Food & Nutrition
Health & Fitness
Education
Parenting Preparedness
School can be very hectic for kids as they attend from 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Apart from tiffin and lunches provided in school, your kid needs proper nutrition through quick snacks, which recover lost energy and rejuvenate tiredness for other sports and tuition.
It is common for students to be very lazy and tired after school because they have been doing all the activities continuously after a small tiffin break of an hour.
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Different snacks impact your kids' health and energy differently. It is essential to select the right kind of snack, so your kid has plenty of energy in the evening to carry out other extracurricular activities after school.
These snacks are healthy and easy to make, boosting energy and increasing concentration. With the diet you provide them, make your kids all-rounders. Make them intelligent and sharper than ever!
Easy And Healthy Snacks to Boost Energy and Concentration
1. Green Salad
A yogurt-based green salad of cucumber, capsicum, and other hydrating vegetables can easily make nutritious snacks. Not only is it perfect for summer, but it is also very energizing. Many vegetables have memory-enhancing elements that you can include in your salad.
Spinach, and mint are other types of greens that you can add to your green salad. For choice of protein, you can add lots of paneer or chicken, seasoned according to your kid's liking.
Add walnuts for crunch, a great source of memory and concentration. For salad dressing, drizzle a little bit of honey or make a yogurt-based dressing. Bread croutons are also an amazing option if you want them to be crispier and refreshing. Soup on the side can make a fuller meal.
2. Fruits
Different types of fruit, like pineapple or banana, are excellent energy sources because of their natural sugar content, which provides instant energy from fructose. As a parent, you can always shower your kid with lots of fruits as a snack when they return home from school.
It is a common tradition in India to cut fruits and serve them to the kids while they are studying so that they get instant energy while eating something healthy and concentrating for long hours.
Anjeer and mangoes are also great snacks because they are hydrating and have a lot of sugar. If you like, you can also make a fruit bowl with oranges, watermelon, and any vegetable of your kid's choice. A bit of honey and chilli powder can enhance the taste, making it more enticing.
3. Sprouts
Did you know that sprouts are very energy-packed and nutritious? Different kinds of sprouts have hydrating properties because the root tentacles carry 90% water and 10% fiber. Not only are those roots tasty, but they also give a new taste to the soaked lentils.
To make a good snack from sprouts, you first need to wash the sprouts carefully and then add a little bit of onion and tomato. You can also add peanuts if you like, and then you need to add salt and some lemon juice to make a spicy mix.
Feel free to add some heat if your kid likes spicy food. If you don't want it in a salad version, make sure to fry these sprouts, adding onions and green chilies with salt and lemon juice.
4. Chillas
Chillas are a delicious and easy snack that is full of energy. Chickpea flour or besan is used to make the chillas, a good energy source. One can top it up with almonds, which also enhances concentration.
While making chillas, you can add different kinds of vegetables as your kid likes, such as onion, tomatoes, capsicum, beans, and other vegetables. You can serve your chillas with palm jaggery, which improves memory and concentration. If your kid doesn't like besan, you can switch it to rice flour or sooji.
5. Peanut Salad
Peanuts are also a very good energy source, and they sharpen your kids' minds. Peanut salad is spicy and full of tamarind chutney and mint chutney mixed with onion, tomato, and chili. One can also add mint leaves to make it more refreshing and healthier. It is a perfect snack for hot days when your kid doesn't feel like eating anything.
Another way to make peanut salad is to mix the peanuts with pineapple and tomatoes. Pineapple and tomatoes add a very tangy but fruity flavor to them, which is sweet and spicy. You can also add cucumbers instead of mint to make it more hydrating and less minty.
Now that you know about various healthy snacks which you can serve to your kid after a very hectic day at school, don't hesitate to serve them regularly and include them in the diet. Explore different variations of these snacks to find something the whole family likes!
The views expressed are that of the expert alone.
