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Worms in kids

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Few of my friends are always  worried about their child's growth. Natasha always keeps me asking why her daughter is not gaining weight and why she falls sick again and again.  The worms are parasites which feed off the host’s body and eventually result in malnutrition, affecting the healthy growth of the child.  Worms may get entry into abdomen and create health problems .          Though all age groups can get worms, kids are more susceptible. Worms in abdomen can affect the appetite and ultimately growth of a child. When a child is not eating properly we assume he is showing tantrums or too busy in playing and ignore it but it can be worms those are troubling the stomach. When to suspect worms? Itchy bottom, which is usually worse at night Redness around the bottom area Restlessness due to itching Difficulty in falling asleep Visible worms – small, white and 8-13 mm long (often mistaken for bits of toilet paper!) ...
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Porridge recipes for kids

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Kids require nutritious and easy to digest foods. Some precautions should be taken to prevent contamination.

1)The vessels used for cooking and serving bowls should be clean and sterilized in boiling water.
2)Food should be freshly cooked. More than 2 hrs over food should be discarded.
3) Food should be well cooked.
4) Care should be taken in handling of food .
5) Wash hands before feeding the child.

 Here are few easy to make and nutritious porridge recipes:

 Rice porridge :

 This is easy to digest and provides energy to child.

 Age: 6 months +

 Ingredients: Any rice or Parboiled rice

 Preparation: Making the rice cereal

 Steps:
1)Take 1 cup of rice and wash it.




2) Drain water and let it dry under sun or fan for 4 hrs


3) Dry roast the rice for few minutes, don't burn the rice.

4) Let it cool and then grind in a mixer grinder to fine powder.

5) Store it in air tight container.
How to cook?
  1. Take 1 cup of water in a vessel and add 2 tsp of homemade rice cereal to it.
  2. Mix well , add salt to taste and on medium flame let it cook.
  3. Adjust the consistency by adding more water if required.
How much to feed?
  1. In beginning start with few spoons of rice porridge and thin consistency.
  2. As the child accepts it you can increase the quantity and thicken the consistency.
  3. Add 1 tsp ghee.

Rice and Daal porridge:

Once the baby is comfortable with rice porridge you can introduce rice and moong daal porridge. Moong daal is easy to digest and doesn't make babies to bloat. It is a source of carbohydrates and proteins. It is made with rice and moong daal powder.

Age: 6 months +

Ingredients: Rice, Moong daal

Preparation: Make rice and daal powder

Steps: 
1) Take 1 cup of rice and 1 cup of moong daal and wash it.


2) Soak in water for 1/2 hr .



3) Drain the water and let it dry under sun or under fan .

4) Dry roast on low flame till it is light brown, don't burn.



5)Let it cool itself.

6) Grind in mixer grinder to make fine powder.


7)As the child grows you can grind coarsely.

8) Store in air tight container.
How to cook?
  1. Take 1 cup of water in a vessel  and add 2 tsp of rice and daal powder to it.
  2. Mix well and cook on low to medium flame.
  3. Add salt to taste. 
  4. Adjust the consistency by adding more water if required.
Tips:
  • As the child develops taste add cumin seed powder, coriander powder and asafoetida .It helps to improve digestion.
  • Add 1 tsp ghee . 
  • As the child accepts it increase the quantity and thicken the consistency.
Ragi porridge:

Ragi is a very good source of  calcium and Iron. Child gets bored of same rice and daal porridge so this is a good healthy and tasty alternative.

Age: 8 months +

Ingredients: Ragi ( Finger millet)

Steps: 

1) Take 1 cup Ragi , wash well and then soak overnight for 12 hrs.

2) Drain water and in mixer , grind with 1/4 th cup water till it becomes smooth.
3) Strain through a muslin cloth and squeez out the milk completely.
4) Discard the ragi and take the milk into a saucepan.
5) On low flame cook the ragi milk till it reaches to porridge consistency.
6) Add salt and ghee to taste.

Another method:

1) Soak ragi overnight, drain and let it dry.
2) Dry roast and make fine powder in grinder.
Tips:
  • You can add sugar/jaggery if your child has a sweet tooth.
  • It becomes thick when gets cold, so keep it little thin or you can adjust consistency with boiled water.
Urad daal porridge:

It is reach in calcium and helps gaining weight.

Ingredients:

Rice: 2 tsp
Urad daal: 1 tsp
Jaggery: 1 tsp

Steps:

1) Soak the rice and Urad daal for 1/2 hr.
2) Drain the water, add jaggery and grind in mixer grinder to make a fine paste, add 1/4 th cup water if required.
3) Transfer this paste in saucepan and cook well. 
4) Adjust the consistency by adding more water.
5) Add salt and ghee to taste. 
Tips:
  • It becomes thick when gets cold, so keep it little thin or you can adjust consistency with boiled water.
  • You can add soaked almonds as well.
Wheat and daal porridge:


When the child is comfortable with rice and daal porridge then only introduce wheat As it is heavier to digest than rice.It is a good source of energy and fibre.

Age: 8 months +

Ingredients: Wheat and  Moong daal powder

Preparation: Make Wheat and Moong daal powder

Steps: 
  1. Take 1 cup of wheat and Moong daal , wash properly and soak for 1/2 hr.
  2. Drain water and allow to dry in sunlight or under fan.
  3. Dry roast in pan till light brown.
  4. Let it cool it's own
  5. Grind to fine powder or  just coarsely as per your child likes.
  6. Store in air tight jar.
How to cook?
  1. Take 2 tsp of wheat and daal powder and mix to 1 cup of water in a vessel.
  2. Cook on low to medium flame.
  3. Add salt, cumin seed powder, coriander powder and asafoetida to it.
  4. Add 1 tsp ghee.
Sooji porridge:

Ingredients: Sooji, sugar/jaggery,ghee, cardamom powder

Steps: 
  1. Roast 2 tsp Sooji in 1/2  tsp ghee till turns golden, then remove in another plate.
  2. In pan take some ghee, add 1 1/2 cup water , add 2 tsp sugar or jaggery and let it dissolve in water. Add salt to taste and make boil.
  3. Add roasted sooji and mix well to avoid lumps.
  4. Add some more water if required as it thickens on cooking.
  5. Add cardamom powder.
Tips:

  • You can serve it by adding milk.
  • You can add mix dry fruit powder to increase the nutrition value.

Oats porridge:

Ingredients: Oatmeal cereal

Steps:
  1. Take 2 tsp of oatmeal cereal in 1 cup water and cook on medium flame.
  2. Mix well to avoid lumps. Keep stirring.
  3. Add jaggery or sugar to sweeten.
  4. Add water to achieve the required consistency.
  5. Add warm milk before serving.














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