Eat Right: 4 mistakes a parent needs to avoid while making healthy food for kids

We have all heard and read about the importance of eating the right kind of food; in other words to follow a healthy diet. This is because according to a report that was released by World Obesity Federation in 2022, India is expected to have over 27 million children who will be obese by 2030.

The report also said that India will have the prevalence of approximately 10.81 per cent childhood obesity among five-nine year age groups, and around 6.23 per cent prevalence of obesity among teenagers in the age group of 10-19 years.

While these alarming figures point to the fact that we must ensure that our kids are eating healthy, there are some mistakes that are being made along the way that must be tackled so that India can achieve a healthy nation@100.

According to Jaisal Kaur Sidhu, an alumna of Apeejay Svran Global School in Faridabad and a food technologist (QA) at Mrs Bectors Food Specialties (Cremica), there are a few mistakes that parents make when they introduce their child to healthy eating.

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“Remember eating healthy food doesn’t mean that one has to compromise on taste. Limiting the use of ingredients or alternatives can work wonders and your child”

-Jaisal Kaur Sidhu, Alumna of Apeejay Svran Global School, Faridabad & food technologist (QA) at Mrs Bectors Food Specialties (Cremica)

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“Healthy eating should not be a chore for the kids; it should be part and parcel of everyday diet. Parents should understand that all kinds of food are healthy. But distinction should be made between junk food and normal healthy food,” Sidhu said and lists mistakes that should be avoided at all cost.

1.       The biggest mistake that parents make is to categorise food as healthy and normal. They have to understand that all food is healthy. Never introduce food to your child and label it as healthy. All foods that are not processed are healthy. Children should not feel that just because they have been served soup and salad, it is healthy food and they have to eat it as a chore or a punishment.

Right from the beginning, the toddler should be introduced and made to eat all kinds of food – fruits, vegetables and grains like quinoa, sorghum and millets. “As they grow older when you serve them this food they will treat it as normal food that the family eats and expect as they grow older,” Sidhu explained.

2.       In the name of giving their child healthy food, parents eliminate oils, butter and ghee. This is a strict no-no. Our body needs fat. Limit its use while cooking.

“Parents will either douse the daal and the roti with ghee or totally eliminate it. The idea is to give the child a bit of everything. This will help the child to have proper nutrition which is essential in their growing up years. A good healthy diet is needed to build a strong immunity that can help fight several diseases as one gets older,” Sidhu said.

3.       Introduce your child to your own food. The child must know that daal, chawal, roti and sabzi is normal Indian food; introduce him/her to what is indigenous to your palate. Serving sandwiches, soups, and salads is good but this is not the food that Indians eat. Cook food that is locally produced.

4.       Watch the ingredients that are being used in a dish. Always look at the food label in packaged food. Most of these have a lot of salt or sugar. For example, if the parent wants to cook pasta, instead of buying ready-made pasta sauce, make it at home and add the herbs. Also, pasta and veggies should be in equal portions – 50 gm pasta and just as many different veggies if not more. If the family is non-vegetarian use a cooking technique that will need less oil like grilled or roasted chicken instead of fried.

“Remember eating healthy food doesn’t mean that one has to compromise on taste. Limiting the use of ingredients or alternatives can work wonders and your child will learn to make good food choices later in life,” Sidhu said in conclusion.