Mom Nurture

Eggless Chocolate Brownie | Brownie Recipe | Easy Eggless Brownie Recipe

Madhabi Raiguru — Sun, 23 May 2021 16:43:03 +0000

This eggless chocolate brownie using whole wheat toast is a simple and easy dessert recipe.

I had a few extra packs of whole-wheat toast, which were nearing their expiry dates. So, I thought of making these eggless brownies using those, and the outcome was amazingly delicious brownies that deliver a perfect chocolaty experience.

This recipe is another brilliant addition to my list of dessert recipes using leftovers.

Eggless Chocolate brownie Recipe

Eggless Chocolate Brownie

Prep Time: 15 mins | Cook Time: 25 mins | Ready In 40 mins

DRY INGREDIENTS

Whole wheat toast, coarsely grounded – 1 cup

Cocoa Powder – 3 tbsp

Baking powder – 1 tsp

Baking soda – ¼ tsp

Chopped walnuts – ¼ cup

Chocolate chips – ¼ cup

WET INGREDIENTS

Ripe Banana – 1 small

Milk – ½ cup

Powdered Sugar – 1/3 cup

Oil – 1/3 cup + 2 tsp for greasing

Curd – 1/3 cup

Vanilla extract – 1 tsp

PROCEDURE

Preheat the oven to 180 deg. C.
In a mixing bowl, mix all the dry ingredients except walnuts and chocolate chips.

In another bowl, mash the banana. Add oil, powdered sugar, and whisk until the sugar dissolves in the mixture.
Add curd, vanilla extract, milk, and mix everything well.

3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix using a large spoon or spatula. Now fold in the chocolate chips and chopped walnuts.

4. Grease a baking tin and dust some flour. Transfer the batter to it, smooth it to the corners, and bake for 20-25 mins.

5. When the top begins to crack means the brownie is ready. Take it out from the oven and let it cool.

6. Now delicious chocolaty brownie is ready to serve.

Eggless Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cookies

Madhabi Raiguru — Wed, 03 Mar 2021 11:55:09 +0000

These eggless crunchy and chewy red velvet cookies are the most delicious way to serve beetroot to your kids. Kids love to eat in colors. These gorgeous pink color beetroot cookies are perfect for your kid’s evening snacks or early morning breakfast with a cup of milk.

Instead of serving the store-bought cookies, I prefer baking cookies at home on weekends which last for almost a week. Homemade cookies are preservative-free and healthy. So, I baked these eggless beetroot cookies last weekend with my little one. We had a great time.

STEP BY STEP EGGLESS RED VELVET CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE RECIPE

Prep Time: 1 hr 15 mins Cook Time: 15 mins Ready In: 1 hr 30 mins

INGREDIENTS:

Coarsely Grounded Oats flour – ½ cup
Whole Wheat Flour – 1 cup
Baking Powder – 1 tsp
Baking Soda – ½ tsp
Cinnamon powder – 1 tsp
Peanut Butter – ¼ cup
Banana – 1 medium
Oil – 1/8 cup
Brown Sugar – ¼ cup
Organic White Sugar – 1/8 cup
Beetroot(grated) – 1/2 cup
Milk – ¼ cup
Vanilla extract – 1 tsp
Chocolate chips – 2 tbsp

PROCEDURE:

1. Whisk the flours, cinnamon powder, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium mixing bowl and keep aside.

3. Mash the banana in a large mixing bowl. Whisk peanut butter, oil, sugar until the sugar dissolves in the mixture.

4. Add vanilla extract, milk, and grated beetroot. Mix everything well.

5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix using a large spoon or spatula. Now fold in the chocolate chips.

6. The dough will be soft and sticky. Cover the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for an hour. This step is necessary. Don’t skip this one.

7. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C(350 F) and line a baking tray with parchment paper and set aside.

8. Scoop out 1 tablespoon of the cookie dough and make a small ball. Place them on the parchment paper and press it a little. Repeat the process for the remaining dough.

I baked the cookies in two batches, as I had a small baking tray. If you have a larger tray, you can bake all the cookies at once.

9. I pressed the top of the cookie with a whisk to make it a little interesting for my little one. You can skip this step.

10. Bake these cookies for 12 – 15 minutes. Make sure not to overbake.

11. Remove from the oven and leave them on the baking tray for some time. Transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Store them in an airtight container. These cookies will last up to a week.

Eggless Whole Wheat Carrot Muffins

Madhabi Raiguru — Wed, 10 Feb 2021 12:21:32 +0000

It was Sunday morning and everyone else in the house was still in their sleep mode. When I saw that bunch of fresh carrots that we got from the market the day before, I started craving carrot muffins already.

Fresh Carrots

I am obsessed with muffins! So, I try experimenting with different ingredients to make the muffins taste different each time. With carrot in season, I thought of trying my hands-on baking these eggless carrot muffins. And those were so yummy that it didn’t last for even two days.

Carrot is a versatile winter superfood. It is an excellent source of vitamin A. It contains a significant amount of other nutrients such as vitamin C, vitamin K, potassium, calcium, magnesium, B vitamins, and dietary fiber.

Health benefits of eating carrot:

Boost Immune system
Supports eye health
Lowers blood cholesterols
Helps in constipation
Good for your heart

Now let’s see the step by step procedure involved in making Eggless Carrot Muffins.

Eggless Carrot Muffins Recipe

Prep Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 25 mins Ready In: 40 mins

INGREDIENTS:

Whole wheat flour – 1 cup
Organic sugar – ¼ cup
Brown sugar – ¼ cup
Carrot, grated – 1 cup
Cooking oil – ¼ cup + 2 tbsp (for greasing)
Curd/Plain yogurt – 1 cup
Walnuts, chopped – ¼ cup
Baking powder – 1 tsp
Baking soda – ½ tsp
Cinnamon Powder – 1 tsp
White chocolate chips(optional) – 1 tbsp
Salt – a pinch
Vanilla essence – 1 tsp

PROCEDURE:

Preheat the oven to 180 deg. C. Meanwhile, wash, peel, and grate the carrots. Keep aside.
In a mixing bowl, mix all the dry ingredients like flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon powder.

3. In another mixing bowl whip curd, and oil, using a whisk. Add sugar and mix until the sugar is dissolved.

4. Line a muffin tray with muffin liners. If you don’t have a muffin liner, thoroughly grease the muffin tray mold with oil.

5. Add the mixture of dry ingredients and mix gently using a spatula. Don’t overmix or beat the mixture. Add chopped walnuts, white choco chips, and grated carrots.

6. Finally, add the vanilla essence and mix gently.

7. Pour batter until ¾th of the mold. Bake it for 20-25 mins or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

8. Let it cool on a wire rack for some time. Once it comes to room temperature, you can store it in an airtight container for 2-3 days.

NOTES:

You can replace brown sugar with white sugar.
I used sunflower oil. You can use any cooking oil.
Instead of walnuts, you can use any dry fruits of your choice. Walnuts go well with muffins.
Adding white chocolate chips are optional. You can skip it.

Now you have the perfect crunchy from outside and soft from inside muffins ready to serve. These are perfect for your kid’s evening snacks. Not only kids but your entire family are going to love these.

Try making these muffins and tag me on Instagram @momnurture.

The Most Effective Time Management Tips For Moms

Madhabi Raiguru — Sat, 26 Sep 2020 17:40:14 +0000

Sometimes I feel we moms should have extra few hours in a day. You must be feeling the same. Right?? But unfortunately, we don’t have that privilege.

Whether you are a working mom, a stay-at-home mom, an entrepreneur, a blogger, a freelancer, a writer, or in whatever profession you are, being a mom feels like less time and so many roles and responsibilities to juggle.

You are overwhelmed with a long to-do list, going back and forth, and confused about which one to finish first and which next. You have little or no time for yourself.

You feel exhausted, stressed, and burnt out in the process.

Sounds relatable??

So, let’s see how you can manage your responsibilities within those 24 hrs and still can have time to pursue your hobbies or passion, with some simple time management tips.

Tip #1. Write Out Your Plan For The Day

The most effective way to manage your time is to write out your plan for every single day. Writing down the plan gives you clarity about the day and clears out your brain. When you keep everything on your head, your brain gets cluttered and tired of remembering a long to-do list. So, you lose focus on the task you are doing.

Research says, when you write down your goals and plans, your brain sends action signals to your body and keeps you motivated to stick to your plan.

So, free up your brain by writing down your plan for the day in a notebook or planner.

Download this weekly planner printable and start organizing your days.

Tip #2. Use Time Blocking

Time blocking helps manage your time better. Time blocking is a time management system, where you divide your day into blocks of time.

Starting from the time you wake up in the morning till you go to bed, create a schedule for the entire day and block time for each task.

Let’s break it down step by step.

First, make a list of the tasks that are parts of your daily routine like shower, breakfast, lunch, etc. and block time for each of these tasks.

For example,

6 am – Wake up

6 am-7 am – Morning rituals

8 am-8.30 am – Breakfast

Now, you can visualize how much time is remaining after blocking time for your daily routine tasks.
Brainstorm the tasks that you have to do apart from your daily routine and create a to-do list.
Now pick 2 or 3 most important tasks from your to-do list and block time for each of these tasks.

Tip #3. Set Priorities

Figuring out what matters most is key to effective time management.

All you need to do is know your priorities and plan your day wisely.

I found the Eisenhower Matrix by Dwight D. Eisenhower the most effective while setting my priorities.

The matrix has four quadrants.

Let me help you understand what each quadrant stands for.

Divide your tasks into these four categories

Urgent and Important – Do it now.
Not Urgent but Important – Schedule it.
Urgent but not Important – Delegate or ignore it.
Not Urgent and Not Important – Limit or avoid it.

Quadrant – I (Urgent and Important)

The tasks which have short deadlines and may result in negative consequences if not done on time belong to this category.

For example,

Paying bills
Taking your sick child to the doctor
The task with a strict deadline

Quadrant – II (Not Urgent but Important)

These are the tasks that are not urgent, but the most important things to do.

For example,

Exercise
Cooking healthy meals
Spending time with your kid
Meal planning
Household chores
Your personal development
Working towards achieving your goal

All of these tasks are not urgent, but these are your top priorities. If you don’t exercise or cook healthy meals, your health will be at risk. If you don’t spend time with your kid, he/she will feel neglected. If you don’t plan your meal, then your week will be stressful thinking about what to cook, and you may end up eating unhealthy.

So, the tasks in this quadrant demand all your attention. You need to invest your time wisely here.

Quadrant – III (Urgent but Not Important)

The tasks that seem to be urgent, but not important belongs to this category. These are the tasks where most of your time gets wasted. So, completely ignore these until you have finished the tasks in quadrant-II.

For example,

A notification on your phone that your friend has posted an update on social media.
A not so urgent call.

A notification gives you a sense of urgency making you feel tempted to act upon it instantly.

But please hold on and ask yourself….

Is that urgent??

Are you going to put your phone back after checking your friend’s update??

And most probably the answer will be NO.

You will end up scrolling through other posts as well. And, sometimes you might end up checking your emails and other apps too.

Does it sound relatable?

So, there are a few ways you can avoid such distractions.

Turn off your phone notifications.
Keep your phone in silent mode while you are working on your most important tasks.

Quadrant – IV (Not Urgent and Not Important)

These are the tasks that have no or the least priority.

For example,

Watching T.V
Spending too much time on social media
Mindlessly browsing internet
Chatting with friends
Gossiping on phone

You don’t need to omit these tasks completely if you enjoy doing these. But be mindful of how much time you spend on these.

Watching TV, surfing the internet may be relaxing, but not when you have a pile of dishes to be cleaned.

What you can do instead, listen to music or podcasts, talk on the phone while doing household chores like cooking or cleaning. Watch your favorite show while folding clothes.

Tip #4. Wake Up Before Your Kids

Waking up before your kids wake up helps you start your day with more clarity. I was not at all a morning person before I became a mom. But now I love those peaceful hours in the morning. I devote this time to myself. It’s my ME time. I finish my morning rituals, go for a walk, have my morning drink in peace, make a healthy breakfast, and I am ready to give my full attention to my kid once he wakes up.

Tip #5. Plan Your Meal

Planning your meal not only saves time but has several other benefits too.

It helps save money
Reduces food wastage
You eat healthily by incorporating a variety of food into your diet.
Reduces multiple trips to the grocery store

If you feel overwhelmed while planning your meal, then this article might help you.

How To Plan A Balanced Diet For A Vegetarian Kid? A Step-By-Step Guide

Tip #6. Delegate Tasks

Don’t try to do everything by yourself. You will feel burnt out. Try delegating fewer priority tasks to other family members. Encourage your kids to do age-appropriate chores. Your kids will be happy to help you.

Tip #7. Be Flexible

While it is important to stick to your plan, you need to be flexible enough to accommodate the unexpected things you may face like kids falling sick, kids skipping their naps, etc.

With a little planning, you can manage your time in the most efficient way.

How To Discipline A Child Without Yelling Or Punishing?

Madhabi Raiguru — Sun, 06 Sep 2020 19:31:46 +0000

Are you struggling to get your child to listen to you?

Do you feel it is difficult to discipline your child without yelling or punishing?

Today I will share a few strategies and tips that I follow to disciplining my child without yelling or punishing.

1. Connect with your child

When you connect at a deeper level with your child, you get to understand him or her better and can find the root cause behind such behavior of your child. When a child feels deeply connected with you, he or she willingly follow what you have to say.

I have experienced this with my child. He listens to all my instructions and follows it happily. No, not because I am lucky, but because I have a strong positive connection with him.

So, try replacing punishment with connection and see the magic happening.

2. Establish a routine

Kids love routine. They behave well and stay calm when they know what’s next. Creating a daily schedule and sticking to it will help your child feel more in control. Stick to it even on weekends and holidays.

3. Show Empathy

Understand what your child is going through and acknowledge his or her feelings. Put aside your own feelings to see the situation through your child’s eyes. Be empathetic towards your child. Use empathetic statements like “I am sorry”, “I understand”, “I know”, etc.

4. Listen to your child

Everyone wants to feel heard and a child is no exception.

If you want your child to listen to you, then you need to listen to him or her first. What your child says may sometimes sound silly or unimportant to you, but still, you should pause and listen to him or her.

When a child feels heard, he becomes more receptive and listens better, and also develops respect for you.

5. Praise and reward your child

Praise every good act of your child. If you praise your child for his good behavior, then he will do it more often to get your attention.

Start a reward system. For example, give your child a star immediately after each good behavior. Once they achieve their required number of stars, reward them with a treat. The treat can be anything like visiting the zoo, offering them their favorite food, telling one extra story at bedtime. This technique works wonderfully. You will soon notice a lot of improvements in your child’s behavior.

6. Be a role model for your child

Set a positive example for your child by being careful about what you do and say. A child is very good at copying the actions of his or her parents. When he or she watches you losing temper when things go wrong, he or she is going to do the same. So, you have to be extra careful about how you react under certain circumstances.

7. Let your child be a child

We parents sometimes set a higher expectation from a child. A child can’t behave like an adult. His or her brain is still growing. He or she is still learning life skills and can’t handle all emotions as we do. So, expecting perfectionism from a child is mere foolishness. Let the child be a child. Let them enjoy their childhood.

Share in the comments section below the strategies or tips you follow to disciplining your child.

How To Improve A Child’s Immunity Naturally

Madhabi Raiguru — Fri, 14 Aug 2020 18:00:13 +0000

Are you worried about your child falling sick now and then due to an allergic cough or cold? Have you tried every method possible to improve your child’s immunity, but in vain?

Improving a child’s immunity is not rocket science and no medicine will improve your child’s immunity. Medicines can help treat a cough and cold, but they can’t prevent your child from falling sick again. To improve your child’s immunity you need to incorporate a few lifestyle changes. So, let’s dig deep into this topic.

How do you know your child has a Weak Immune System?

Getting a cold and flu doesn’t indicate that your child has a weak immune system. However, getting sick more frequently and if the sickness lasts more than a week then, that indicates a weak immune system.

Every time a child’s immune system fights off an infection on its own, the natural way without any interference or suppression, his/her immune system gets stronger.

Signs of a Weak Immune System:

Below are the signs that might indicate a child has a weak immune system.

If a child falls sick frequently and takes longer to recover
If a child has digestive issues like poor appetite, diarrhea, etc.
If a child feels always tired
If a child has a sleep disorder
If the wound takes longer to heal
If there is a delay in the growth and development of a child
If a child is not having a daily bowel movement
If a child is not active

If your child is experiencing any of these then, you should work on improving his/her immunity the natural way. Let us first understand what immunity is?

What is Immunity?

In simple words, immunity is protection from diseases. Immunity is our body’s ability to recognize different types of foreign bodies like bacteria, viruses, germs, or any toxic substances to prevent them from causing diseases.

There are two types of immunity:

Natural Immunity
Acquired Immunity

What is Natural Immunity?

The immunity that is naturally existing. Natural immunity is immunity due to the possession of suitable genetic characteristics rather than immunity produced in response to a vaccine.

What Is Acquired Immunity?

Acquired immunity is immunity arising from exposure to antigens. Acquired immunity develops in response to an infection or vaccination, or by the transfer of antibodies from an immune donor.

What can cause a weak Immune System?

The immunity of a child is not as strong as an adult. A child’s immune system is not fully developed until the age of 7 to 8 years.

An unborn baby receives antibodies from the mother through the placenta in the 3^rd trimester of pregnancy. This gives the baby some protection when they are born.

However, the mother’s immunity level determines the type and amount of antibodies passed to the baby.

This passive immunity passed on from the mother at the time of birth doesn’t last long and starts to decrease in the first few weeks.

Several factors affect the immunity of a child.

Poor diet
Lack of sleep
Poor gut health
Not enough physical exercise/outdoor playtime
Certain vitamin deficiencies like vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin A, vitamin E, iron, folic acid, selenium, and zinc.

What can I do to improve my child’s Immunity?

And the answer is by making a few lifestyle changes you can substantially improve your child’s immunity. Let’s look at the factors that contribute to building a strong immunity of a child.

Breastfeeding and Immunity

Breast milk contains protein, fats, sugars, antibodies, and probiotics. Breast-fed babies have better immunity than formula-fed babies.

If you are a new mom, then to increase your baby’s immunity you should consider breastfeeding for at least six months.

Breastfeeding in the initial years contributes towards the immunity of a child.

For some reason, if you couldn’t breastfeed your baby, then no worries mamas, still you can work on your child’s immunity. Continue reading to know-how.

Balanced Diet and Immunity

Poor nutrition can harm the immune system. So, it is necessary to give your kids a balanced diet that includes a variety of seasonal fruits and vegetables.

Certain nutritional deficiencies such as vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E, selenium, zinc, iron, and folic acid weakens the immune system, thus making the child more susceptible to various infections.

Get your child’s vitamin levels checked regularly. Check with a pediatrician if your child needs any nutritional supplements.

Sleep and Immunity

Lack of sleep can affect a child’s immune system. When we sleep our immune system produces protective substances like cytokines and antibodies. Without sufficient sleep, a child’s body produces fewer cytokines, thus weakening the immune system.

A child needs quality sleep each night for better immunity.

Recommended sleeping hours for children of different ages:

Age	Recommended hours of Sleep
0-3 months	14-17 hrs
4-11 months	12-15 hrs
1-2 years	11-14 hrs
3-5 years	10-13 hrs
6-13 years	9-11 hrs
14-17 years	8-10 hrs

Recommended hours of sleep for different age groups

For better immunity make sure your child is getting the recommended hours of sleep as per his/her age. A regular sleep schedule will help you achieve that.

Gut Health and Immunity

A healthy gut will strengthen a child’s immune system. Gut health affects how the immune system will respond to foreign microbes like viruses and bacteria entering the body.

A balanced diet, enough sleep, and exercise can increase gut health.

Certain medications like antibiotics, kill the good bacteria and damage the gut.

Outdoor playtime and Immunity

Make sure your child spends plenty of time playing outside. Regular sun exposure will help in making vitamin D, which plays a crucial role in strengthening the immune system.

A child should play at least for an hour daily outside. Not only this does strengthen his immune system, but also it improves mood, releases stress, and contributes towards the overall development of a child.

What are the home remedies to boost the Immune System?

Along with a healthy lifestyle, balanced diet, and proper sleep, there are a few home remedies you can try to boost your child’s immunity.

Chewing 5-6 tulsi leaves daily on empty stomach helps improve immunity.
Indian spices like black pepper, clove, dry ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, carrom seeds, ginger, garlic, etc. help to improve immunity. Try to incorporate these spices into your kid’s daily diet.
Stress weakens the immune system. Give your child a daily massage with sesame oil or any massage oil to help release stress and sleep better.
Drinking a cup of warm turmeric milk before bedtime may help improve immunity.

Conclusion

Immunity is not something that can be swallowed in a pill or drink. It is the result of a good diet and a healthy lifestyle.

6 Healthy And Kid-Friendly Beetroot Recipes

Madhabi Raiguru — Sun, 02 Aug 2020 14:37:27 +0000

Beetroot is one of those monsoon vegetables that is nutritionally rich and is a great source of many vital nutrients like manganese, copper, potassium, iron, phosphorous, vitamin C, Vitamin B6, folate, and fiber.

beetroots

There are numerous health benefits of eating beetroot

It is rich in antioxidants
Boosts immunity
Helps fight inflammation
Improves digestion
Improves skin health
Boost stamina
Helps support brain health

Apart from so many health benefits beetroot is delicious and easy to incorporate into your diet. It is best to eat this raw, but kids may not like it because of its earthy taste. But no worries mamas, here are seven tried and tested kids-approved beetroot recipes which you can include in your kid’s diet this rainy season.

1. Eggless Beetroot Pancake

Eggless Beetroot Pancake

Pancakes are an all-time favorite among kids and with the addition of beetroot, it becomes more nutritious. So here is the recipe:

Ingredients Needed:

Beetroot – 1 small
Banana – 1 medium(overripe)
Wheat flour – ½ cup
Oats flour – ½ cup
Jaggery(grated) – ½ cup
Cinnamon powder – 1 teaspoon
Milk – 1 cup
Clarified butter/ oil – 1 tablespoon
White sesame seeds – 2-3 tablespoon

How To Make?

Firstly in a mixing bowl mash banana and then add grated beetroot, grated jaggery, oats flour, wheat flour, cinnamon powder, and mix well.

Now slowly add milk and give it a good stir. While adding milk make sure there are no lumps formed. It should be smooth flowy consistency.

Heat a nonstick pan and grease with clarified butter or oil. Pour a ladle full of pancake batter. Do not spread it.

Sprinkle some sesame seeds on top of it. Cover the pan and let it cook for 2-3 mins on low to medium flame. Now flip it and let it cook for another 2 mins.

The pink delicious pancake is now ready to serve. Top it with sliced banana and honey and serve.

2. Beetroot Khichdi

Beetroot Khichdi

Khichdi is a complete nutritious meal in itself. Here is the recipe for beetroot khichdi.

Ingredients Needed:

Rice – ½ cup
Masoor Dal – ¼ cup
Beetroot – 1 small
Onion – 1 small
Garlic – 5-6 pods
Tomato – 1 small
Clarified butter/ghee – 2 teaspoons
Cumin seeds – ½ teaspoon
Turmeric – ½ teaspoon
Garam masala powder – ½ teaspoon
Corriander powder – ½ teaspoon
Salt – as per taste
Water – 3 cups

How To Make?

Wash rice and masoor dal and soak it in water for 10-15 mins.

Finely chop onion and garlic.

Thoroughly wash, peel, and chop the beetroot. Chop the tomato.

Heat ghee in a pressure cooker.

Add cumin seeds and once it splutters add onion and garlic. Saute well.

Once the onion turns translucent add chopped tomato and a little bit of salt. Once the tomato becomes soft add turmeric powder, coriander powder, garam masala, and saute for 1 min.

Now add beetroot and saute again.

Add soaked rice and dal. Mix everything well.

Now add water and stir it.

Close the lid and cook till three whistles in a high flame and one more in low flame.

Now switch off the gas and let the pressure subside on its own. Then open the lid and serve the delicious khichdi with a teaspoon of ghee on top of it.

3. Beetroot Smoothie Bowl

Beetroot Smoothie Bowl

The protein-packed beetroot smoothie breakfast bowl is perfect for your busy morning. Here we go.

Ingredients Needed:

Beetroot – 1 small
Banana(frozen) – 1 medium
Dates – 6-7 numbers
Greek yogurt – ½ cup
Curd – ½ cup
Coconut milk – ½ cup(optional)
Chia seeds – 2 tablespoons
Sugar – 1 tablespoon / as per taste

How To Make?

For frozen banana, peel a banana, cut it into slices and keep it in the freezer in an airtight freezer-friendly container for at least 8 hours.

Thoroughly wash, peel, and cut the beetroot into small pieces.

Discard seeds from dates.

Coconut milk is optional. You can skip this if you don’t have it.

Put everything into a blender jar and blend it to a smooth consistency.

Now serve this delicious smoothie with fruits and cereal of your choice.

4. Beetroot Raita

Beetroot Raita

One of the simplest ways to serve beetroot to your child is beetroot raita. You can serve it as a side dish with the main meal.

Ingredients Needed:

Beetroot – 1 small
Fresh Curd – 1 ½ cup
Water – ¼ cup
Salt – as per taste
Chaat masala – 1 teaspoon
Cumin powder – 1 teaspoon

How To Make?

Wash, peel, and grate the beetroot and keep aside.

In a mixing bowl, add yogurt, salt, cumin powder, chaat masala, and whip the mixture well.

Add the grated beetroot and mix well. Sprinkle some chaat masala on top of it.

Now serve this delicious raita with paratha, pulao, or rice as a side dish.

5. Beetroot Paneer Paratha | Paneer Stuffed Beetroot Paratha

Beetroot Paneer Paratha

Instead of serving normal paratha try to add some vegetables and paneer to make it a complete meal. Beetroot Paratha is healthy and yummy too. This is one of the favorite breakfast options for my little one.

Ingredients Needed:

For Dough-

Whole wheat flour – 1 cup
Beetroot(grated) – ½ cup
Ginger(grated) – 1 teaspoon
Salt – As per taste
Sesame seeds – 2 teaspoons
Dry mango powder(amchur) – ½ teaspoon
Oil – 1 teaspoon

For Stuffing-

Paneer(grated) – ½ cup
Kasoori methi(crushed) – 1 teaspoon
Corriander leaves(finely chopped) – 2 tablespoon
Salt – ½ teaspoon
Chaat masala – ½ teaspoon

How To Make?

In a mixing bowl put wheat flour, salt, sesame seeds, dry mango powder, and mix well.

Add the grated beetroot and start kneading. Add water if required while kneading.

Knead to a soft and smooth dough. Cover and keep aside.

Now for the paneer stuffing, take grated beetroot in a small mixing bowl. Add kasoori methi, chopped coriander, salt, and chaat masala.

Now make medium-sized dough balls from the dough. Take one dough ball and flatten it using your palm.

Now put 2-3 tablespoon of the stuffing on top of it. Now pleat the edges and bring them together at the center and slightly press.

Flat-it with your finger and dust some flour.

Gently roll to a paratha. Sprinkle flour as required while rolling the paratha.

Heat a Tawa and place the paratha on it. Let it cook in medium to high flame for a few minutes. Then turn the paratha and spread some oil on top of it.

Flip the paratha again. Now spread some oil on this side too and flip it. Now the paratha should start puffing.

Now flip once more and let the paratha to cook evenly.

Serve the beetroot paneer stuffed paratha hot with curd or raita.

6. Beetroot Idli

Beetroot Idli

Adding beetroot to the regular idlis gives a nice pink color to it making it a great breakfast or snack option for kids.

Ingredients Needed:

Idli batter – 2 cups ( To make around 20 medium-sized idlis)
Beetroot – 1 medium-sized
Salt – As per taste
Cumin Powder – 1 teaspoon
Oil – ½ teaspoon

How To Make?

Wash the beetroot thoroughly, peel, and grate it.

Take the idli batter in a mixing bowl. Add grated beetroot, salt, and cumin powder to it. Mix well.

Grease the idli mold with oil and pour the idli batter into it.

Steam it for 10 -15 mins. Let it cool and slowly take it out with a spoon.

Now serve these lovely pink idlis with coconut chutney.

Kids love varieties and all these beetroot recipes mentioned here are healthy, delicious, and kid-friendly. Serve these to your kids and those little tummies will thank you for this.

14 Nutrient-Rich Monsoon Vegetables In India To Include In Your Kid’s Diet

Madhabi Raiguru — Wed, 22 Jul 2020 17:07:47 +0000

After the hot summer season, there comes the rainy season with the cool breeze and greenery all around. But, because of the excess moisture content in the air during monsoon, kids become susceptible to many fungal and viral infections.

So, we need to work on boosting their immunity to keep them healthy and less vulnerable to diseases like cold and flu. Seasonal fruits and vegetables are rich in phytonutrients that help fight infections.

So, here is a list of monsoon vegetables you must include in your kid’s diet.

1. Bitter Gourd(Karela)

Bitter gourd is rich in vitamin C and vitamin A. It also contains a small amount of folate, potassium, iron, and zinc.

Health Benefits:

Boosts immunity
Helps in growth and development
Controls blood sugar levels and cholesterol levels

2. Bottle Gourd(Lauki)

Bottle gourd is rich in vitamin c and fiber. It also contains a small amount of potassium, calcium, and magnesium.

Health Benefits:

Aids digestion
Good for skin
Helps to fight off diseases

3. Pointed Gourd(Parwal)

The pointed gourd is rich in vitamin c. It also contains a small amount of vitamin A, potassium, iron, and dietary fiber.

Health Benefits:

Reduce constipation
Improves digestion

4. Teasel Gourd(Kantola)

Teasel gourd is rich in protein, and iron. It also has a good amount of vitamin A, vitamin B2, magnesium, and phosphorous.

Health Benefits:

Supports the immune system
Improves eye health
Maintains the health of your bones and teeth
Promotes growth in children

5. Apple Gourd(Tinda)

Apple gourd is rich in vitamin C. It also contains a fair amount of several other vitamins and minerals like vitamin A, vitamin B6, potassium, manganese, iron, calcium, zinc, iodine, and phosphorous.

Health Benefits:

Prevents constipation
Aids digestion
Flushes out toxins from the body
Good for heart
Helps maintain healthy skin and hair

6. Lady’s Finger(Bhindi)

Lady’s finger is rich in vitamin C and vitamin K. It is packed with fiber, vitamin A, vitamin B6, folate, and magnesium. It is also high in antioxidants.

Health Benefits:

Prevents anemia
Boosts immunity
Have anti-cancer properties
Helps lower blood sugar level
Good for pregnant women

7. Eggplant(Brinjal)

Brinjal contains a decent amount of several vitamins and minerals like vitamin K, vitamin C, folate, manganese, magnesium, phosphorous, and potassium. It also has a good amount of fiber.

Health Benefits:

Helps lower blood sugar levels
Prevents brain damage
Good for your heart

8. Cucumber(Khira)

Cucumber contains many vitamins and minerals like vitamin C, vitamin K, calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorous, folate, and fiber.

Health Benefits:

Helps lower blood sugar levels
Prevents brain damage
Helps maintain gut health
Hydrates body

9. Spinach(Palak)

Spinach is loaded with nutrients and antioxidants. It is an excellent source of vitamins and minerals like vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin A, iron, calcium, and folic acid.

Health Benefits:

Boosts bone health
Lowers blood pressure
Helps fight constipation
keeps nails and hairs healthy
Treats anemia
Good for your eyes

10. Sweet Potato(sakkarkand)

Sweet potato is an excellent source of vitamin A. It is also rich in vitamin C, B vitamins, manganese, potassium, copper, and a significant amount of fiber.

Health Benefits:

Supports the immune system
Improves eye health
Reduce inflammation
Promotes gut health and Improves digestion
Reduce the risk of cancer

11. Tomato(tamatar)

Tomato is a good source of several vitamins and minerals, like vitamin C, vitamin K, potassium, and folate.

Health Benefits:

Beneficial for skin and hair
Rich in antioxidants
Good for your heart
Improves the digestive system
Boosts immunity

12. Beetroot(Chukandar)

Beetroot contains a range of vital nutrients, such as manganese, copper, potassium, phosphorous, iron, vitamin C, vitamin B6, folate, and fiber.

Health Benefits:

Rich in antioxidants
Promotes optimal health
Reduce inflammation
Aids digestion
Boosts immunity
Boosts energy level

13. Carrot(Gajar)

Carrot is an excellent source of vitamin A. It contains a significant amount of other nutrients, such as vitamin C, B vitamins, vitamin K, potassium, and dietary fiber. It also contains a small amount of magnesium and calcium.

Health Benefits:

Supports eye health
Lowers blood cholesterol
Good for your heart
Helps ease constipation
Boosts immune system

14. Radish(Muli)

Radish is a good source of vitamin C. It also contains a small amount of potassium, calcium, magnesium, zinc, copper, phosphorous, manganese, sodium, vitamin K, B vitamins, and folate.

Health Benefits:

Supports digestive health
Improves immunity
Good for your heart
Prevents constipation
Improves skin health

Knowing what’s in season can help you eat right and stay healthy. So make a note of these vegetables and make sure to include these in your meal plan this season.

A Consolidated List Of Indian Fruits By Season With Their Nutritional Benefits

Madhabi Raiguru — Thu, 25 Jun 2020 14:46:16 +0000

In today’s time, when most of the fruits and vegetables are available throughout the year, it’s difficult to distinguish between seasonal and non-seasonal. Seasonal fruits taste best and are high in nutrition. Knowing what’s in season can help you eat right.

Here is a consolidated list of fruits available in India with their season and nutritional benefits.

Raw Mango(Season:Mar-Apr)

Raw mango is one of the healthiest fruit available in the early summer. It is rich in vitamin C and vitamin A. It also contains a small amount of folate, vitamin k, vitamin E, and B vitamins.

Health Benefits:

Due to its high vitamin C content, it boosts immunity
It keeps your body cool
It treats digestive problems like constipation, indigestion, acidity, nausea, morning sickness.
It helps to keep the skin and hair healthy
It balances the hormones in your body
It flushes out toxins from your body and keeps the liver healthy.

Ripen Mango(Season:May-Aug)

This most loved summer fruit is available from mid-summer till the early rainy season. It is an excellent source of vitamin C. Apart from this it also contains several other nutrients like folate, vitamin A, B vitamins, vitamin E, vitamin K, magnesium, potassium, manganese, and phosphorus.

Health Benefits:

It boosts the action of the immune system against diseases.
It helps with digestion
It promotes healthy weight gain in kids.
It improves eye health and prevents heart diseases.
It helps to keep the skin and hair healthy

Watermelon(Season:Mar-Jun)

This red juicy summer fruit is available from March till June. It is high in antioxidants. It has many other nutrients including vitamins and minerals like vitamin C, vitamin A, B vitamins, magnesium, and potassium.

Health Benefits:

Due to its high water content, it keeps your body hydrated
It improves heart health
It prevents cancer
It has anti-inflammatory properties and protects your bone
It keeps your skin and eyes healthy

Grape (Season: Jan-Apr)

This pulpy juicy fruit is available from winter till the early summer. It is rich in antioxidants and contains a significant amount of vitamin K.

Health Benefits:

It improves heart health
Lowers blood pressures
It has anti-inflammatory properties
Keeps bowel movement regular and treats constipation
It keeps your skin and eyes healthy

Orange (Season: Nov-Apr)

Orange is available from pre-winter till the early summer. It is an excellent source of vitamin C and fiber. It also contains a small amount of potassium, folate, and B vitamins.

Health Benefits:

It improves heart health
It contains a high amount of citric acid and prevents kidney stone formation.
Because it is high in vitamin C and citric acid, it helps the absorption of iron and prevents anemia.

Pineapple (Season: Nov-Apr)

Pineapple is available from pre-winter till the early summer. It is an excellent source of vitamin C and manganese. It also contains other vitamins and minerals like B vitamins, copper, folate, magnesium, and potassium. It is rich in antioxidants.

Health Benefits:

It improves immunity
Helps with digestion
Reduce the risk of cancer
Ease inflammation in the body
Good for your skin and acts as a stress buster

Banana(Season: Jan-Dec)

This most popular fruit is mostly available in all seasons. It is a good source of vitamin B6, vitamin C, and potassium. It also contains a good amount of fiber.

Health Benefits:

It improves digestive health
It supports heart health
It is rich in antioxidants and helps fight off diseases
It reduces the risks of kidney diseases

Muskmelon(Season: Mar-Jun)

Muskmelon is available in the summer season from March to June. It is an excellent source of vitamin A and vitamin C. It also contains a good amount of fiber.

Health Benefits:

Due to its high water content, it keeps your body hydrated
It supports heart health
It is rich in antioxidants and helps fight off diseases
It may prevent cancer
It helps lower blood pressure
Improves skin health

Strawberry(Season: Nov-Apr)

Strawberry is available from early winter till early summer. Strawberries are rich in vitamin C and manganese.

Health Benefits:

It helps prevents heart disease
It helps reduce the risk of cancer
It prevents constipation
It reduces the risk of blood sugar spikes
Reduces the risks of high blood pressure

Jackfruit(Season: Mar-Jun)

This summer fruit is an excellent source of vitamin A and vitamin C. It also contains a significant amount of manganese, potassium, magnesium, and B vitamins. It provides a good amount of protein.

Health Benefits:

It protects against diseases
It improves heart health
It protects your skin from sun damage
It keeps bowel movement regular
It controls blood sugar
It may prevent cancer
It helps lower blood pressure

Pear(Season: Mar-Jun)

Pear is a good source of Fiber. It also packs in some good amounts of vitamin C, vitamin K, B vitamins, potassium, magnesium, and copper.

Health Benefits:

It aids digestion
It improves heart health
It prevents constipation
It reduces the risk of cancer and type2 diabetes

Indian Plum/Jamun(Season: Mar-Jun)

This summer fruit is loaded with vitamin C. It also contains a fair amount of iron, magnesium, and B vitamins.

Health Benefits:

It improves digestion
It helps in weight loss
It improves oral health
It manages diabetes

Lychee(Season: May-Jun)

Lychee is rich in vitamin C. It is also an excellent source of iron, phosphorous, potassium, copper, manganese, and B vitamins.

Health Benefits:

It enhances immunity
It aids digestion
It helps maintain blood pressure
It reduces the risk of cancer and manages diabetes

Apple(Season: Jul-Dec)

Apples are one of the most loved fruits. Although apples are available all year round, the peak season is from July to December. Apples are rich in fiber and also contain a range of other nutrients like vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin E, potassium, and B vitamins.

Health Benefits:

It promotes good gut bacteria
It enhances immunity
It can help fight asthma
It is good for bone health
It helps manage blood pressure
It helps maintain blood pressure

Guava(Season: Sep-Feb)

Guava is an excellent source of vitamin C and dietary fiber. It also contains other nutrients like vitamin A, vitamin B6, potassium, and magnesium.

Health Benefits:

It aids digestion
It lowers blood sugar levels
It enhances immunity
It is good for your heart and skin
It helps prevent cancer

Pomegranate(Season: Oct-Feb)

Pomegranate is loaded with important nutrients. It is rich in vitamin C and vitamin K. It also contains several other nutrients like iron, magnesium, potassium, vitamin B6, and dietary fiber.

Health Benefits:

It reduces inflammation in the body
It helps fight breast cancer
It helps lower blood pressure
It helps fight bacterial and fungal infection
It improves heart health
It helps improve memory

Papaya(Season: Sep-Feb)

Papaya is extremely healthy and loaded with vitamin A and vitamin C. It also has a significant amount of folate, potassium, and dietary fiber. It also contains smaller quantities of some other nutrients like vitamin K, vitamin E, B vitamins, calcium, and magnesium.

Health Benefits:

It keeps your skin and eyes healthy
It prevents asthma
It helps prevents cancer
It aids digestion
It reduces inflammation in the body

Custard Apple(Season: Jul-Feb)

Custard apple is an excellent source of vitamin C, vitamin B6, and dietary fiber. It also contains iron, magnesium, calcium, potassium, and protein.

Health Benefits:

It boosts your mood and reduce the risk of depression
It improves eye health
It improves digestive health
It reduces inflammation in the body
It boosts immunity
It prevents high blood pressure

Sweet Lime(Season: Nov-Feb)

Sweet lime is a good source of vitamin C. It also contains several other nutrients like iron, calcium, vitamin B6, and fiber.

Health Benefits:

It improves immunity
It promotes digestion
It increases iron absorption
It improves skin and hair health
It prevents kidney stones

Kiwi(Season: Nov-Dec)

Kiwi is an excellent source of vitamin C. It also has a significant amount of potassium, vitamin B6, vitamin K, folate, magnesium, calcium, and dietary fiber.

Health Benefits:

It boosts the immune system
It improves digestion
It improves eye health
It helps treat asthma

Dates(Season: Nov-Dec)

Dates are the powerhouse of nutrition. They are an excellent source of fiber, potassium, magnesium, copper, manganese, iron, and vitamin B6.

Health Benefits:

It prevents constipation
It helps reduce blood sugar
It promotes brain health
It helps maintain bone health
It is rich in antioxidants and helps fight off diseases.

Besides the health benefits, fruits that are produced in season are better for the environment and easier on your wallet. Eating seasonally means your diet changes every month and you eat a variety of fruits throughout the year.

6 Essential Nutrients And Their Sources For Vegetarians

Madhabi Raiguru — Thu, 18 Jun 2020 14:56:04 +0000

There are six essential nutrients required for our body to function well. If you follow a vegetarian diet that includes dairy products, then this post can help you with the sources for essential nutrients required for a balanced vegetarian diet.

So, let’s see what are the six essential nutrients.

1. Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are macronutrients that provide energy to cells and tissues in the body.

vegetarian sources:

All types of grains
Vegetables like potato, sweet potato, peas, corn, pumpkin, carrot, beans, tomato, broccoli, cumber
Fruits like apple, banana, orange, grapes, pineapple, berries
Soy, milk, and milk products

2. Protein

Protein is also a macronutrient, important for the growth and repair of body cells. It keeps skin, bones, muscles, and organs healthy.

vegetarian sources:

Milk and milk products
Tofu and soy milk
Grains like oats and quinoa
Nuts, seeds, peanut butter, almond butter
Beans and lentils
Vegetables like spinach, cabbage, mustard greens, broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, peas, sweet corn, potato, sweet potato

3. Fats

Fats are macronutrients essential to provide your body energy and help the body absorbs vitamins like vitamins A, E, D, and K. It also helps produce hormones.

vegetarian sources:

Nuts and seeds like walnuts, almonds, cashews, chia seeds, flax seeds
Fruits like coconut and avocado.
Oils like sunflower oil, soybean oil, wheat germ oil, canola oil, coconut oil
Cheese, butter, clarified butter, mayonnaise
Soybeans, soy milk, tofu

4. Vitamins

Vitamins are micronutrients. Our body needs vitamins to maintain good health and fight off diseases. There are 13 essential vitamins like vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, B vitamins( vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B3, vitamin B5, vitamin B6, vitamin B7, vitamin B9, and vitamin B12.

Vitamins like A, D, K, and E can be stored in our bodies. So, we don’t need a daily supply of these vitamins. But we need a daily supply of vitamins like B vitamins(e.g, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B3, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12) and vitamin C as our body can’t store these vitamins.

vegetarian sources:

whole grains and enriched grains
fruits and vegetables
dairy products
nuts and seeds

5. Minerals

Minerals are chemical elements that help different parts of our body to function properly. Minerals also help in making enzymes and hormones. Our body needs a larger amount of minerals like calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, sodium, potassium, chloride, and sulfur. But minerals like iron, manganese, copper, iodine, zinc, fluoride, selenium, and cobalt are called trace minerals and our body needs them in a very small amount.

vegetarian sources:

whole grains and enriched grains
fruits and vegetables

6. Water

Water is a vital nutrient that our body needs. Water is the main constituent of our body, as 60% of our body weight is made of water. Drinking enough water throughout the day keeps our body hydrated, flush out toxins from our body, helps in transporting nutrients.

All the above six nutrients are essential for our body to stay healthy. A vegetarian who eats a balanced diet can get all the above essential nutrients.