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Don’t chew nails! Sneak iron into your child’s diet with these yummy desserts

Why are so many infant formulas and cereals fortified with the mineral iron? Ever wondered about it? Here’s why. Iron is a nutrient which the body requires on a daily basis to produce hemoglobin, the carrier of oxygen in our body. If the intake of iron does not meet the body’s needs, the body suffers from the deficiency (anemia) and is unable to produce RBCs while not being able to deliver oxygen to organs and tissues. It is important for kids, in their growing stages to have required amounts of iron in their diets as it helps in regulating and developing brain functions as well as body growth. A diet lacking in iron will sap the energy out of kids.

There is a prescribed level of iron that the body needs and this changes according to their age. Kids aged 4-8 year sare in need of 10 mg of iron as daily requirement, while kids of ages 9-13 years would require 8 mg. Adolescence raises this level as 11 mg for boys and 15 mg for girls everyday. This daily requirement can be met by incorporating iron rich foods like egg yolks, green leafy veggies, milk and diary, black strap molasses, red meat, dried fruits, etc. It is also important that kids get their daily dose of vitamin C from their food so that the iron can be absorbed better by the body.

Knowing our kids, we cannot expect them to eat whatever is offered. They are specially picky on what they like to eat. So our strategy should be to find out which iron rich food they like best and throw it into various parts of the menu. Also, food should be attractive and colorful for kids to like them best. And what best than dessert to tempt kids to eat? Choose from the delightful, iron rich recipes given below.

Sweet almond and sesame rings

Kids will love this sweet recipe which is fun to eat and very rich in iron. The main ingredient in this whip up is jaggery (traditional, unrefined whole sugar) which is super rich in iron! Simply eating pieces of this sweet cane sugar will boost your iron levels. Sesame seeds are a wonderful source of iron and any other much needed nutrients for children. Safe to be consumed by kids past the age of 3, this recipe can also turn into a favorite evening snack. This one is specially good for girls going through their periods. Kids with allergies to almonds or sesame should avoid this one for obvious reasons. The best part is that this recipe can be served in just 20 minutes!

For 10 servings you would require

1/2 a cup of grated almonds

1/2 a cup of black sesame seeds

1/3 cup of jaggery

A few small chunks of butter

Now are we ready to roll?

Throw in the grated almonds on a pan on medium flame and roast them for a while. Do the same with the sesame seeds till they turn golden. Heat a small pan with a few chunks of butter and melt the jaggery till it forms a hard ball when you put a drop of it in cold water. Remove the flame and add the almonds and sesame seeds into the jaggery. Mix it all up well and heat a flat non stick pan with a little butter. After a while transfer the mix onto the flat pan. Roll the mixture out with an oiled rolling pin. When cool, cut into little rectangles and make rings! store in an airtight container.

Dates and sesame puranpolis

This one is an iron rich Indian traditional recipe. Easy for you to make and for the kids to love! Most of the main ingredients are known for their high iron content like dates, sesame seeds and milk. Great for kids of all ages and specially for your adolescent girl.

For 4 puranpolis, you would need :

A full cup of whole wheat flour

6 tbsp of milk

2 tbsp of sesame seeds

3 quarters of a cup of finely chopped dates

A quarter cup of brown sugar

To make dough, combine the flour and 4 tbsps of milk along with a little water if required. After you have kneaded it out, divide the mass into 4 equal parts and keep aside.

To prepare the filling, throw in the sesame seeds on medium flame till they are light brown and cool them. Then, grind them in a coarse manner and mix with the rest of the ingredients (apart from the ones you used for the dough). Divide this mixture into 4 and keep aside.

Next take a portion of the dough and roll it into a small circle. Take a portion of your filling and keep it in the center of your rolled circle. Join all the edges in the center and roll the whole thing again into a slightly bigger circle. Fry on a non stick pan until both sides are golden. enjoy!!

Sweet fig dessert

This one is loaded with iron, is easy to prepare and appeals well to little eyes as well! Almost all the ingredients are great sources of iron and your little sweet toothies would agree on its great taste too.

You would need :

15 dry figs

A quarter chopped dry fruits of your choice

A tsp of refined butter

A quarter tsp of cardamom powder

7-8 saffron strands

2 tbsp roasted sesame seeds

Add the figs to boiling water for about 2 minutes and puree them with the help of a food processor after draining them. Combine this puree with all other ingredients except the sesame seeds. Roll the mix out into a rectangle and cut out shapes your kids would like! Then roll each shape in the sesame seeds.

Yummy fig ice cream

Almost every kid loves ice cream. This recipe will help you whip up a rich one in fig flavor. Figs, as we have seen earlier are rich in iron and fiber!

For 4 servings of this gorgeous ice cream, you would need:

15 dried figs

3 and a half cup of milk

A cup of condensed milk

A quarter cup of milk powder

Cook the figs in 1 and 1/2 cup of milk and simmer it till almost all the milk has evaporated and the figs soft. Blend the fig mixture well in a blender. Add this mixture to the rest of the milk and other ingredients and whisk well. Make sure that no lumps remain. Transfer the mix into a shallow container. Cover it and freeze till it sets. Part the set mix into 2 parts and again use the blender to turn it into a smooth and creamy mix. Allow it to set again in the freezer. Scoop and enjoy!!

Jaggery malpuas

Jaggery malpua is another traditional Indian recipe which will rock the charts at home! A tip which you can follow to increase the iron intake of your kids would be to replace sugar with jaggery whenever possible.

For 8 malpuas:

A cup of whole wheat flour

Half a cup of grated jaggery

Half a tsp of cardamom powder

Half a tsp of fennel seeds

1 tbsp of refined butter or ghee.

1 tbsp of chopped pistachios for topping.

Take a cup of warm water and dissolve the jaggery in it. Mix well and add the other ingredients except the pistachios. Heat up a non stick pan with a little ghee and spread a little batter on it. Have fun and create shapes. Cook on both sides till golden. Repeat to get the other malpuas.

Ginger snaps

Molasses are yet another sweet way to get iron into children. This recipe is kid friendly and easy to do! Kids of all ages enjoy this recipe.

How to roll:

Mix a cup of sugar and 3 quarters of a cup of shortening. Add an egg and a quarter cup of molasses to this mixture and mix well. Next, thrown in 2 cups of flour, 3/4 tsp of ginger, a tsp of cinnamon, 2 tsp of baking soda, 3/4 of a tsp of cloves and salt to taste. Blend them all well. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a baking pan. Drop small amounts of the mixture about an inch apart onto the pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Enjoy!

Exciting trail mix

Trail mixes appeal to children because they are colorful, fun and yummy! The various dry fruits in it will act as daily sources of iron. It works well as lunch box snacks and desserts too. All ages enjoy this one well.

How to go about:

All you have to do is to mix dried fruits of your kids’ choice. For example, half a cup each of almonds, peanuts, dried apricots, walnuts, dried bananas and raisins should give you an appealing trail mix!

Beef burritos

Red meat is another source of iron and if your kid is fond of red meat, that should do it! The cheese, beans and tomato are all additional sources of iron, making this a good option to turn for your daily dose of iron.

To prepare:

Saute half lb. lean ground beef and add a little taco seasoning in the process and mix well. Chop up a tomato and heat up a can of refried beans. To ensure good nutrition for your kid, use a whole grain enriched tortilla base and add all the other ingredients and the mixture on it. Roll up the burrito and serve with tingling salsa sauce.

Egg crescent rolls

Your kids are just going to adore this one! Egg yolk and turkey/bacon are high on iron and this recipe will get them asking for more! Perfect for kids of all ages.Best served for brunch!

For 12 servings :

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and microwave 6 turkey bacon strips. Open a can of crescent rolls and carefully work on the perforations to make a sheet. Cut out 12 rectangles. Press each of these into a greased 12 muffin tray depressions. Sprinkle a quarter cup of shredded cheese and the turkey bacon equally onto the tray. Pour in a cup of egg substitute equally and then top it with another quarter cup of shredded cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes and after the eggs have set, enjoy!

Poha with lemon wedges

We can find that some Indian recipes concentrate iron sources to achieve very high iron servings. Poha is an Indian cookery ingredient that is easily available in many outlets. It may be called as flattened rice and is rich in iron. It should be served with lemon wedges that sort of complete the cycle. For lemon, with its high vitamin C content aids in the easy absorption of iron.

To prepare:

Take two cups of thick poha in a sieve and hold it under running water. Drain well and keep aside. Heat a little oil in a non stick pan and toss in half a tsp of cumin and mustard seed each. After the seeds crackle, add 6-8 fresh, curry leaves and 3-4 slit, green chilies. Stir for about a minute and take in the rich aroma. Next, saute half a cup of chopped onions in the same pan. After they have turned golden, toss in half a cup of peeled and cubed potatoes. Stir, add a quarter tsp of turmeric powder, salt to taste and a little water. Cover the pan and wait for the potatoes to cook. Garnish the dish with coriander leaves and lemon wedges. Serve hot in small dishes!

Spinach blueberry smoothie

This is one of my favorite ‘kid’ smoothies. Takes no time to prepare, is an absolutely great source of iron and is mouth smackingly good!

To give your kid this delicious dose of health, put together in a blender :

A large ripe banana, peeled

A cup of frozen blueberries

A few almonds

A cup of fresh green spinach (here’s our star source of iron!)

1 and a half cup of water

Blend smooth and serve chilled!

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