Healthy options to start the day for your kids -

When our children wake up from an overnight fasting state what we feed them first thing will not just decide how good their entire day goes but also how their growth is. This meal is especially critical for children around puberty as it sets the tone for hormonal harmony. In fact, how well they are able to unwind in the night and fall asleep is also dependent on how they start their day. A nutritious, fuss free meal then is the need of the hour.

Here are the options -
A) If short on time and can only have a quick meal before leaving for school – options are -
1. Milk - if they like the taste of milk.

Ensure that it is -

• Full fat

• Locally sourced

• Without malted or chocolate powders

• With jaggery/ chyawanprash (winters) or sugar/ gulkand (summers) or a homemade laddoo

• No milk substitutes like almond milk or soya milk, etc.
2. Nuts and dry fruit-

• eat as a nut + dry fruit combo

• Nuts - pista, badam, kaju, walnut

• Dry fruits - raisin, dates, khareek, apricot

• If constipated – overnight soaked raisins

• Girls on period - khareek with ghee
3. Fresh fruit -

• Local

• Seasonal

• Banana all months

• Bor, chickoo, peru, orange, grapes – currently in season

• No fruit that has travelled more than 150 km to reach your plate or comes in plastic packaging
B) If there is time to have proper breakfast – Follow this-
• Have a hot, homemade nashta - poha, Upma, idli, dosa, paratha, dalia, etc.

• Nothing from a packet - cornflakes, oats, juices, etc.

• If poor immunity - ragi cooked in milk or even water

• If weak digestion, acidity or period issues - lahya - jowar or ragi flakes (look like pop corn) in milk or roasted in ghee with salt and pepper.
Remember, well begun is half the battle won.