5 ways to make milk healthier and tastier for kids

Milk is regarded as the complete food for kids as it has the right amount of calcium, protein, fat, carbohydrates and other essential minerals – all the nutrients that are crucial for a child’s overall development.

“Many kids tend to develop food fascism and aversion to drinking milk, says Dr Mohd Amir, Senior Consultant- Neonatologist and Paediatrician at Cloudnine Group of Hospitals, Gurgaon.

There are a lot of ways to make milk tastier, more enjoyable and nutritious. Dr Mohd Amir suggests some easy and fun ways to improve the taste and nutrition value of milk.

1. Milk shakes and smoothies

Fruit smoothies or shakes can make milk interesting and also improve its nutrition profile. Commonly used fruits are mango, strawberries, banana and chiku, but practically any fruit can be blended with milk to make a tasty and healthy combination. Adding fruits to milk increases the fibre content along with mineral and vitamins. Fruits are the most natural ways to detox the body and flush out harmful toxins.

2. Dry fruits and nuts

Almonds, raisins, dates, walnuts, pistachios or cashews are the commonly used dry fruits. One can also add candied dry fruits like raspberry/blueberries to make the milk’s taste more enjoyable. Dry fruits are nutrient-dense and add good amounts of fibre, vitamins and minerals to the milk.

3. Turmeric milk

The turmeric and milk combination works great for colds and coughs, as both are rich in antioxidants. One can offer turmeric milk once in two weeks or whenever the child has cold symptoms. It is apt for the rainy and winter season rather than summer. This turmeric milk can be given to toddlers after one year. Start with a small amount initially and always use organic pure turmeric powder to prepare.

4. Cereals mix

Milk can be used as a cooking medium for almost any cereals to make porridges. This can make sure, the child not only gets protein, minerals, calcium and vitamins from milk but also carbohydrates and other mineral/vitamins from cereals. Few examples are ragi malt, oatmeal, urad milk mix, suji mix porridge.

Different combinations can be tried depending on what your child likes. Natural sweeteners like dates or honey can be used and preferably artificial sugars should be avoided.

5. Avocados hash with honey milk mix

Avocados are rich source of protein, fats, multiple minerals and vitamins along with dietary fibre. It is also rich in antioxidants and combined with honey it also helps boost immunity, relieves constipation and also provides a good taste.

“Routine use of milk supplement powders which are readily available in market should ideally be avoided and stress should be given more on making homemade food more nutritious,” concludes Dr Amir.

Source: Hindustan Times