Kid friendly foods to introduce in your Child's diet

Your little one turning his nose up at the lauki (Bottle Gourd) you placed on the dinner table? Green vegetables being greeted with gagging faces? Are you at your wit’s end when it comes to introducing healthy foods into your child’s diet?

With the number of activities and distractions children have around them today, eating well is often ignored. However, dealing with fussy eaters is a task in itself. Here are some healthy and nutritious kiddy foods to watch out for. They may be introduced into a child’s meal without too much of a problem. They are versatile in how they may be used.

Flax seed: If you are finding it increasingly difficult to include vegetables in your child’s diet, try flaxseed. This plant food is filled with Omega-3 fatty acids and is easily absorbed by the body. In the powdered version, this may be sprinkled on just about anything – from cereal, to fresh bread, over a sandwich spread, in milk smoothies, into batter for pancakes or rice cakes and into anything that you are baking.

Sweet Potatoes: If your child loves French fries, a naturally sweet, baked version of sweet potatoes is going to be a pleasant surprise. This tuber is rich in Vitamin A and provides a lot of antioxidants for the body. They are naturally sweet and have a bright colour which proves quite enticing for children. You may bake them whole and serve it up as a dessert with some sweetened yogurt on top.

Hummus: This Mediterranean staple is a heart-friendly must-have for your child. Made of chickpeas or garbanzo beans, these have fibre, complex carbs and proteins loaded in them – all essential for your little one. Team this up with crudités of carrots, radish and cucumber and you will have an active child on your hands, who will not snack on junk till meal time.

Avocado: Many parents do not think of the avocado as something to serve children. This fruit is filled with mono-saturated fats and is ideal for children since they get most of their calories from fat as children. But the fruit in itself is rather tasteless. Serving it up as a dip, just like you would hummus is the key. A ripe avocado mashed and mixed with lemon juice and salt makes for a delicious sandwich spread or dip. Use this in your child’s diet early on.

Mango: One serving of this king of fruits will give your child all the Vitamin C she needs for the day. It improves their immune system and keeps teeth and gums healthy and strong. Cut up a fresh fruit as many times as you can and serve your child. Fussy children can be given mango shakes or mango cubes skewered with other fruits to make it more appealing.

Food and nutrition of your little one is a constant concern. Sticking with fresh and seasonal produce is a good idea. Cooking all meals from scratch is always a healthier option than opening up a box.