Planning meals for your child day in and day out can be a challenge! The common worry of most mums is whether their child’s nutritional needs are being met by what is being served to them. Like most mums, I used to get all worked up too. I wanted to appease my daughter’s taste buds– and at the same time ensure she eats healthy. So slowly I learnt to tweak the everyday recipes – and as a tactic, I involve my daughter in different stages of meal preparation as much as I can, right from grocery shopping (identifying between healthy and junk food) to helping me in the kitchen; she finds this exciting and her enthusiasm is visible during meal times!

Today I share some recipes that have worked well for me and also for my friends and their children; children simply love these preparations. We start with a nutritious and yummy food drink, then an anytime snack, followed by a lunch/dinner special…

HEALTHY START

Fruit Mania 

Ingredients

6 strawberries, chopped

1 apple, finely chopped

2 bananas, peeled and roughly chopped 

2 tbsp Horlicks Classic Malt (for all those essential micronutrients)  

Some almond shavings

 Method

1. Blend the strawberries, banana and Horlicks Classic Malt until smooth and creamy. 

2 Put the chopped apples in a tall glass. Pour the smoothie over the apples and serve cold garnished with almond shavings.

Note: This smoothie is flavoursome and a powerhouse of nutrients. A glass of it is enough when my daughter is not in a mood for breakfast. 

ANYTIME SNACK

Delicious Dalia 

Ingredients

1 cup dalia (broken wheat)

2 tbsp ghee/butter  

1 onion, thinly sliced 

1/2 cup green peas 

1 cup chopped vegetables (carrots, French beans, tomatoes and broccoli)

1/4 teaspoon turmeric and chilli to taste

2 cups water 

Salt and pepper to taste 

 Method

1. Heat a pan and sauté dalia in 1 tbsp ghee for a minute or two. Remove from heat and set aside. 

2. Meanwhile, sauté the onion (till translucent) in 1 tbsp ghee in a pressure cooker. Now add turmeric and all the vegetables and sauté for a minute. 

3. Mix the dalia, chilli, salt and pepper to the above vegetables and stir well. Add water and pressure cook for two whistles. Open the cooker and fork the dalia to check if the grains are cooked and separate. Serve at room temperature with a spoon of butter. 

Note: Dalia cooked in any form is very nutritious for people of all ages. It is comfort food for the entire family and my daughter loves to have it with a bowl of plain curd. Tasty and healthy indeed!    

MAIN COURSE IDEA

Soya-tomato rice 

Ingredients

1 cup rice, washed and soaked in 2 cups of water for 30 minutes

1/4 cup soya granules, soaked in hot water for 15 minutes

1/2 cup moong sprouts

50gm paneer (cut into small cubes)

1 cup carrot and French beans (finely chopped)

3 tomatoes, pureed 

1 onion, sliced

5-6 almonds (chopped) 

50gm peanuts 

1/2 tsp cumin (sabut jeera)  

1/2 tsp garam masala 

A pinch of turmeric 

2 tbsp oil 

Salt to taste 

Method

1. Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add jeera, chopped onion, almonds and peanuts. Sauté the ingredients for less than half a minute and then add turmeric, garam masala and salt. 

2. Add tomato puree and let it cook for 2 minutes. Then add soya granules (squeeze and remove the water from the soya granules before adding soya to the puree), sprouts, French beans and carrot. Mix well and cook for 2 minutes.

3. Now add rice, water, paneer and mix it all well. Pressure cook for 1 whistle and allow to stand for 5 minuets. Open the cooker, fluff the rice with a fork and serve at room temperature. 

Note: The power-packed protein rice is my daughter's favourite – it has a different taste, a variety of textures and looks appetising too!

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Did you like the recipes shared by Mamta? Will you try some of these nutrient-packed meals in your kitchen? While trying, did you give any of these recipes an interesting tweak? Do share (in the comments section below) if your child enjoyed this meal plan – Mamta and the parentune team is eager to hear about your experiences and experiments!                              

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Disclaimer: This is an awareness drive powered by Horlicks to emphasise the importance of micronutrients in a child’s diet.