Easy and Healthy Recipes Your Kids Will Love

Nutrition plays a key role in life from the very beginning. While breastfeeding covers a baby’s nutritional needs early on, as children grow, their bodies require more to support healthy growth and development. The challenge many caregivers face is that children can be picky eaters, making it tough to ensure they get a variety of essential foods like millet, legumes, leafy greens, and nuts.

To make mealtime more appealing, it’s important to offer meals that not only provide energy and nutrients but also look inviting. Children especially need nutrients like protein for growth and omega-3 fatty acids for brain development. Whether preparing main meals, snacks, or desserts, incorporating these nutrients from different food groups can go a long way in promoting a child’s health.

1. Finger Millet Muffins

• Preparation time- 10 minutes
• Cooking time- 30 minutes
• Serving- 10 pieces

Ingredients:

• Finger Millet (Ragi) – 75 g
• Refined flour- 75 g
• Curd- 190 g
• Butter- 38 g
• Oil- 56 g
• Sugar- 125 g
• Baking powder- ¾ tsp
• Baking powder- ¼ tsp
• Cashews for garnishing
• Vanilla essence- few drops

Instructions:

• In a bowl, cream the butter and oil together by gradually adding the sugar until the mixture becomes light and fluffy.
• Next, add the curd and vanilla essence, and mix well.
• Sift all the dry ingredients, including the baking powder and baking soda, twice to ensure they are well combined.
• Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture using the cut-and-fold method.
• Pour the batter into a well-greased and dusted tin, and sprinkle cashews on top.
• Tap the tin gently 2-3 times to release any air bubbles.
• Bake in the oven at 180°C for 30 minutes.

Nutritional benefits:

• Finger millet, also known as Ragi, is a complex carbohydrate, and a good source of fiber and micronutrients including calcium.

Tips:
To make the recipes healthier, use vegetable oils such as sunflower oil, soybean oil, safflower oil, or sesame oil instead of vanaspati or margarine. For complete protein quality in a meal, it’s best to combine a cereal or millet with a pulse or legume in the recipe.

2. Beetroot Pancakes

• Preparation time: 10 minutes
• Cooking time: 15 minutes
• Servings: 4 pieces

Ingredients:

• Chickpea flour (gram flour) – 1 cup
• Grated beetroot – 50 g
• Yogurt – ½ cup
• Sesame seeds – 1 tbsp
• Red chili powder – ¼ tsp
• Asafoetida – a pinch
• Salt to taste
• Water – 2 cups
• Oil for cooking

Instructions:

1. Peel and grate the beetroot, then set it aside.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the chickpea flour, sesame seeds, and spices.
3. Add the grated beetroot and yogurt, mixing thoroughly.
4. Gradually add water, whisking continuously to form a smooth, lump-free batter.
5. Heat a flat pan over medium heat and lightly grease it with oil.
6. Once the pan is hot, pour a ladleful of batter onto the pan, allowing it to spread slightly.
7. Cook until one side is done, then flip and cook the other side until golden brown.
8. Stack the pancakes and serve hot with green chutney or ketchup.

Nutritional Benefits:

• Chickpea flour is a good source of protein and provides energy to the meal.
• Beetroot offers important micronutrients like biotin and folate.
• Yogurt acts as a probiotic, promoting healthy gut bacteria.
• Sesame seeds are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which have anti-inflammatory properties.

3. Idli Sandwich

• Preparation time- 10 minutes
• Cooking time- 20 minutes
• Serving- 5 pieces

Ingredients:

For Idlis (Steamed Rice Cake)

• Semolina (Rava) – 1 cup
• Curd- 1 cup
• Salt to taste
• Baking soda- ¼ tsp

For stuffing-

• Boiled potatoes- 3 (medium sized)
• Capsicum- 1 (chopped)
• Boiled peas- 2 tbsp
• Onion- ½ (chopped)
• Green chilli- 1 (chopped)
• Coriander leaves- 1 tbsp
• Ginger- 1 tsp (chopped)
• Red chilli powder- 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder- 1 tsp
• Coriander powder- 1 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Oil- 1 tbsp

For garnishing-

• Oil- 1 tsp
• Black mustard seeds- 1 tsp

Instructions:

1. Place the semolina (rava) in a bowl. Add yogurt and salt. Mix well and cover. Let it sit for 10 minutes.
2. Heat oil in a pan, add onions, garlic, and green chilies. Sauté for a minute.
3. Add all the vegetables and stir. Add spices and salt, mixing everything together. Cook on low heat for 2 minutes.
4. Add the boiled and mashed potatoes to the vegetable mixture and combine well. Turn off the heat and set the mixture aside.
5. Now, add baking soda to the semolina batter and mix thoroughly. Add some water to achieve a batter of pouring consistency.
6. In a large pan, place a steaming rack and add 2 cups of water. Cover the pan and bring the water to a boil.
7. Grease 2-3 small steel bowls and pour the idli batter into them, filling each bowl halfway.
8. Place the steel bowls on the steaming rack, cover the pan, and steam the idlis over medium heat for 6-7 minutes. Check the idlis with a toothpick after 6 minutes to ensure they are cooked through.
9. Remove the idlis from the pan and let them cool for 2 minutes before demolding. Cut each idli horizontally.
10. Place 2 tablespoons of the potato filling on one half of each idli, and gently press the other half on top to form a sandwich.
11. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds.
12. Place the idli sandwiches in the pan and sauté for a minute on each side until lightly golden.
13. Serve the hot idli sandwiches with green chutney or peanut chutney.

Nutritional benefits:

• Semolina (rava) is a good source of carbohydrates with a decent amount of fiber, helping to provide a feeling of fullness.
• The different vegetables in the recipe offer various vitamins and minerals, such as iron and vitamin C.

-Shivani Goel is a master’s student in Applied Nutrition, passionate about writing poems and articles on food and nutrition.