Summer is a great time of fun for kids of all ages, especially thanks to that phenomenon known as summer vacation. Most children are usually very active humans, and every parent or guardian knows that no increase in summer heat or high humidity levels can stop them from playing outdoors and having a good time. However, given that summer is a ruthless season, the chances are that all this activity will affect every child’s health.
The most prominent child health issue that arises during summer is dehydration, followed by exhaustion and heat stroke. Because of their young age, severe dehydration and other health issues during summer can be quite fatal. So, ensuring your kid’s safety is of vital importance. You need to take care of everything from applying sunscreen to preventing kids from staying in hot cars. While all of these safety measures are important, certain food and dietary health tips can also help.
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The simplest way to put this is that summer heat leads to certain nutritional deficits in the body, which in turn can lead to lower immunity and dehydration-related issues. To overcome these, parents and guardians need to make sure that children are consuming proper meals with a highlight on a few essential factors. Here are all the summer diet tips you need to keep the kids healthy.
Get Plenty Of Water
You might need to remind them to drink plenty of water from time to time but do ensure that your kids are drinking two litres or more every day. It is natural to confuse thirst with hunger during summers, so see that the kids get enough hydration along with their meals. If your kids are picky and unwilling to consume loads of plain water, then try Indian hydrating drinks like jal jeera, rooh afza and sharbats.
Hydrate Through Food
Another way of ensuring that kids get plenty of hydration is to get them to eat plenty of water-packed nutrient-dense foods. Fruits like watermelons, musk melons, kiwis, strawberries, apples and tomatoes are packed with water and taste great, and so do veggies like cucumber. You could also try making fresh and delicious smoothies, lassis, chaas and fruit and veggie popsicles.
Avoid Sugary Drinks
Whatever you do, keep your kids’ sugar intake at a minimum. Natural sugars in fruits and vegetables are fine to a large extent, but avoid sugary drinks like fruit juices, pre-packaged juices, sweetened energy drinks, caffeinated drinks, etc. These are likely to have a dehydrating effect on the body, which is clearly counterproductive during summer season.
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Instead of having your kids consume sugary drinks and ice creams, experiment with the natural flavours of summer fruits to keep their hydration levels up. You can try a variety of fruit popsicles made with fresh fruits, not to mention fruit and flower flavoured ice cubes to just add a dash of colour to any water-based drinks. You can also try homemade sorbets, kulfis and fruit custards for the kids.
Say No To Processed
Just like excess sugar in sugary drinks, excess sodium and preservatives in processed and junk foods also have a dehydrating effect on the body. So, avoid processed foods and junk snacks whether they are cold cuts or chips or ready-to-eat snacks. Instead, try making homemade snacks that are healthier and unprocessed.
Follow A Routine
Sticking to a schedule is of vital importance for growing kids, which is why they have much more healthy habits when they are going to school. During summer vacations, these routines often go for a toss, and this creates a nutritional imbalance. So, it is important that you maintain a food, play, rest and sleep routine throughout summer.
Get Creative
Kids always need more activity and engagement during summer vacations, and with a little bit of imagination, you can get them to show more of an interest in eating healthy while having fun. The easiest way to do this is to let them pick their own favourite fruits and make popsicles or ice cubes out of them. You can also try letting them build their own salads or smoothie bowls to promote healthy eating.
