This post is also available in: English हिन्दी (Hindi) বাংলা (Bengali)
We must ensure that our children eat different coloured fruits and vegetables.
This is because different coloured fruits and vegetables contain different nutrients. And when they eat a mix and match of colours, children get all the nutrients they need.
To make it easy for parents to feed children all the nutrients that they need – doctors often say – “Just eat a Rainbow”.
What are the colours children should eat?
Children should eat vegetables and fruits that are Violet, Indigo (dark blue), Green, Yellow, Orange, Red and White every day if possible.
Orange
Vegetables get their orange colour from the pigment Carotenoid.
Carotenoids turn into Vitamin A in the body. Vitamin A is important for the health of the immune system and the lungs. It is also important for good skin, good vision and overall growth.
I am sharing the recipe of All Orange Pumpkin Soup to add the colour orange to your diet.
Here are the ingredients:
Pumpkin, chopped, ¼ piece
Tomato, 1 no.
Onion, small, 1 no.
Garlic, 4 cloves
Water, boiled and filtered, 1 cup
Cinnamon, ¼ inch
Salt, to taste
Pepper, 2 corns
Carrots ¼ cup
Ghee, 2 tsp
Ginger, ¼ inch
Method:
1. Peel the pumpkin skin and chop into small cubes.
- Do the same with the carrot.
- Rinse the chopped pumpkin and carrot under running water to wash.
- Heat ghee in a kadai and add cinnamon and pepper followed by garlic, ginger, and chopped onion.
- Once the onion turns translucent, add tomatoes and salt and cook until soft.
- Add in the pumpkin and carrot and some water and let it cook until soft.
- Let the cooked vegetables cool a bit and blend them with water.
- Add more water to adjust consistency.
- Pour the pumpkin soup in a saucepot and boil until it bubbles. Adjust salt and mix well.
- Serve hot with bread toast.
Click on the below link for above recipe video –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2U53kV6edGY&list=PLSijh59RPVTJOsy9K-UsKK8zMeOEez2av&index=16&t=6s
Note – You can also serve this to a 10 month old baby but without salt.
Always check with your doctor before giving your baby any new food. Wean your baby to all the ingredients separately first, in the usual recommended way and then serve this dish if your baby tolerates all the ingredients without any problem.
By
Dr Debmita Dutta MBBS, MD
Dr Debmita Dutta is a practicing doctor, a parenting consultant and the founder of the website WPA whatparentsask.com – She is based in Bangalore and conducts online and offline Parenting workshops at schools and corporate organizations. She also conducts online and offline prenatal classes for expecting parents and infant care classes for new parents.
This post is also available in: English हिन्दी (Hindi) বাংলা (Bengali)
