Ayurveda, the science of life, emphasizes the importance of food rather than medicines in the healthy life of a person. Food (ahara) is considered as mahabhaishajya (supreme medicine). The diet pattern to be followed from the newborn itself is clearly mentioned. Ayurvedic texts consider balya (childhood) up to 16 years and are classified into 3- ksheerada (breastfeeding), ksheerannada (both milk and foods), annada (food eating). For a breastfeeding baby, the food to be introduced first should be fruit juice (phalaprasana) then other foods are introduced (annaprasana).
In the balachikitsa context, a number of nutritious foods prepared using ayurvedic ingredients are mentioned. The growing age of a child needs food rich in proteins, vitamins, minerals and other essential nutrients. Many of the cereals, pulses and spices that we use in day-to-day life are of high nutritive value. Milk and milk products like ghee are recommended for daily use in children.
Here are some delicious recipes…
- Healthy baji using leaves like Malabar spinach (upodika), and Mexican mint (panikoorkka). The batter is made with wheat flour, corn flour, salt, a little pepper powder, and egg. The tender leaves are dipped in this batter and fried well.
- Modakas:
- Dates, banana, Madhuka flower, green gram (one part each), sugar candy (8 parts) – First 4 ingredients to be steam cooked, ground and shallow fried in ghee. It is then added in a concentrated sugar candy solution and made thick upto thandupaka (one string consistency). Then switch off the fire and a pinch of cardamom, cinnamon and pippali to be added. After cooling, add honey for taste.
- Powdered almond-1 part, popped rice (laja churna)-1 part, powdered sugar candy-3 part, yasti churna-1 tsp Sugar candy solution is to be made with double the quantity of water and concentrated. On attaining thandupaka (one-string consistency), the almond powder is added and stirred well. When it gets thicker, laja churnam is added. Switch off the fire, add yasti churna and mix well.
- Rice dumplings (Kozhukatta):
For covering-1 part rice powder plus 1 part njavara rice powder was used.
For the filling- coconut, jaggery, and cardamom. Along with that addition of green gram, chickpea, and banana makes it tasty and protein-rich.
- Adding Beetroot, Carrot and leaves of Spinach, Fenugreek, Drumstick etc. while preparing dosa, makes it nutritious and attractive.
- Chutney combinations using black gram, toor dal, fried tender stem of Asthi sringhala etc., enhances nutritive value.
- Use of sesame seed balls (ellunda), and peanut candy as evening snacks.
- Soups can be prepared using goat’s meat, juice of pomegranate and gooseberry, green gram, kulatha, yava, pippali and pepper powder(small onion fried in ghee can be added)
- A healthy juice recipe(tasty and boosts immunity):
Juice of gooseberry (4-5), Mexican mint leaves (2-3), ginger (a small piece), lemon juice, salt (a pinch), honey and water (sufficient quantity).
Special points to note:
- Try to follow a regular food schedule for the child.
- Keep an attractive food presentation for children (by decorating with coloured vegetables and fruits, creating shapes of animals etc.)
- Avoid junk foods, carbonated drinks, refined sugar, baked and deep-fried foods /minimize the use as much as possible.
