Foods for kids to "beat the summer heat"

Hello Summer!!!

Mommies love you because you shed the winter-laziness...🀩

Mommies hate you because you make kitchens tandoors 🔥🔥...😀

Kids love you because you bring them chilled ice-creams...🍨 🍧

Kids hate you because you make them sweaty, tired and dehydrated...😐

And mommies, certainly, don't like to see their kids exhausted and drained-out.

"Hello Mommies!!!", replies Summer, "Though I can't help you with your tandoori kitchens, but I certainly can share few tips to keep my kids and everyone out there, cool, hydrated and happy. Follow them and make little kids jump, play and wear 'I 💖 Summer' T-shirts😎. Ayurveda/ Allopathy/ Homeopathy/ Naturopathy- All contradict one another regarding the best time to eat a particular food- morning/noon/ evening/night/mid-night- Forget all...Just have it according to your dadi and nani and above all- mother's instinct😉."

*This article primarily focuses on things which provide vital minerals and vitamins for hydration and cooling effect to kids (5 year onwards) in scorching summer season. 

*Serve a balanced diet including carbs, fats and protein to your growing kids, for these are major energy-giving and body-building foods.)

Before School

1. Mosambi Juice:

Also known as Sweet Lime, Mosambi provides a natural cooling effect to the body. But the fact is, kids are never fascinated to eat it, for obvious reasons. So, its home-made fibre rich juice (extracted in a citrus hand-held juicer) is the best choice to start the day. It is rich in Vitamin C too and acts as natural immunity builder (from common colds) in kids.

2. Coconut Water:

Coconut water is a blessing in summer season. Please prefer fresh green coconut water as against packaged coconut waters. It is rich in nutrients and electrolytes (minerals which are important to maintain adequate water content in our body).

3. B for Banana: 

Yes, the bananas have huge water content. They are really cooling. Also, banana is a rich source of fibre, potassium and magnesium. So it makes for a healthy before-school snack. Banana can be sent to school for a mid-day snack break too.

4. Amla (Indian Gooseberry):

Amla is bit tricky to serve to our little kids. Check for good home-made amla candies near you or amla murabba. Amla is known to release heat from your body thus providing a cooling effect.

For School Tiffins

1. Watermelon: 

As is the name, Watermelon is 92 % water. It is the best choice for fruit-break/ snack break in school. Put in a little effort and remove its seeds. Send it to school in triangular cut-outs wrapped in a cling sheet and kids will enjoy it. 

2. Cucumber:

Cucumber is refreshing to eat as it is 95% water. It may be sent in tiffin as small round cut-outs or as a whole too (smaller dark green cucumbers- what subzi walas call them- Chinese kheera 🥒). Encourage your child to eat its peel too. 

3. Berries (Blueberries/Strawberries/Raspberries)-

All these berries are cooling to the body with upto 84% water content. Easy to eat, berries are rich source of antioxidants too. Kids would love to eat mess-free berries😀 in fruit break.

4. Simple plain water:

Everyone of us is aware of uses of water. Encourage children to chose plain water over any other sugary beverage in school. Tell them to refill their water bottles in school. Water keeps them hydrated, cool and it flushes out toxins as well. For the preschoolers, parents must request school teachers that they keep a  check on the water consumption of their kids, when in school.

After School and After play in Evenings

As soon as the kids reach home, they look extremely exhausted. Never make your kids sit in air conditioner immediately after they come home, instead serve them something cooling first, to rejuvenate.

1. Lemon juice / Shikanjvi: 

After the kids are home, serve them lemon juice with salt or make a Shikanjvi (Lemon juice+Salt+Sugar). Shikanjvi is better because the mixture of salt, sugar and water acts similar to an oral rehydrating solution (ORS) and replenishes the electrolyte balance in body. Lemon juice is equally good, if kids do not like shikanjvi.

2. Rose Sharbat/Rooh afza:  

Rooh afza or Rose sharbat is a good cooling drink. Rose is known to provide cooling effect to body. Rose in the form of Gulkand (Rose petals + sugar) is the best thing to consume, but as its tough to serve to kids, rose sharbat is a good alternative. Rose syrup in chilled milk is a classic drink which is loved across all generations, from kids to adults.

3. Gond Katira:

Tragacanth Gum or Gond Katira is a natural gum, which provides a real cooling effect. 

Soak it in water overnight and it swells like a jelly. Just add 2-3 tsp of swollen gum in water, milk, rose syrup, lemon juice and say bye bye to garmi. It is known to cure nosebleeds due to summer season in children.

4. Bel/Bael Sharbat:

Bael /Bel is an auspicious tree in hindu tradition. Its fruit juice is readily available in market as sharbat or bael panna. It is a natural coolant and very easy to digest. It acts as a detox drink too.

5. Raw Onion: 

Raw and freshly cut onion should be eaten as salads alongwith food in extreme heat. Onions are cooling and extremely beneficial in cutting the loo (extremely hot and dry summer winds especially in North India) effect, which can cause severe heatstroke in kids and adults both. You may squeeze a lemon to cut the bitterness of onion and get a dose of Vitamin C.

6. Raw Mangoes / Aam Panna:

Mangoes are heaty in nature and their excessive consumption may cause boils on the skin. But raw mangoes are not heaty. Raw mangoes (kachi kairi) are coolant in nature and best consumed in the form of aam panna. Aam panna makes for a really delicious and refreshing drink.

7. JalJira:

Jaljira powder is an old historic powder prepared by grinding cumin (jeera), black pepper, mint, ginger, black salt and mango powder/ citrus zest. Powder when mixed with water becomes a yummy-tangy Jaljira drink. It is known to be a great digestive with excellent cooling properties. It is consumed especially in North India, to beat the summer heat. The flavour of Jaljira is certainly kids-friendly.😋

8. Murabba:

Murabba seems to be forgotten thing now. We don't get to see murabba these days in many homes. A misconception surrounding them is they are high in sugar. But there are many products which are high in sugar and we are consuming them in the name of healthy and organic.

Gajar (carrot) and Amla (gooseberry) murabba have umpteen number of benefits. Gajar murabba prevents heatstroke and amla is a great coolant according to Ayurveda. Both are great in taste and serve them to your children in unique ways. If they can eat ultra-sweet chocolates and toffees, why not murabba? 

9. Lassi:

Curd + Water + Salt/Sugar = Delicious Cold Lassi. 

Best time to consume lassi is after lunch. So, perfect with lunch to the kids , after coming from school.

10. Barley Water:

Barley water is again a natural cooling agent. It hydrates and nourishes the body with many nutrients. It can be prepared at home or can be bought ready-made from market. 

Above were enlisted few things which could help in protecting our kids from sweltering sun and make them feel fresh, hydrated and energetic again - to play, to enjoy, and to trouble us again 😀.

... and at last, I suggest, prefer home- made fresh things as against preservative enhanced packaged products.