SWITCH TO HEALTHY EDIBLES FOR YOUR KIDS. KNOW WHY IT’S IMPORTANT?

My quest for natural healthy alternates for my toddler began when one of my friends forwarded me a video on WhatsApp. It was a story of a preschooler who succumbs to cancer and when the mother tries to go in depth of the cause, she realizes how much our food and market industry is loaded with these cancer-causing elements in the form of artificial sweeteners, fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated vegetable oils etc. These ingredients are commonly listed on the pack of candies, chips, bakery, and other packaged goods Well, I don't know whether it was a story based on true events but certain facts that exposed our food and market industry were definitely true. Being a dietitian although I was aware of their potential dangers it was never a concern for me as I assumed that they are present in negligible amounts in the given pack to cause a major negative health impact. Plus being a dietitian I made sure that my kitchen was not filled with much of packaged food items or junkies. However, things have changed over the past few months since my toddler developed teething. Once my baby was fiddling with my bag when she accidentally found a toffee.T he joy on her face for her discovery and then for the treat made me feel so happy that I started putting toffees in my bag daily so that she searches for it and I can see the smile on her face again. We both were addicted I feel, she to the toffees and me to her joy. My Dietitian inside me had taken a step back and the mommy was enjoying this practice, However, I realized one day, that I need to stop this as it is ultimately going to cause her teeth to decay. Just as adults, breaking addiction kids is difficult. The moment I reached home, she would ask for a toffee and throw tantrums if she would not find it in my bag.I tried getting fruits instead but it was n’t that appealing to her. So I replaced it with a small box of dry fruits, I also started gifting her storybooks on few days and few days i would simply play with her like hunting for a toffee and getting a magical coin instead, star-shaped note etc. and it worked.T he joy on her face was back and this time the cause had no side effects.

A famous toothpaste brand already promotes the harmful effects of sweets on teeth of children but what remains unpromoted is the major health impacts like the risk of childhood obesity, diabetes, heart problem or even cancer through various packaged/junk food items. A packaged or junk food item, however, does not cause cancer overnight but its overuse or maybe its excess consumption for over several months or years can. Our food shelves are loaded with packaged foods that have artificial colors, food additives and are processed, this processing uses toxic chemicals that can cause cancer when consumed in excess or for a long period. Such products range from your regular biscuits to jams, noodles, cake, candies etc. Not just kids but even adults are many a time addicted to such products. This addiction is partly due to the preservatives used to enhance the taste and partly due to consumers exposure to advertisements. Ever observed the way the food industry create tempting visuals of their packed/junk foods. Kids get lured not just to such visuals but also since their favorite stars are promoting it and many times through the free goodies(tattoos, toys, games etc.) distributed along. Eating such food items also puts kids to the risk of chronic disorders like obesity, diabetes, heart disease etc from a very young age as these foods are also high in sugar, sodium and trans fats. Such type of foods can also impair brain health in kids like lowering their IQ ’s, concentration and memory power etc.  

So what do we do? ban all packaged foods, stop watching advertisements on T.V or simply ask the kids to control their temptations?

The answer is :

None of the above

You may not be able to control what is going on in the market industry but few tips as to what we can do instead:

·        Educate yourself about reading food labels and commonly used harmful food ingredients. Choose wisely.

·        Keep a check and try to limit your packaged food items to be stored in your kitchen.

·        Provide natural foods like mini fruit bites to your kids as fillers as opposed to packaged items like chips/biscuits.

·        Search and try making natural and healthy desserts, popsicles or lollies at home instead of buying from markets.

·        Make natural foodstuffs interesting for kids through simple food decorations on the plate.

I came across this honey lollipop recipe when I started looking for a substitute for my child’s new addiction “Lollipop”. What I like the most about this recipe is that it has all natural ingredients unlike the commercial ones that add artificial flavors, permitted synthetic food colors, acidity regulators, stabilizers or even hydrogenated vegetable oils(trans fats).

The main ingredient for this healthy lollie is “Honey”. Honey itself is an antioxidant and has certain nutrients like vitamin A, C, D, E, K and all the vitamin B complex along with certain trace elements that include iron and calcium as well. Plus honey + cinnamon is a natural reliever in a sore throat. Here’s the recipe for it:

Ingredients:

1/3^rd cup Honey

1 cup sugar

1/4^th cup water

1/4^th tsp cinnamon/1/4^th cup fruit juice

Lollipop sticks

Procedure:

In a saucepan pour 1 cup of sugar and 1/4^th cup of water and heat on a low to medium flame. Dissolve the sugar in water and let it boil. Now add 1/3^rd cup honey and stir well. Boil the mixture for 15 minutes. Keep stirring occasionally and let it boil until the color changes to golden brown. Now with the help of a small teaspoon place a drop of the mixture in cold water. If the drop crystalizes to a hard one, its ready to remove if its still soft then continue to boil further. Once the mixture is ready slightly cool for 1-2 minutes. Lay a butter paper/parchment paper and pour the mixture with the help of teaspoon and try to make a circle. Initially, the circles may be uneven so you may pour a double coat for a better circular shape. Also if the initial lollipops look thinner, their edges may turn sharp, so prefer pouring a double-layer.

TIP 1: While pouring if the honey thickens too much and it gets difficult to pour, reheat the mixture for one minute for thinning it.

Sprinkle cinnamon powder or add fruit juice in each lolly at while stirring if you need a particular flavor. After pouring the mixture with spoons, till it is still hot place lollipop sticks in each circle at the bottom and gently press them inside. Allow the lollies to rest for half an hour. Pick up the lollies and wrap them in gift wrapping papers or store them in a glass jar separated by parchment papers. You may also refrigerate them to prevent them from melting.

TIP 2: Make small amounts of lollies (8-10 piece max) at one go or distribute them if you make extra as they tend to melt if kept for more than 3 weeks.

Reference: https://hebbarskitchen.com/lollipop-recipe-homemade-honey-lollipops/

Bottom Line: Keep a tab on your kids consumption of such packed foods/sweets and opt for such healthy alternates as much as possible.

Gift your child a healthy future; make the right choice in the present.