Getting toddlers to eat nutritious food

This two-and-half-year-old boy has molagapodi with his idlis, loves olives for a snack  and will sneak off blue cheese from our platter, while enjoying curd rice for lunch. I’m talking about my son.

While he has turned out to be an early epicure, a lot of kids are fussy eaters. And this often leaves parents at their wit’s end as to how to get them to meet their daily nutritional needs. Here are sample meals to kids up to seven years old to eat better.
Breakfast

Porridge is a great way to get some complex carbs and a serving of fruit/ vegetable into your kid’s stomach the first thing in the morning.  Cook dalia (finely broken wheat) or oats or rava with water in the pressure cooker.

Sweeten with jaggery, add milk, dried or fresh fruit, top with some toasted nuts (if you kid is not allergic to nuts). Or you could make the savoury version with some chopped carrot and peas tempered with cumin seeds and ground black pepper in ghee.

Or how about some breakfast pizza? Use a paratha or slices of bread as a base. Smother with homemade tomato-onion-garlic sauce, top with cheese and basil leaves and bake in a hot oven or on a hot tava for a few minutes. Slice and serve. If you love to bake, make a batch of muffins with whole wheat flour, seasonal or dried fruit and keep in the fridge. Microwave for 10 seconds just before serving with a glass of milk for a rushed morning.
Snacks

French toast with a sprinkle of cinnamon and topping of any seasonal fruit can be made in minutes to feed a hungry toddler.
Or mix toasted puffed rice with finely diced tomato and boiled potato, add chaat masala and top with fresh coriander and lemon juice. Toss with some sweet tamarind chutney. You can involve your kid to help you mix up the ‘bhel’ with all the ingredients ready on the table.

Lunch/Dinner
Rice, pasta or noodles can be mixed with a whole variety of grated/cubed vegetables and green leafy vegetables to make colourful dishes such as beetroot rice or spinach pasta. Ginger, garlic, black pepper can be used for toddlers if you are worried about using chillies.

Khichdi can be made using a combination of a variety of grains and pulses, which will provide a range of nutrients and antioxidants. Meat eaters can add chicken or mutton pieces to the khichdi too. The grains, pulses and vegetables along with a little ghee combine to make a wholesome meal.

Rotis, parathas or dosa can be filled with a variety of stuffings such as potato, paneer, radish etc. or saute a mix of vegetables along with soya granules or paneer to make a roll for older kids to pack for lunches or to eat on the go. 

Nandita Iyer is a nutrition doctor, columnist, food blogger, wannabe singer, tea towel collector & a mom