5 super foods to keep your child healthy throughout the year

It’s upsetting for parents to watch their child suffer from seasonal woes on, and that is how they realise that correct nutrition plays an important role. While you might be giving your little one all types of food, from dal to chicken soup, it is equally essential to add super foods that can build the child’s immune system and keep diseases at bay.

Here’s a list of super foods to improve your child’s health and keep them healthy during seasonal changes:

1. Let vegetables do the talking:While your child might not want to dig into a bowl of sabzi, it is imperative for you to include veggies like spinach, fenugreek, carrots, bell peppers, beans and peas and so on in his/her diet daily. These veggies are not only a great source of iron, folic acid, zinc, magnesium, potassium Vitamin C and Vitamin A but are loaded with antioxidants and phytonutrients.

Easy, fun ways to add veggies are whole wheat sandwiches, Frankie, veggie rice, mixed vegetable paratha, multigrain veggie pizza, vegetable lasagne, whole wheat veggie pasta or simply your child’s favourite soup.

2. Say yes to yogurt: Yogurt is a yummy, healthy option if you’re looking to boost your child’s immune system. It is not only a great source of protein but contains probiotics that enhance the growth of good bacteria, strengthening the immune system.

Add it to your child’s diet in the form of shrikhand, lassi, buttermilk, and fruit yogurt or palak/cucumber/dudhi raita. Make sure you make different variations of the same so that your child enjoys it and asks for more.

3. Embrace fruits: Just like veggies, your child may be fussy whenit comes to fruits, so try and purchase different types of fruits every week like watermelon, peach, apple, strawberries, kiwi, oranges or even grapes. Feed your child different fruits each day and make sure he/she is consuming at least one serving daily.

Fruits are loaded with Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Vitamin K, phosphorus, magnesium, folic acid and fibre, which can keep your child healthy and infection-free. All you need to do is make a fruit smoothie, milkshake, fruit salad, fruit custard or rice fruit pudding to make it a little fun!

4. Bring in some protein: Protein is an important macronutrient as it ensures that your baby is capable of fighting most seasonal infections. It is needed for the wear and tear of body tissues and helps in building a strong immune system. Add milk, dal, pulses, chicken, fish and egg to your child’s diet. These foods are not just a great source of protein, but contain calcium, zinc and good amounts of omega 3 fatty acids. Zinc can maintain levels of white blood cells, which help fight infections.

Make chicken/egg soup/grilled fish/milk shake/dal/khichdi or any other recipe in which you can easily accommodate good amounts of any of the above.

5. Let’s go nuts: Nuts are a great way of boosting your child’s immune system. They are loaded with zinc, protein, omega 3 fatty acids and Vitamin E which can strengthen the disease fighting mechanism. Make sure your child is getting some walnuts, almonds, cashews, pistachios, hazelnuts or peanuts for tiffin, or make some chikkior home-made dry fruit sweets.

#ParentuneTip: If your child wants to munch on something, give him/her a handful of nuts rather than feeding them a pack of chips or biscuits.

How do you incorporate all these essential foods into your child’s daily diet? Do share your feedback and your views in the comments section below!