“Food for thought” is a well- known phrase, but in reality it’s quite literally the opposite each day there’s a lot of “Thought for food”!

Each day you spend time on what needs to be cooked, you want to cook up a storm in your kitchen, but that as quickly as can be! You want the food to be nutritious and healthy, but also easy to make recipes with ingredients that are either available at your kitchen or those that can be easily sourced, So We bring to you 10 Quick Rice Recipes For Babies, Toddlers And Kids 2019

With change in time kids and their food habits have changed drastically. These days anything that comes out of a packet is automatically taken to be tasty and nutritious by the younger generation. In these times it is vital for you to reinforce the concept of eating meals cooked freshly at your culinary space which also packs in kilograms of your love and affection.

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WHY RICE FOR MY BABY?

In India and in many other countries of the world rice is an integral part of the daily diet. It is a staple part of a three course meal and a meal almost seems incomplete without rice! In some parts of the country rice constitutes an entire meal in itself with its several accomplices.Rice is very nutritious and is a food item that can boost up your child’s health in more ways than one.

Rice packs in the following health benefits:

• Rice is an instant source of energy to the body
• Rice is essential to maintain a healthy skin
• Rice has high nutritional value that is significant for the growth of little children
• Rice is rich in vitamins and fibres and helps to improve digestion and prevents constipation
• Rice has very low cholesterol and saturated fats and is good maintaining a healthy heart and blood sugar levels
• Rice helps in preventing and curing several diseases because it is rich in antioxidants and neurotransmitters and also has diuretic properties
• Rice is free of gluten so it can be easily included in your child’s diet if he is suffering from celiac disease or is allergic to proteins found in grains such as wheat, barley, rye and oats

SHOULD I GIVE MY BABY WHITE OR BROWN RICE

Rice is grown in several colours, shapes and sizes but perhaps the most popular amongst the other varieties are brown and white rice. Brown rice is a whole grain and in white rice the bran and germ are removed (these are the most nutritious part of the rice grain). For this reason brown rice is considered to be healthier, more nutritious and carb-rich too.

White vs. Brown Rice is an ongoing debate. Both white and brown rice are good for your child and pack in separate nutritional values. White rice is very rich in minerals such as calcium, iron and also is a rich source of vitamin such as niacin, vitamin D, thiamine and riboflavin.

Brown Rice is rich in fibers which aid digestion and its neurotransmitters prevent the occurrence of Alzheimer’s disease and various types of cancers.

In our fast paced life, when you seem worried about what to feed to your child, the below mentioned quick and healthy rice recipes can come to your rescue:

Some points to note here are that, the chili quotient in each of these recipes depends on your child’s tastes and preferences. Also restrict your child’s sugar and salt intake (no salt and sugar until the child turns a year old). Add fresh seasonal vegetables that are sourced and grown locally at places near you and for little babies you may steam/boil/puree vegetables to the desired consistency.

QUICK AND HEALTHY RICE RECIPES FOR KIDS:

1. Curd Rice - Rice Recipes For Kids

Perhaps there’s no greater goddess than yoghurt for your child and when you mix this with rice you have a wholesome meal on your hand, one that’s nutritious and almost entirely a complete meal in itself. Generally curd rice can be given to babies all -round the year during the day time and particularly during summer.

Ingredients:

1 cup boiled rice

1 cup curd

Optional:

Mustard seeds, salt, sugar, curry leaves and green coriander leaves.

Method:

Mix the curd and rice well to a consistency that is preferred by your child. You may season this with the optional contents as above for added flavour and appeal to older kids.

Why Curd Rice:

Curd is a natural pro-biotic that is the perfect ingredient to strengthen your child’s gut. It is a wholesome meal that contains the goodness of Vitamin B and good bacteria. This helps in building your child’s immunity and improves his metabolism. For those children who are allergic to milk or not fond of it, curd (as per doctor’s advice) may be a good alternative to improve calcium intake.

2.Potato Rice - Easy Rice Recipes For Lunch

Potatoes are vital to your child’s growing up years and it is also generally a preferred choice of vegetable by the junior folk. Potato rice is generally cooked in Bengali households but once your child eats it he is sure to love it too!

Ingredients:

1 cup boiled rice

1 boiled and mashed potato

1 teaspoon mustard oil

Salt to taste

Chili to taste(optional)

Method

Boil a potato and mash it well. Mix it with mustard oil, salt and chili(optional). Add this mixture to boiled rice and mix well. Your potato rice is ready to serve.

Why Potato Rice:

Potatoes are rich in carbohydrates, fibres, Vitamin C and B6, carbohydrates and potassium. Mustard oil helps in your child’s growth and also warms up the body during winters.

3.Lemon Rice - 10 Quick Rice Recipes For Babies, Toddlers And Kids 2019

Lemon Rice is eaten all over the country particularly it is very popular in southern India. Its tangy taste keeps you wanting more!

Ingredients:

1 cup boiled rice

2-3 tea spoons(or more as per taste) of lemon juice

1 tea spoon vegetable oil

1 tea spoon mustard seeds

1 tea spoon cumin seeds

1 tea spoon split black gram (urad dal)

A pinch of turmeric

Few curry leaves

Salt to taste

Green Chili (optional as per taste)

Method:

Heat oil and add cumin, mustard, curry leaves, turmeric, green chili and urad dal. Sauté these and then add boiled rice, salt and lemon. Hot lemon rice is ready to serve to your little ones. Even you will enjoy the goodness of this wholesome meal.

Why Lemon Rice:

Lemon is rich in Vitamin C and anti- oxidants that help your baby’s body to easily absorb iron. This carbohydrate rich recipe is not just healthy but rich in taste too!

4.Ripe Mango Rice - Vegetarian Rice Recipe For Toddlers

Mango lovers big and small will love this recipe. A point to caution here is that mango is a fruit that your child must consume in moderation and especially avoid if he is suffering from stomach related ailments such as diarrhea/loose motions.

Ingredients:

1 cup boiled rice

½ cup chopped ripe mango

Or ½ cup Mango Juice/Aamras

Method:

Boil a cup of rice and keep aside. To this add ½ cup washed, peeled and cut mangoes/aamras. You may add sugar if desired. Your yummy mango rice is ready.

Why Mango Rice:

Mango the king of fruits, that comes as a respite in the blazing summer months is rich in Vitamin A,C and anti-oxidants.Fibres in mango aid digestion too but ensure it is consumed in moderation.

5.Peas Rice - Rice Recipes For Lunch Box

Kids love sweet peas. Especially during winters peas are a delight to eat.Peas when cooked with rice makes for a wonderfully tasty treat.

Ingredients:

1 cup boiled rice

½ cup boiled green peas

1/4^th tea spoon cumin

Salt to taste

½ tea spoon lemon

1/4 th tea spoon sugar and chili powder (optional)

Method:

Take a table spoon of clarified butter and add cumin seeds to it. Add all the above ingredients and mix well. Serve hot peas rice either as it is or with yogurt or kadi.

Why Peas Rice:

Peas are rich in magnesium, potassium, calcium, vitamin C, antioxidants and flavonols. They are essential for your child’s growing up years as they prevent any kind of damage to the body cells.However limit their quantity when feeding babies because peas can be hard to digest by the little tummies.

6.Tomato Rice - Rice Recipes For Toddlers Indian

Tomato is a wonderful vegetable to be included in your child’s menu. But some kids may not like to eat them raw or may even pick them out of vegetables. Tomato rice can help you solve this problem.

Ingredients:

1 cup boiled rice

1 cup finely chopped tomatoes (can be grated for little ones)

1 tea spoon cumin powder

1 tea spoon mustard seeds

1 tea spoon chili powder (optional)

Salt to taste

1 tea spoon oil

1 tea spoon sugar (optional)

Method:

Take oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and cumin powder to it. Add the tomatoes and sauté them well until tender. Add boiled rice and other ingredients. Your tangy tomato rice is ready to eat.

Why Tomato Rice:

Tomatoes are rich in Vitamin A and C, folic acid and anti-oxidants. They help the body recover faster from bruises and wounds. And picky tomato eaters will not be able to refuse this dish!

7.Sweet Potato Rice - 10 Quick Rice Recipes For Babies, Toddlers And Kids 2019

Sweet potato is a vegetable that belongs to India. From ancient times this vegetable is being grown in India. It is especially beneficial to consume sweet potatoes during winters.

Ingredients:

1 cup boiled rice

2 small boiled and well mashed up sweet potatoes

Method:

Mix the sweet potatoes and rice well together. The sweetness of this vegetable does not necessitate any other ingredient. You may however add salt and lemon to taste (if desired).

Why Sweet Potato Rice:

This vegetable is a wholesome meal in itself being rich in vitamin B6, C and D. It also contains magnesium, potassium, iron and carotenoids. The fibres in this vegetable aid in the digestive process too.

8.Rice Paratha - Kids Recipes

Kids love parathas, you may serve them during breakfast and also pack them into your little toddler’s school tiffin.

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat flour

½ cup boiled rice

A pinch of turmeric powder

1 tea spoon each of Coriander powder, cumin powder, red chili powder(optional)

1 table spoon oil for the dough

Clarified butter/ghee to cook the parathas

Salt to taste

Method:

Mix all the above ingredients and using water knead a soft dough. Roll out round parathas and cook them using ghee. Serve them hot with curd and butter to your little one.

Why Rice Paratha:

It is rich in carbohydrates and proteins and is a fulfilling meal in itself. Use freshly cooked rice only while making these parathas.

9.Mixed Vegetable Rice - Easy Vegetarian Rice Recipes For Dinner

It’s important to introduce kids to the goodness of all seasonal vegetables early on in their growing up years. Each vegetable has its own health benefits and you must make it a habit to add all seasonal vegetables that are locally grown and procured to your child’s daily menu.

Ingredients:

1 cup boiled rice

1 cup mixed vegetables such as peas, potato, capsicum, beans, carrot, broccoli, mushroom etc.

1/4^th tea spoon cumin

Salt to taste

½ tea spoon lemon

1/4 th tea spoon sugar and chili powder (optional)

2 tea spoons ghee for cooking

Method:

Take a table spoon of clarified butter and add cumin seeds to it. Add mix vegetables either finely cut or grated or pureed (to the consistency desired by your child). Add raw rice previously cleaned and soaked. Add all the other ingredients and cook well. Your mixed vegetable rice is ready to serve. It is a complete meal in itself, rich in vegetables and food grain.

You may serve the mixed vegetable rice with yogurt/raita/kadi.

10.Khicadi - Healthy Rice Dishes

Khicadi is a staple food to feed little babies and toddlers with.Even when they have an upset tummy or are too tired to gulp down other solids you can feed them khicadi and it will keep them full and healthy.

Ingredients

½ Cup raw rice

1 cup Moong dal (yellow or green)

Salt to taste

½ tea spoon turmeric

3 cups water

Method

Wash and soak the dal and rice together for at least half an hour. In a cooker heat 2 tea spoons of clarified butter and add some cumin seeds and turmeric.  Add the dal and rice and water. Add salt and mix well. Take 3-4 whistles, and keep it on low flame for 5 minutes. Adjust the consistency of khicadi to your child’s age and taste before feeding. Serve khicadi with a generous helping of ghee.You may also serve the khicadi with yogurt/kadi.

To build up khicadi’s nutritional value you may add vegetables to it too whilecooking.

Why Khicadi:

Khicadi is a whole some meal that is rich in carbohydrates, proteins, calcium, vitamin C, fibres, magnesium, potassium and phosphorus.

These super healthy and quick recipes are sure to solve your problem of what to cook and give your child a healthy start in life. Remember to feed them food that’s home-made using ingredients that are locally grown and procured and you will see a difference in their health and growth.