The nip in the air or harsh winters, depending on which region you belong to, also come with food cravings, exercising less, staying indoors more, and lack of sunlight and water consumption. No matter the season, these factors adversely affect your child’s well-being but often worsen during the chilly weather.
Winter blues can bring down your kid’s immunity and stamina, affecting their bodies differently. How do we cope and course-correct the changes that occur in their bodies during this season? Well, nutrition plays a significant role here.
To begin with, let’s understand one ground rule — winter nutritional requirements are different from summertime; therefore, the foods (and nutrients) that work wonders in summer don’t necessarily work well in the cold season. That said, it would help to know what foods are healthy for your young one and what you can include in their lunch boxes, which will actually be eaten, if not devoured. Let’s dive into lunch box ideas for kids during winter:
1. Whole grains
The consumption of whole grains and oatmeal is an excellent inclusion in breakfast and tiffin boxes. These foods satiate hunger and leave kids feeling full for longer periods. They are also ‘feel good’ foods as they increase serotonin, stabilising their moods, making them active and staying focused for longer durations.
A good lunch-box option is to give kids jowar/bajra/ragi or makka pancakes. These variations are better substitutes than wheat and are digested better in the winter.
2. Jaggery/honey
To increase their immunity, complement these pancakes with curd, jaggery, or dal (pulse). Because of its beneficial qualities, jaggery is better than white sugar. It helps eliminate coughs and colds and fights lung infections. Rich in iron, it aids in transporting oxygen in the blood and boosting haemoglobin levels. Therefore, kids stay healthy and active.
If your child does not fancy jaggery with pancakes, give them honey, which is a good substitute. You can also provide jaggery laddoos as dessert in the lunch box. Jaggery and honey are rich in iron, a much-needed mineral. A natural sweetener, honey has better nutritional value than white sugar. Due to its warm propensity, it is better to consume honey during cold weather.
3. Yoghurt
Since it’s chilly outside, many of us (including kids) remain indoors for longer periods (than, say, during springtime or summer). We spend more time with people in closed rooms, risking our health and compromising our immunity. Exposure to air pollutants can cause inflammation, coughs, and colds. Yoghurt with honey is an excellent option for an add-on with a tiffin of fruits, eggs, and pancakes.
The other aspect is that we tend to drink less water in winter. Also, although we sweat less than we do in the summer season, fluid loss in our bodies can be as high due to dehydration and lower humidity, amongst others. Adding yoghurt to kids lunch box is a great way of maintaining the water level in the body, besides ensuring they get a healthy dose of calcium.
Another factor to note here is the strong connection between our gut and the brain. Fermented foods such as yoghurt keep the digestive system healthy by populating the gut with diverse microbes. This is, therefore, a highly beneficial food for your kid.
Don’t hesitate from giving your child yoghurt even in winter as it’s just a myth that cold yoghurt in winter is harmful. So, whip up some yoghurt dip and serve it with Veg Cutlets or add a fresh portion to muesli for breakfast.
4. Sweet potato
Another healthy food that’s also a rich source of resistant starch to keep your kid feeling satiated longer. you can make a halwa (with jaggery) or add a dash of chaat masala to peeled boiled sweet potato slices. Also, it’s an excellent prebiotic that improves gut health.