Are you providing ideal diet to your children?
miim recommends parents to provide seasonal food habits to their children
The young generation is often found fond of junk foods, and avoid seasonal food. Actually all parents should insist upon their children to be familiar with seasonal foods, and winter is the best season when all vegetables are available.
Eating with the season:
Modern food processing and worldwide distribution have made every variety of fruit and vegetable available all year-round. But traditionally, vegetables and fruits have been seasonal. And research suggests that eating with the season is healthier as there is a variation in the nutrient content of veggies when they are harvested off-season.
And that’s why we bring to you a list of veggies, fruits, and nuts that have traditionally been available during the winter months:
Top 10 Fruits, vegetables and nuts available in the winter months:
1. Oranges:
Winter is the season for fresh citrus fruits and oranges are our top pick here. This tart-sweet fruit packs in a load of the very essential vitamin-C — that helps your body in its fight against germs; in addition to potassium, folate, minerals, and fiber. What more, you ask? It’s low in calories too! Have you started eating them yet?
2. Apples:
Well, we have all heard it — “An apple a day, keeps the doctor away.” This otherwise super-expensive fruit is available in plenty during the chilly months, which makes it more affordable. Bite into one for your mid-day snack, and reap its benefits!
3. Carrots:
Next on our list are carrots. This root vegetable has more carotene (what the body converts to vitamin-A) than any fruit or vegetable. In addition, carrots are an excellent source of vitamins B, C, D, E and K, as well as calcium pectate (a pectin fiber that has cholesterol-lowering properties). Make gajar (carrot) halwa or eat them raw, this one is a must have.
4. Mustard leaves (sarson):
A winter crop, the mustard plant’s leaves are highly nutritious. The young tender leaves of the plant are flavorful and very popular in the state of Punjab. Fresh mustard greens are an excellent source of several vital antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and carotenes. Include the goodness of these leaves in your diet this winter season.
5. Peas:
Add them in your pulav or make some yummy muttar panner (peas and cottage cheese gravy). Peas, with their sweet taste and starchy texture come loaded with phytonutrients that provide us with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits. Further, recent research shows that these legumes can help prevent stomach cancer.
6. Turnips:
The best turnips come to the market in this season. A root vegetable about the size of an apple, turnips pack in insoluble fibre, folates, vitamins and minerals. This root vegetable has a rather pungent taste, which becomes mild after cooking.
7. Spinach:
It’s counted among the world’s healthiest veggies, thanks to its nutrient richness. Vitamins, minerals, carotenoids and a host of flavonoids that offer antioxidant protection — this leafy vegetable — have them all. Whether you choose to make some palak paneer(spinach and cottage cheese gravy), or just stir fry it, make sure you’re eating this one!
8. Fenugreek leaves:
We all know it better as methi, loaded with vitamins, minerals, fibre and phytonutrients. It can lower cholesterol, help keep your diabetes under check and more. Make those methi parathas, today!
9. Radishes:
Radish, a root crop that is pungent or sweet in taste is available in plenty during winter. This root vegetable has a lot of roughage and is a powerhouse of potassium, folic acid and ascorbic acid. Eat it raw, make parathas, sambhar or whatever.
10. Peanuts:
A source of vitamins, potassium, protein, carbohydrates, calcium, and fat — peanuts are good for you in so many ways. Roast or boil some peanuts and have them with your tea this chilly evening or make some peanut burfi, because they freshly arrive in the winter season.
Fridays when I had volunteer duty at the school, and "fast-food Friday" was born. My girls are now in colleges, and believe it or not, I still do this. (Apparently, they're willing to brave the embarrassment of meeting their mom at the front of the school if it means getting a break from bag lunches.)
The way I see it, this is actually an exercise in moderation. By having it once a week, my girls are exposed to fast food, but it isn't standard fare. They've also learned how to make healthier fast-food choices. Fast-food Friday often consists of sandwiches on whole-grain buns, bean burritos, or vegetable-topped personal pizzas.
2. Drink No More Than 1 Diet Soda a Day
You find soda everywhere in our culture, whether you're at a fast-food restaurant, gas station, vending machine, or a friend's house. Some people limit sugary drinks but allow themselves boundless diet sodas. This may seem like a great solution, considering that 41% of the added sugar in the diets of children and teens comes from beverages. In fact, a study found that teens get 327 calories a day from sugary sodas, teas, and energy drinks. But instead of replacing sugary drinks with diet versions, I would rather keep my intake of diet soda and artificial sweeteners to about one drink per day. It leaves more room for hydrating water and healthy green teas!
If you enjoy diet sodas, as I do, try limiting your intake to one can when you want it the most during the day (for me, that's right after lunch or mid-afternoon). So yes, you'll find diet sodas in this dietitian's refrigerator -- but you'll also find plenty of alternatives like mineral water, lots of tea options, freshly squeezed orange juice, and low-fat milk.
3. Pizza Night!
A dietitian, who counsels people with eating disorders, participates in a weekly "pizza night" with her family of four.
Sound surprising? The truth is that pizza can definitely be a better choice if topped with vegetables instead of fatty meats, especially if it comes on whole grain pizza crust. Ask for extra pizza sauce. (It's rich in photochemical from the tomatoes.) Serve the slices with a green salad or some fresh fruit for a more balanced, fiber- and nutrient-rich meal.
Since children doing secondary classes are more addict to junk food, parents are required to take extra care of them so that over dose or improper diet can not come in their ways to establish bright future.
miim the image management institute while teaching students on their subjects, also elaborates importance of proper diet so that they may do their studies in proper way.
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Atul Malikram
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