3 Key Tips for Building a Balanced and Nutritious Diet for Kids

Making young kids eat food is a constant struggle for parents. You’ll often hear “I don’t want to eat”, “I’m full”. Yet, you need to provide your kids with a nutritious diet daily while keeping in mind that a balanced diet is not just about filling the tummy, it’s about providing kids with adequate nutrition.

Understanding Balanced Diet for Kids

A balanced diet is a mix of nutrition foods that support kids in growth and development. It consists of carbs, protein, vitamins and minerals. You can include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, dairy products, lean meats and healthy fats in your child’s meal to create a healthy balanced diet.

After understanding the basics of a balanced diet, let’s look at a few ways you can create a balanced meal for your little one.

Tips to Make a Balanced Diet

1. Diversity is Prime

Flavour is not just important for taste but also for a balanced diet. Growing children need a diverse range of nutrients to facilitate optimal growth and development.

To provide kids with nutrition rich food, make sure they consume all food groups- Cereals, millets, pulses, fruits, vegetables, nuts, oil seeds, dairy, spices and herbs.  Give your child a colourful platter of foods as different coloured foods have different vitamins and minerals.

Pro-tip: Prepare a wholesome Paneer cheela meal. Make batter with soaked dal, add spices to it and spread it thinly on a hot pan. Use paneer shreds as the filling in the cheela and serve it with sauce or chutney. Along with it, give a bowl of fresh fruits.

2.Balanced and Moderation Is Crucial

The food children eat should include both macro nutrients and micronutrients as they play an important role in supporting the body in growth and development

• Carbohydrates

Children need an energy to complete their day-to-day tasks. Carbohydrates are their source of energy that supports them in class and on the playground. Incorporate whole wheat, ragi, unpolished rice etc in their meal.

• Proteins

These are well-known as the building blocks of the body. Proteins support immunological function which defends our body against infections. Protein rich foods include lean meats, fish, poultry, legumes, nuts and seeds etc.

• Fats

Healthy fats are necessary for kids as they provide energy, support brain development and aid absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. Healthy fats can be found in avocados, nuts, seeds, olive oil and fatty fish like salmon and trout. Avoid processed and fried food as they contain too much saturated and trans fats.

3. Track your Child’s Hunger and Fullness Cues

Encourage your kids to try new foods and eat with any distractions. These will help them know when they are actually full. Involve your children in the process of meal planning as well, so that they are more excited to eat their meals.

Kids in school have a lot going on. Along with classes and homework, they go out to play, and participate in co-curricular activities. To do these activities with full energy, kids need adequate nutrition. Many parents trust Complan to be part of their children’s regular diets.

Complan is has 100% milk protein and has 63% more protein than a leading malt based drink. It has 34 vital nutrients and is clinically proved to support 2x faster growth. It supports memory and concentration. It’s a tasty drink available in 4 attractive flavours and with every sip, children get wholesome nutrition!