Give a healthy twist to that morning meal!

With the advent of school year, parents start the struggle to make children’s breakfast not just tasty but also healthy. SAPNA SARFARE shows them the way to make their kids stay active with food

The year has freshly started for parents all over the country and the struggles to be school-ready is making every parent go bonkers. On top of that, it is about trying to make their energetic kids eat their most vital meal of the day – their breakfast. Most make do with feeding them cornflakes or plain old sandwiches or even omelets. But why should the kids suffer? As it gets tough to make your child to eat anything especially breakfast and schools already begun, chefs suggest healthy, yet tasty, breakfast ways and recipes which can be prepared easily.

Going tough

Any parent will nod in agreement that making a healthy breakfast for their kid is tough. You have to think of taste and the kid’s finicky stance. Chef Deepak Yadav, who is the Pastry Chef at Courtyard by Marriott Gurugram Downtown, calls breakfast the most important meal of the day. “Preparing a healthy breakfast for kids is almost like an impossible task since parents are frantically running around the house searching for homework assignments, tying shoelaces and making sure the kids brush their teeth. However, parents must dedicate some time and prepare some interesting recipes loved by kids. For instance, pancakes are one of the few delicacies loved by all kids, so we can make it healthy by using the key ingredients of whole-wheat and fresh fruits. Another preparation would be a grilled vegetable sandwich along with almonds which is a rich source for healthy fats and vitamins.”

Aditya Sanghavi is the founder of Snackible, a snacks brand aiming to make healthy snacking tasty, accessible and affordable. He states, “Most parents are working and have little time for any meal preparation for their kid and therefore rely on breakfast cereals, which are preservative filled, and perhaps white bread with more preservative filled jams etc., which obviously doesn’t give their kids the wholesome nutrition they need to keep them going through the day. Another reason making a healthy breakfast for kids is tough is because a healthy breakfast might not always appeal to their taste buds.”

Ingredients for healthy breakfast

You have to understand ingredients which really complete the healthy breakfast kit. Aditya feels the right amount of complex carbs and fiber, as found in oats, perfectly fits the category of a great breakfast. “Protein rich foods like eggs or fat rich foods like milk and almonds are ideal. It is also recommended to include antioxidants and fiber rich dry fruits like walnut and raisins, amongst others.” Yadav follows up the advice with suggestions to choose oats and idlis which are a perfect and nourishing option. “In addition, the ingredients necessary for a child’s nourishment and growth can include granola, yoghurt, bran, buckwheat, cut fruits and fresh vegetable juice.”

Just take care

It is always great if you put in a little bit of care to make the healthy breakfast better for the kids. Yadav states the obvious that kids feel tired, irritated or restless, if they skip their breakfast. “Parents should select a good combination of a morning meal which must include whole grains, fibers and proteins. Presenting the morning meal in new and innovative ways can interest the child to try new things. Also making a cyclic menu for kids to avoid repetition becomes a significant aspect.”

Aditya further recommends parents to actively avoid food items that are too oily. “It is also recommended to avoid white bread and perhaps replace it with gluten free bread or brown bread.”