed her (the cook) to take bath in her home and refresh herself before cooking." But I make it a point to give clear instructions so that she understands", says Sneha. However, Sneha is now following her New Year Resolution on weekends. "Believe me, there is a thrill in cooking for your family and feeding them. During working days, I am dead tired by the time I return home to K R Puram from Electronic City. Driving all the distance drains me of all energy. However, cooking a healthy meal for my children on weekends is a blessing. I have started enjoying it" says a thrilled Sneha. Girish and Pankaja Chauhan were used to the habit of eating a brunch on Saturdays, a movie in between and dinner at a five star hotel. As both of them were earning quite well and with no kids, there was all the money in the world to splurge. The Saturday routine followed on Sunday with Chinese, Thai, and Chat etc. Last Oct, Girish, 36 suffered a mild chest pain. To his horror, his cholesterol and triglyceride levels had shot up and doctors at Narayana Hrudalaya warned him of the worst if Girish and Pankaja continued with their "eating out" life style. Eating out once in a while and indulging is not a crime. But if it becomes a habit then you are in for serious trouble. So how does one stay fit? 1. Gulp down gallons of water as water rejuvenates your cells and clears your bowel. Many children do not drink as much water as they have to. Encourage them to drink copious amounts of water after they come back home. 2. "Never ever be fooled to believe that a glass of Tang can substitute for plain, boiled water" says Dr Parameshwaran, an allopath, who runs a homeopathic clinic in Mumbai. 3. Sometimes, in climates like Bangalore, adults/ kids alike do not feel thirsty. Says Dr Rajeev Tilak, another homeopath based in Malad, Mumbai - "Keep a bottle filled with water. Even if you cannot drink the entire bottle in one go, please drink in small amounts at frequent intervals". 4. The diet of your school going children must necessarily contain sprouts, brown bread sandwiches, whole wheat bread with cheese, rice, dal, vegetable curries. 5. Wash the red carrots thoroughly, grate them, sprinkle salt, squeeze a lemon and splatter them with asafoetida garnishing the carrots with coriander leaves. Cucumber salads are good too. Grating cucumber, adding salt and curd makes it more palatable for the children. Tomatoes sliced in small pieces mixed in salt and curd and garnished with coriander leaves are also an excellent combination. 6. Nowadays, wheat pizzas are available in the market. So, instead of pizzas made from Maida (refined flour), cook wheat pizzas with cheese and vegetables.  7. Garnish the food items in a way that improves the palate of your child.  I am sure fathers and mothers can use their ingenuity and creativity in such matters. (All those fathers who think they can't cook should attempt cooking sometime to experience the pleasures; it does not matter if you fail the first time!). For instance - instead of bland curd rice, chop onions in small pieces and mix the curd rice. Splutter some mustard seeds and asafetida. Top it up with finely chopped coriander leaves. 8. You can prepare a masala bhel at home! Mix kurumuras with finely chopped coriander leaves, tomatoes and onions sliced into small pieces and add some farsan in this mixture. 9. Noodles per se are not items that can be part of a regular diet. But if it is noodles that your children are fond of, make the noodles rich with vegetables like tomato and carrot. Add some sauce to it. Your kids will enjoy it. 10. Dry fruits like almonds, pistas, figs, walnuts, raisins are excellent for children and they can be given these in small amounts. Dates are also an excellent source of vitamins and minerals. My Daddy Strongest All of us remember the ad campaign several years ago where a little girl tells the world that her daddy is the strongest because her household uses Dhara refined oil for cooking that is good for the heart. Parents have to be mentally strong and physically strong. So, even while you are planning a nutritive diet for your children, do not forget to take care of your health. Health is Wealth! Regular medical checkups, pranayama, yoga, meditation - some of these techniques are vital to keep stress at bay. Parents are role models of their children and if there are any smokers who are reading this, I would appeal to them to quit smoking for the sake of their children! Visit a Nutritionist It is a good idea to avail the services of a nutritionist who can guide you with a diet plan for your children. Of course, periodic checkups with a pediatrician / dentist also will ensure that your children are fit! Never give your children a vitamin tonic except under medical advice - please do not exceed the permitted dosage. Mumbai based specialist Dr Pradeep Mishra says, "Our body has the capacity to produce Vitamins. We give supplementary tonics on specific diagnosis. If we continue to give the tonics, then over time, it will impact the natural generation of vitamins in the body. The best way is to provide fruits, fruit salads, vegetables and ensure that your kids are having a balanced diet. If you feel that you have to give an appetizer tonic so that your child eats well, do it after consulting a doctor. A child that plays well and has a good amount of physical activity will feel hungry and eat well." Take your own Call! Dr Sanjay Pawar, a pediatrician based in Thane, sums up, "Don't get confused by reading too much stuff. The first and foremost thing is to stop worrying that your children are not eating well. Force feeding will not help at all. Even if the child is eating a small portion but is eating it all by himself that itself is a good sign. Anxiety can be a part of your life but anxiety cannot be a part of your life when it comes to nutrition of your children". So, parents take your own call and eat healthy and feed healthy to stay fit! Let me share a small tip with you about the one snack that I relished as a child. Puffed rice (poha), milk, small quantities of sugar, jaggery and grated coconut all mixed together was the snack I used to like so much. By the way, I am still fond of this!   (This write up is solely based on the personal experiences and interaction with a few of my nutritionist friends.)