Eat Right: Introduce your tiny tot to the world of gastronomical delight

There is an adage: You eat with your eyes first. Any food that doesn’t look appealing will not be tasted. And this is so true when it comes to making the tiny tots eat their meals. It is also wrong to assume that their child will not eat a particular food.

A mother took a vow to introduce her newborn baby to 100 different foods before she turned a year old. From bottle gourd to chicken to spinach to carrots, to all kinds of fruits, the baby has eaten all and with relish.

The mother made a list of foods she wanted her child to eat. These were healthy and nutritive and as time passed they were ticked off one by one. Today, the toddler eats everything including chilies!

Agrees Komal Nathani, headmistress of Rhythms Kinderworld in Greater Kailash II. The preschool serves a meal to toddlers that are healthy, wholesome, and yet attractive to look at. “Parents come to me and say that their toddler doesn’t eat this food or that. And I tell them it is wrong to summarise that their child won’t eat a particular food. Kids are very adaptable. They love to try new things. It is important to inculcate good eating habits because they will stay with the child forever. The only thing is to make the food look attractive,” Nathani said.

Make the roti in the shape of a smiley or a vegetable sandwich that has a smiley face on top. Involving the kid in some of the cooking processes like kneading the dough will improve his/her motor skills. Over Christmas, involve them in decorating their cookies or help bake a cake. “When the child is involved, he/she will also take ownership of the dish and would love to eat it as well,” Nathani stressed.

And that is exactly what this preschool does. For example, during Christmas, the kids will be involved in baking a cake. This is a Montessori activity. It is the parents who need to introduce their kids to the gastronomical world. Encourage the kid to do some activity at home as well like shelling peas.

During Janmashtami, the kids were involved in making coconut laddoos which they relished later. When Gurupurab was around the corner, the kids were given karha prasad and puri. With each festival, we introduce a new food variety. For Independence Day, the preschool made tri-coloured idlis which the toddlers loved.

“Since we have kids from all communities we serve vegetarian food that is sans garlic and onion. We also don’t use food colouring. For red, we use beetroot, for green we use spinach, and so forth. Food safety is of prime importance here. We ensure that parents don’t give their kids any kind of packaged food; these are full of preservatives. Toddlers take time to build immunity. They need nutritive food,” Nathani stressed.

Portion control is another area where young parents need to give child space. No kid goes hungry. If he/she is hungry, they will ask for food. Also, Nathani advises parents to not fill their child’s plate. As long as the child is energetic and playful don’t force-feed him/her. “Serve small portion; let him ask for another serving rather than wasting food,” she said.

It should never be about quantity but quality. A toddler must get his/her share of minerals, vitamins, nutrients, carbs, fat, and protein. This means fruit, salad, milk, and a diet that has veggies and carbs.

“While most people will balk at giving their kid a pizza, I say why not. Make the base with wheat flour and add lots of veggies and top it with cheese. The veggies can be grated and mixed with the sauce and used. Now that winters are here, we makke ki roti and sarson ka saag on the menu. Of course, with modifications. The saag is pureed and cottage cheese is added which kids love. The roti is rolled into small smiley faces. Kids love this too,” Nathani said.

There is no one formula that fits all kids. The aim is to make them at least try it. “This can only be done if it looks attractive. Also, always taste the food before you serve it to them. If you like, they will like it too. Also lead by example. You can’t expect your toddler to eat daal-chawal while you are eating pizza and fries,” Nathnai said.

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“It should never be about quantity but quality. A toddler must get his/her share of minerals, vitamins, nutrients, carbs, fat, and protein”

–Komal Nathani, headmistress, Rhythms Kinderworld, Greater Kailash II