Experts share tips and tricks for parents to get children to eat right

Ask any parent about the most difficult part of lockdown with kids and theyll agree that it is about them being around all the time After the initial phase of cooking and baking with kids for social media feeds fizzled out the struggle with meal planning got real Author Saee Korane Khandekar feels there is a lot to do saying ldquoEarlier kids at short break snacks provided by the school and that helped their tastes to evolve Also sharing food with kids from different backgrounds was great With my younger ones especially I find that they are less open to tasting new stuff despite the variety I cook perhaps because theyve not eaten with peers or in restaurants since the lockdownrdquoAyaan Calyn left and Aashay Cleon DsouzaAs obesity and deficiency of vitamins and minerals emerge in children across age groups nutritionist Karishma Chawla believes they are overfed by the food industry that wants them to get more addicted to fast food In reality it is actually making them undernourished because the body uses its precious nutrients to metabolise these empty calories ldquoI get that the lockdown has compelled us to adopt a new normal but I must highlight that it has also made us return to our roots with simple cooking more human connections and where we can be in sync with nature Hence it would be ideal to actually get creative while feeding our kids and use healthy alternativesrdquoHere are our curated FAQs on practical eating for kidsWhat if they donrsquot like veggiesMake rules Khandekar has one food rule at home that cannot be broken mdash a thick soup every day ldquoVeggies daals starchy veggies itrsquos the stuff they wonrsquot eat like dudhipalak I make it in a new colour every dayrdquo Entrepreneur Mansi Zaveri suggests explaining to children why it is important to eat veggies and make a meal plan to add to the list ldquoEmpower them with choices Ask if they would like certain veggies with roti or sabzi or in case they donrsquot like the texture if you should make it differently Experiment donrsquot camouflage They will thus own their decisionsrdquoKarishma ChawlaWhat if they like readymade breads and jamsBake it to make it Khandekar bakes regularly at home That way they hardly eat any commercial bread or cakescookies ldquoAll jams are homemade Theyrsquove not tasted Kissan Mixed Fruit yetrdquo she revealsWhat if they donrsquot listenKhandekar suggests ldquoIrsquove realised that when it comes to feeding healthy kids itrsquos best to involve them in everyday cooking Not just fancy stuff Make them smell rawa when you roast it for upma or shed tears when you cut onions This makes them respect food better and eventually eat betterrdquo Chawla echoes this ldquoLet them participate in cooking buy groceries or have them teach you things they might know about foodrdquoMansi ZaveriWhat if they ask for treatsBring outside in Airoli residents Collin and Ashrita Drsquosouza learnt to cook after their marriage Their sons Aashay Cleon seven and Ayaan Calyn five regularly have homemade foods of varieties of dal mdash mix palak methi etc Therersquos soya chunks curry paneer and chicken curry once a week too Collin makes mean whole wheat pancakes cheela and dhokla mdash all learnt from the Internet His phone has a meal planner with relevant links so itrsquos easier to prepare the dish at home ldquoThat way they donrsquot crave for outside food Once a week we give them the choice to order from McDonaldrsquos or some restaurant of their choice Television is a huge distraction but our kids like to read books we have truckloads of themrdquo Chawla advises not using food as rewards or cheats ldquoWe donrsquot want to create confusion for them Instead simply set boundaries and say indulge in these foods once a week and let them enjoy itrdquoWhat if you canrsquot say no all the timeSaying no all the time is tough so when kids ask for commercial foods Khandekar buys occasionally and in very small amounts mdash chocolate spreads instant noodles crunchy munchies ldquoBut I try to show them flavour differences mdash can you feel the soapiness when we bake a cake from a box Thatrsquos because of too much soda bicarbonate We donrsquot feel it when I make it from scratch at home Then it strikes them even if for a while Currently my challenge is to recreate the schoolrsquos dal khichdi which my daughter loves and misses terribly and no matter what I do it doesnrsquot match uprdquoSaee Korane KhandekarWhat if the infant doesnrsquot like the tasteSweeten the deal Mommy blogger Shifa Merchant follows a simple rule of a healthy mix of easytoeat nutritious food for her 15monthold Ayan ldquoGreens proteins ironrich foods along with foods that are high in energy are included every day To sweeten his meals we swap refined sugar with dates or bananas We also follow his lead so for example when we noticed he loves avocados we tried out recipes to include this proteinpacked goodness in his mealsrdquo she adds For older kids Zaveri says donrsquot forcefeed ldquoI continue to feed local and seasonal foods but I also respect the food that my child rejects and never forcefeed That way they will have a healthy relationship with foodrdquoWhat if they throw tantrums all the timeToddlers can throw tantrums if they donrsquot approve of something ldquoWe distract him by singing playing music on his toy piano reading out from his 3D story books Soon enough he gets engrossed in these activities and sits in one place to enjoy his meals Worstcase scenario when he rejects an ingredient or greens we prepare it in a different way But we keep tryingrdquo suggests MerchantFor older kids Zaveri feels on a hunger scale of one to 10 kids should never cross five ldquoLonger gaps mean they end up becoming fussier mdash it is attentionseeking behaviour The mind begins to reject logic and you or they will end up with a bag of chips Eat often stay satiated and ensure mealtimes are togetherrdquoWhat if they like to order inZaveri is against this instant food gratification ldquoIt is not good in the long run Instead make a wishlist and add items into next weekrsquos plan They learn to wait for their turn of favourite foods and thatrsquos a good thingrdquo she feelsAdditional informationHealthy swaps Pumpkin fries instead of potato fries Jowar and bajracrust pizza over refined flour Homemade jowar noodles over refined onesUndernourishment signs in kids Lack of interest and focus Delayed recovery time Loss of appetite Picky eating especially with zinc deficiency Frequent colds Tantrums due to mood swingsFor a healthy gut Real whole foods rich in fibre Foods rich in bacteria like fermented veggies kefir apple cider vinegar and yogurt Medicinal kitchen herbs like ginger turmeric and garlic Adequate water Adequate sunshine