Healthy Eating Habits

Thamizhini started to follow a routine in her eating habits. I have seen many mommies running behind their kids with their food on plates cups. They used to take food in a cup and feed to kids in the play area. And kids will be more playful and they even don't know what they eat. How bad it is and how painful it will be for the parents?

But I'm good Amma

By seeing them, I decided in the early days of Thamizhini's that I'm not going to do this and also I strictly told my parents not to feed her outside of Flat. I'm really feeling happy and little bit proud for making Thamizhini as a disciplined tot. And I'm sure that is for her good health only and nothing is wrong in restricting them on healthy food.

Yes, Amma is right, nothing wrong in healthy food!

I have got many advice (yes again, mainly from OLD ones) for Thamizhini that we have to give all kind of eatables to her. And for them Tea, Coffee, Biscuits, Bread, Mixture, Murukku (Do you worry how Thamizhini eat, with one or two teeth? No worry, some one can chew and give), Maggie, Chocolates and all kind of sweets are coming under the category of eatables and if Thamizhini likes, these can be given even daily too! Lucky Thamizhini :-)  

And for this, they say a proverb, meaning that baby will be strong and strength if they eat all junks. Not only this, the ultimate one is, whoever eat, whatever they eat and whenever they eat (3 times a day), Baby has to go and eat from their plates, If she is not ready or not liking to eat, we have to call her and force her to eat. Yuck... Uvee.... Nonsense. This is the culture and that is how they brought up the children. Hmm.. Hell and they are very proud for doing this.

I'm kid, how will I know what to eat and what not? You teach me amma.

I feel irritated with all these nonsenses and I stopped hearing them! What is the use of elders when they don't teach good eating habits? We have to teach kids that how to eat,  when to eat and what to eat? Thamizhini's pediatrician has told us to avoid all junks like biscuits, candy, cookies and snacks. She told me this when Thamizhini was six months old. Yeah, Dr knew that we start giving biscuits in that age only. From that time I restricted all junk items and limited sugar and salt too. 

Till now I have given only vegetables, fruits, milk, any porridge, chapati, chicken, fish and rice items. Nothing else. She likes to have all the vegetables, she asks for it when I start giving food like, Amma peas, amma carrot and amma mungakai (for drumstick). And she is not fussy in her meal time. She knows what she eats and she like her food. I'm happy that she takes healthy food, instead of empty calorie snacks like chips, or cookies.

Amma, I'm not interested on junk foods!

I followed simply this way: If she likes to eat, let her eat. Or wait for some more time, so that she will be hungry". This worked our for me, because as I said, I don't give biscuits, cookies, sweets or any kinda snacks. At any cast, she has to eat only vegetables, fruits, fruit juices, rice.  And I make sure that I will give her variety foods among list. Sometimes I get advice from others to give Idly + sugar if she does not like to eat. They think that will encourage her to eat. Yes, I'm sure that will encourage them to eat, but what is the use of eating just sugar? Any point? just filling babies stomach is the only goal? Hmm..  I don't add sugar to milk at all. If I count, I would have given only 10 biscuit pieces to her. I have this option open when Thamizhini is not feeling well.

As a result of this, Thamizhini is in healthy weight. So I'm convinced with, teach healthy eating habits and get healthy weight.  Also I strictly prohibit her, to get food from others plate. As I said earlier, kids used to eat their food in park / play area, sometimes they give food to other kids as other kids would be watching the one, who is eating his / her meal / snacks, or they ask like, "mum sapdriya". And obviously kids will say YES, if the food is interesting. This habit will be continued even if they go outside. And I know how dangerous this could be when they start going out.

Also I remember myself one thing, that is, this is the age for babies to make healthy habits and once they start going to school and know what others eat, then everything comes to an end. These days television commercials for junk foods are making children to eat well might seem more useless than fruitful.

20th Month

My cute one and a half year old little sweetie has become more sweet! Yes, these days Thamizhini understands what I tell her and follows it, even what her grandma tells. I really feel that she has become a disciplined tot. She has much more developments in attitude compared to previous months. As she is able to talk to some extend, she could express what she wants too! 

I'm a good girl

Even though she demands that I have to feed her food, she is quite good in her eating manners. She sits in one place and eats. She doe not get disturbed with anything, even if TV or toys. Do u know what is her dining place? She likes to sit and eat on her Toy Car. Thanks Sharmi for this wonderful car! Whenever I say that food is ready, she will just run to the Car and waits for me to give food.

Chef in action!

Also she likes to feed herself. Earlier though, she ate herself with our help, but that time she spills out food in the floor and that would be of waste. But now she is more concerned about not to spill food. She likes to take in hand / spoon and eats perfectly. If Idly, Dosa kinda food, I make it small pieces and keep in plates, she herself takes and eats. If upma, curd rice or any porridge, she herself takes in spoon  and eats nicely. She follows how we do for her, like, takes a spoon full of food and cleans the corner of the spoon and takes to mouth. Also she cleans her mouth with spoon when the food goes out of her mouth. 

But sometimes naughty!

I would simply sit with her by watching her when she eats in spoon. I feel really proud that I made this change to her. Now she knows the importance of the food and she follows timing too. These days I don't felt any trouble from her for food. She really like and enjoy eating.

Mundasu illatha Bharathi!

I feel happy that she came to a routine in her eating habits. I know the pain when they don't eat and I everyday see in my apartments, how mommies are running behind the kids with the plates on their hand in parks and play areas. Me decided in the early days itself, by seeing them and I strictly told my parents not to feed her outside of Flat.

Wow....

If I see other developments, she likes to sit and play some games. Before she always likes to drop the things. Whatever she wants, we have to give her and she will drop that from top to bottom and roam around the house. These days she plays all the board alphabets and likes to see her books for new animals.

Food Chart for a Baby

This chart is done by me based on My Dr.'s advise. This is what I have given to her for one year. I'm satisfied with this food chart as my daughter is falling under correct height & weight chart and my baby never had any allergic for anything. And I can proudly say that she has taken antibiotic only once for her 10months. That too, it was due to travel that we had taken in 2nd class sitting in the day train.

This is what I have followed:

From 1st to 5th month: Only mothers milk.

Nurse your baby every 2 hours once in the day time and at least 3 hours once in the night, this will surely help you to increase your milk supply.

Foods that are helpful for increasing milk supply, which I have followed, which was easy for me to have, which was easily available and easy to prepare. Below list is whatever I have eaten / drank!

1) Add garlic and cumin seeds in your food daily as much as possible

2) Fish (at least twice in a week)

3) Ponnanganni Keerai(Tamil keerai name) - two days once

4) Milk at least twice a day
5) Eat Quaker Oats with milk.
6) Mothers Horlicks

From 6th Month: Fruit Juices and Cooked Fruits along with Mothers milk

Juice in the morning at 11:30 and Cooked fruits evening around 4:00pm. Started with Musambi / Orange juice with water prepared in the following way:

First 2 days    : 1:3 (Juice : Water)

Second 2days : 2:2

Third 2days    : 3:1 

After this, complete juice without water. Diluting the juice for first week helps you to know that your baby have any allergic for the juice.

In the next week start with half Apple / Pear/ Banana at 4 O' clock in the evening. Apple and Pear must be pressure cooked in steam. 

How to pressure cook:

1) Clean the apple / pear and cut in to small pieces.

2) Put them in a small vessel and cover it.

3) Take a pressure cooker and pour little water as the above apple cup will not sink under the water.

4) Keep the apple cup in the water.

5) Cook in simmer for 3 to 4 whistle.

6) Once pressure gone, open it and smash the fruit with help of spoon.

7)Make it cool and feed to baby.

From 7th Month: Raagi Kanji (Finger Millet Porridge) in the morning around 8:00am and follow above chart for rest of the day.

How to prepare:

1) Take a small cup of dry Raagi and soak in the water in the previous day night.

2) In the morning, clean the water and grind in the mixer by adding water. Grind well.

3) Once done, filter the mixer content and take the milk out.

4) Pour the Raagi milk in a bowl and keep on the stove.

5) Make sure the stove on Sim, then stir well. (Even if you loose it for a minute, the porridge will be thick and clotted.)

6) Stir well and cook for 5mintues until it becomes thick. 

7) Make it cool and feed to baby by using spoon.

From 8th Month: Vegetables, Rice and Dal for lunch and Cerelac wheat for dinner. Solid food starts from this month.
1) Introduce one by one vegetables like Carrot, Beans, Peas and Potato; And each vegetable for 2days and next week onwards all mixed.

2) Cook little amount of Dal then mix it with smashed rice and feed to baby. You can add ghee too.

Later include all vegetables like beetroot, cauliflower, ladies finger and other kootu vegetables like peerkangai, poosanikai, keerai.

So from 8th month, baby would be having complete menu for her food. Below one was I maintained for her and as a chart it is as given below.

Breakfast at 7:30 to 8:00 - Raagi Porridge

@ 10:00                         - Mothers milk

@ 11:30                         - Orange / Musambi or any other Juice based on the season

@ 12:30 - 1:30                - Lunch (Veges, rice and dal)

@ 2:30 - 3:00                 - Mothers milk

@ 4:30                          - Cooked fruits / Banana.

@ 6:30 - 7:00                 - Mothers Milk

@ 8:00                          - Cerelac Wheat. 

@ 9:00                          - Bed time. Nurse her whenever she woke up in the night.

PS: I have never added sugar / salt for any of her food items until for her one year. Hence she never stuck to any of the food taste, she likes to taste all items whatever I give her. I have not yet started giving cow's milk to her. I will be starting after her first birthday.

Food Habits

We started giving Rice, Dal and Vegetables from the month of February and it was like not much, just introduced one by one vegetables to her. Initially we fed her only vegetables for a week, then started adding Rice and Dal to it. She liked to have this as till then she was tasting only Raagi Porridge, cooked fruits and juices. All kind of semi solid and this is solid thing.

Dr advised to give Carrot, Beans, Peas and Potato. Initially each vegetables for 2days and from next week onwards we mixed all these vegetables and gave it to her. Later we started including other vegetables like beetroot, cauliflower, ladies finger and other kootu vegetables like peerkangai, poosanikai, keerai. Really she liked to have all these compared to raagi and cooked fruits.

I have to clearly say one thing about her food. I don't add salt or sugar to her food and even Raagi. Dr. told that it is not necessary to start any sugar and salt until she gets fed by me. But others used to complain me that how she will eat without any salt / sugar. When i asked Dr about this , she told how does she take mothers milk, Is there any salt or sugar added? Likewise even fruits and vegetables don't need anything else extra. Her answer satisfied me and after that I never bothered to listen others.

Once I started going office, I regularised her food timing. She gets up in the morning around 7:30 and after 1hr she takes raagi porridge then after some time she gets bath. After 1 to 2hrs I will feed her and make her to sleep then I will march to the office. She will take lunch by 12:30 - 1:30 and the food menu will be, whatever I said above. Around 4 or 4:30 she takes one cup of Orange or Musambi juice and around 5 she will take cooked fruits either Apple or Pear. Now days she does not like Pear much , but Apple is ok. But she likes banana a lot. Our work will be easy when i feed her banana.

And in the night, Dr advised to give Ceralac wheet. She liked it for a week and that is it. After that she does not take it to her mouth at all. So now days I'm giving rice in the night. I have to ask Dr for alternate foods. Everyone must be surprised why I'm depending on Dr. for everything. Because I'm really comfortable with her and I followed her advises for my baby till now and really my baby gained weight as per the charts. And ofcourse, this is a proof, when others come and interfere on her food habit. I can stop hearing their advises and tell that Dr will not allow this. :D

Anna Prasannam

Anna Praasanam : This ritualistic ceremony initiates the introduction of solid food for the baby.

Yummy...

Today was Thamizhini's Anna Prasannam, that the first time she would be eating solid foods. The function(?) was done at a temple called "Shiva Vishnu" which is located near to our house. 

We reached temple at 8:45 as we woke Thamizhini bit early compared to other days. We had planned for the "Abishekam" for "Lord Shanmuga" at this temple and it exactly started at 9:15. The plan was to do abisekam and give that prasadam to Thamizhini. But why all these? Because that is the belief that first solid food should be precious and praying to God to bless with good diggestive power, good thoughts and talents.



Hmm... Looks like she will not feed sweet pongal again after going home :-(

After the abisekam and dharshan, we took the prasadam in "Silver Cup". I put her in my lap and fed her with spoon, initialy she was not aware what was that, but once she tasted, she wanted more and more. As it was Sweet Pongal, she liked a lot and did not leave the spoon to go far from her. Look at the video for the precious moment captured.

Starting Juices and Fruits

Hurrey! Thamizhini started having Furit Juices and Cooked Fruits. Yes, as per Dr. advise, we started giving Musambi juice with water (1:3 for first 2 days , 2:2 for second 2days,3:1 for third 2days and later on complete juice with no water) at 11:30 for one week and in the next week half Apple / Pear/ Banana at 4 O' clock in the evening. She likes to drink and eat!

When she drinks juice, her eyes are blinking becuase of the tangy taste but she likes to taste and drink like adults. She like to eat apple and banana but not pear.

Mike testing 1 2 3..

I'm making her to sit in the bouncer while feeding juice and fruits. I'm very strict in following this habit, becuase I have seen many babies running around the flats and their Moms with a bowl of food. I don't want to practice this, but Let us see, how it goes! I surely write when I become like other Mommies.