Preparing for the cold months must be at the top of your mind, especially if you have a toddler (1-2 years of age) at home.
When it comes to the winter season, you want your toddler to stay as warm as possible to avoid catching a seasonal cold or flu. A balanced, nutritious diet plays a very important role in building your toddler’s immunity and keeping them warm during winter.
Children, especially toddlers, are fussy eaters. You have to sneak food into their meals all the time, and only moms understand how tough this is.
If you're having trouble keeping your toddler on track with healthy living, here are some tips on winter foods.
1. Proteins: High protein foods like eggs, dairy, soy and sprouts help in raising your body temperature. This is because the body has to work harder to break down these proteins compared to carbohydrates or fats.
Thus, the body uses and creates more heat. Add proteins first thing to the breakfast as boiled or poached eggs, sprouts or a besan cheela.
2. Vitamin C: Vitamin C helps boost immunity and its regular intake helps to keep seasonal flu, cold, cough at bay.
Include citrus fruits like oranges, lemon, sweet lime, guava, etc., in your toddler’s daily diet.
Amla or Indian gooseberry can also be given in candy form or its juice can be added to any fresh fruit or vegetable juice. It can also be given in a dried form.
3. Vitamin D: According to a study, vitamin D deficiency is related to low immunity and the occurrence of upper respiratory tract infections such as cold and cough. Include fatty fish like herring, salmon, trout and whole eggs in your toddler’s diet.
For vegetarians, you can add butter/butter oil, fortified milk, and cereals.
Daily exposure to sunlight in the morning between 8 to 10 am for at least 15 minutes is necessary for adequate vitamin D absorption.
4. Ginger: Ginger helps relieve cold, flu, cough and even asthma (a condition in which the airway narrows and swells, causing breathing difficulty).
You can add a little ginger juice to the glass of milk your little one drinks.
Ginger can be added practically to all foods including curries, soups, dals, even desserts. You can also try giving ginger candy to your toddler.
5. Carrots: These are a winter favourite. Thus, make sure your toddler has a carrot every day in some form or the other.
One carrot almost provides for a day’s requirement of vitamin A (helps to improve vision, immune system, and cell growth) of a toddler.
Carrots are not only full of antioxidants (substances that protects cells from damage) but also have a direct role in the functioning of the immune system.
You can give your toddler carrots in soup, vegetable, halwa or kheer form.
6. Sesame and Flax Seeds: These are traditionally consumed for the warmth/heat they produce in your body after consumption. These are also an excellent source of omega-3 fats, vitamin E which help in keeping up the immunity during winters.
You can roast and grind these seeds and add it to porridge or soups. You can even give Tahini sauce (sesame sauce) on chapattis, bread or as a dip for vegetable sticks.
7. Nuts: Since your toddler will feel hungrier in the winter months, you can give them nuts such as walnuts, almonds, peanuts, pistachio to snack on. These generate heat in the body and provide essential nutrients too.
You can make chikis, or add them to any dessert or porridge your little one eats. You can even powder them and add them to milk. If your toddler is prone to nuts allergy, then check with your paediatrician for alternate options.
8. Dried fruits: Dates, raisins, figs, prunes and other dried fruits are powerhouses of energy for your toddler during winter. Feeding dried fruits at least once a day provides them extra energy.
Nutrients like iron keep up the haemoglobin levels. Also, the high fibre content in dried fruits will prevent constipation which is common in winters.
9. Jaggery: You can include jaggery instead of white sugar, wherever possible, in your toddler’s diet. Jaggery boosts immunity as it contains antioxidants and zinc.
It also provides relief from symptoms of cold and cough. Jaggery is rich in iron and can prevent your toddler from becoming anaemic (a condition in which the red blood cells are low).
10. Soups: Nothing can beat the warmth of a bowl of hot soup on a winter evening. Vegetable soups provide loads of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
You can make any of these for your little one - a mixed vegetable, tomato-carrot, spinach-pea or a chicken or mutton soup.
Add an egg yolk or some moong dal to enhance its nutritional value along with a dash of ginger and garlic.
11. Nutmeg (Jaifal): It can create warmth within your toddler’s body and maintain their body temperature. Crush a little nutmeg with warm water and add it to your toddler's milk, it will help beat cold and cough.
You can also make a dried powder and add it to the soup or veggies your toddler eats.
12. Garlic: Like ginger, garlic is also used in a variety of dishes in India for its medicinal properties.
You can add crushed garlic to your little one's meals, including, soups, dals and other vegetables.
It creates warmth in the body and helps combat cold.
13. Water: Water is as essential as other nutrients to regulate body temperature during winters. During winters, toddlers and children tend to drink less water, but make sure that your little one drinks adequate water to regulate and maintain their body temperature.
It also helps in the absorption of many nutrients and keeps constipation away.
If your toddler rejects food on the first try, don't give up. It takes around ten attempts for a baby to become used to a flavour or taste. They usually decline food due to its texture, so you may experiment with changing things around and altering its form.
Disclaimer: This article is written by the Practitioner for informational and educational purposes only. The content presented on this page should not be considered as a substitute for medical expertise. Please "DO NOT SELF-MEDICATE" and seek professional help regarding any health conditions or concerns. Practo will not be responsible for any act or omission arising from the interpretation of the content present on this page.