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Children can be fussy eaters and the ordeal parents must undergo to make sure that their kids get the right amount of nutrition through a balanced meal, can be quite taxing. Enter Lupin – a global brand that is also closely associated with advocating for children’s wellness and good health. Their recent series of workshops conducted for parents who had children under the age of 12, started off with a session by nutritionist Ishti Saluja, who gave parents a visual presentation that delved into the crux of how children tend to process stimuli when it comes to food. “Sensory stimulation of all five senses and brain development happens within the first year of a child’s growth,” she said, emphasising the need to introduce children to new flavours, tastes and textures in food.
While she stressed on the impact of nutrition on child development, Ishti also pointed out that children only emulate what the parents choose to do and hence, if they wanted the child to eat their vegetables and opt for a healthy beverage, they must also follow similar lifestyle patterns. This was followed by an illustrated list of examples where she suggested food pairings that are nutrient-dense and better for the child – pairing ripe bananas with peanut butter and so on. A second interactive workshop conducted by Usha Venkatraman for children – where she engaged the participants with delicious stories about an imaginative and descriptive tale of seven children who enjoyed eating modaks as their nutritious snack.
This was followed by a demonstration by Usha who enthralled her audience with another story about Raju and his love for potatoes – reminding children to also include various vegetables in their diet. “We need to eat other delicious food like fruits, fresh vegetables, a lot of water and then of course, have the wonderful syrup from Lupin,” Usha added. She also suggested a handful of children books to inculcate healthy eating habits in children and a list of places from where they can be purchased. A reading from one of these children’s books written by a Guyanese author followed, where Usha also suggested making the recipe for lime cookies that came with the storybook.
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The final leg of the workshop sponsored by Lupin Aptivate included a live cooking class hosted by Kamaldeep Kaur – who demonstrated two delicious but healthy recipes of Spinach Paneer Balls wrapped in a spinach tortilla – a great way to add colour and nutrition to your kid’s meal. This was also followed by Kamaldeep making a delicious looking batch of Caramel Jowar Popcorn that was sure to make children happy! The handy tips that she shared were also helpful for the parents to keep a few components ready and on-hand for random hunger pangs that kids often tend to experience. Kamaldeep mentioned while kneading the dough for the tortilla wraps that including the Lupin Aptivate syrup as part of a daily eating routine for children helps with their growth and takes care of their nutritional needs, boosting their health. “All you have to do is just give them 2 spoons of Aptivate syrup half an hour before mealtime and watch the food disappear from your child's plate and this would instantly bring a smile to your face as well because nothing makes a parent happier than seeing your kid finish their meal,” she added.
A cute but unexpected cameo by Kamaldeep’s son saw him trying some of the food and exclaiming in delight how good it was. The ever-gracious Kamaldeep was also happy to solve any doubts and questions that parents might have while recreating these delicious dishes at home. Delighted participants were happy to share their feedback, mentioning how much they enjoyed the innovative way in which the millet could be included in their kids’ diets. Kamaldeep also gushed about how women are starting to get a platform to showcase their skills in the kitchen and encouraged her audience to also do so.
