One of the most typical consultations of mothers when they go to the pediatrician is the one that begins with "my child" and ends with "does not eat me". It's not that children don't eat, but that they usually eat less than what mothers think they have to eat.
The first thing that is usually done is to see what the child's weight / height ratio is, or to know how the weight is evolving, because if he eats little (or nothing), but is gaining weight well, the problem will surely be the expectations of the mother, while if the weight is not correct or is falling, it will be necessary to see what the cause is.
In any case, it is true that some healthy children begin to eat solids a little late (about two years) and are not very friends with the crushed. For children like that, in which it may be interesting that the few meals they make have a high calorie content, it could be interesting to use smoothies, which are usually well accepted and can be part of a fully balanced diet.
Let's see below some homemade smoothie recipes, for those mothers who, for whatever reason, live worried about their children's eating (Our second son, for example, did not begin to swallow solid food until after two years, the crushed ones did not quite like it, so we had to look for solutions of this type ... I say, they are a minority, but sometimes ...).
Making a smoothie doesn't have much secret. We put the ingredients in a bowl and, blender in hand, we crush everything until we get a liquid or almost liquid consistency.
As there is not much to explain, I will give you the ingredients and then I will provide the data related to the Kcal provided by each shake and the percentage of carbohydrates, proteins and fats that each contains. As you will see, they are very close percentages to what is recommended in a balanced diet. (55-60% carbohydrates, 15% protein, 25-30% fat).
The recipes, for containing ingredients such as yogurt, petit suisse, almonds, etc., They are recommended for children who have already tried these foods, that is, from the year or even after two years (the nuts are usually fed after 2-3 years).
Homemade banana and chocolate milkshake
The ingredients to make a homemade banana and chocolate flavored smoothie are:
- A banana yogurt.
- Chocolate cream.
- 10 grams of crushed almonds powder.
- 10 grams of milk powder, not necessarily baby (one tablespoon).
It is a smoothie that provides 384 Kcal and that contains 14% protein, 55% carbohydrates and 31% fat.
It is unlikely that a child will take it whole (or yes, go to know), but if it happens, keep in mind that such number of calories could mean, in some children, almost half of the calories you need in a whole day: If you are not hungry after a few hours, it would be very normal (warning that applies to all recipes, of course).
Homemade banana and strawberry smoothie with Maria cookie
To make a homemade banana and strawberry milkshake with Maria cookie (how delicious, for God's sake), we need:
- A strawberry yogurt.
- A banana.
- Two Maria cookies (10 grams).
- 20 grams of crushed almonds powder.
- 10 grams of milk powder (one tablespoon).
This milkshake provides 385 Kcal and it contains 14% protein, 50% carbohydrates and 36% fat.
Homemade strawberry and Maria cookie milkshake
To make a homemade strawberry and Maria cookie milkshake, which of the three is the most recommended for younger children (from 15-18 months), when they have tasted strawberries, we need:
- Two strawberry petit suisse.
- 3-4 strawberries (60 grams).
- 4 cookies Maria.
This shake brings the child, if taken whole, 288 Kcal and it contains 15% protein, 51% carbohydrates and 34% fat.
And in a few days, three more
In a few days we will bring you three more recipes with the same characteristics: homemade, high in calories, with healthy ingredients and with percentages of proteins, hydrates and very correct fats.
One thing before finishing, if they are very thick, you can add a little milk until you get the consistency that seems most correct. This will increase the amount of the shake, increase the calories and decrease the chances of a child alone running out of a shake. Nothing happens because We know that children should never be forced to eat (One of the wisest phrases I remember from my father is that: "by force, never").
Photos | Jonny2love, Simon Welsh on Flickr
In Babies and more | Healthy snacks (I) and (II), Video: homemade fruit smoothies for children, Fruit smoothies for breakfast
