Being a working woman and a mother is no easy feat. Between managing your career and caring for your family, there just never seem to be enough hours in the day. But guess what? You can still whip up delicious and nutritious meals for your loved ones and at the same time keep time for yourself without affecting your work, even on the busiest schedules. Here are few amazing cooking tips and kitchen hacks for the working moms which can do wonders in their daily lives.

Cooking Tips for Busy Working Moms

Being a working mom is a full-time job, and sometimes squeezing in healthy meals seems impossible. But fear not, superhero moms! Here are some time-saving cooking tips for Indian working moms:

1. Plan and Prep Like a Pro:

Sunday afternoons become your secret weapon. Plan your weekly meals, make a grocery list, and prep as much as possible. Chop veggies, marinate meats, and even cook grains in advance. This sets you up for quick and easy meals all week long.

You may also read: Easy Breakfast and Snacks Recipe with Sooji!

2. Stock Your Pantry Wisely:

Keep a well-stocked pantry with essentials like spices, canned goods, and whole grains. Don’t forget staples like bread (check those expiry dates!) – perfect for quick sandwiches or toast. This ensures you always have a base for whipping up something delicious, even when time is tight.

3. Freeze Your Veggies:

Prepping and freezing vegetables can save precious chopping time. Wash, chop, and blanch them beforehand. Then, pop them in a freezer bag for quick access to healthy additions for stir-fries, soups, or stews.

4. Embrace the Power of Appliances:

Technology is your friend! Utilize time-saving appliances like a pressure cooker for quick and healthy meals or a chapati maker for perfectly round and fluffy rotis in minutes. These tools help you get dinner on the table faster, leaving more time for family. 

5. Grind and Go:

Prepare dosa or idli batter in advance and store it in the refrigerator. This saves you time in the morning and allows for a quick and filling breakfast for the whole family.

6. Stock up on some healthy instant options:

Healthy instant options like pre-cooked lentils or single-serving brown rice pouches. These can create quick and nutritious meals when you’re short on time. These can also ensure that you stay fit and can act as weight loss options for a busy mother/parent.

7. Readymade breakfast mixes:

Readymade breakfast mixes are another lifesaver. Invest in mixes like instant oatmeal, whole-wheat pancake batter, or savory options like upma or dosa mix. These provide a quick and balanced base to add fresh fruits, nuts, or veggies for a complete and delicious breakfast.

8. Soaking up the Beans: 

Beans are a fantastic source of protein and fiber. Soaking overnight helps break down complex sugars that your gut struggles to digest. This not only reduces gas but can also improve your bean’s overall digestibility, making it more nutritious. Just remember to discard the soaking water before cooking for maximum effect!

9. Preparing the Dough: 

You can prep your roti dough in advance! Simply combine flour, water, and a pinch of salt to form a smooth dough. Knead for a few minutes, then store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. You can also go for various healthy flour alternatives.

10. Boiled in Advance:

Certain ingredients become weeknight heroes when pre-cooked. Hard-boil a batch of eggs on Sunday – perfect for quick salads, sandwiches, or protein additions to stir-fries. Similarly, boil potatoes in advance for speedy potato salads, mashed potatoes, or roasted wedges later in the week. By having these staples ready, you shave off valuable prep time and have versatile ingredients on hand for countless meals.

Conclusion

Remember, these cooking tips for working moms are just a starting point. Don’t be afraid to get creative and experiment! Explore online resources for quick and easy family-friendly recipes. Many websites offer meals that can be whipped up in 30 minutes or less.

Involve your family in the process whenever possible. Get your kids to help with age-appropriate tasks like setting the table, washing vegetables, or stirring ingredients. Not only will this lighten your load, but it will also teach them valuable life skills and foster a sense of connection around mealtimes.

Most importantly, don’t be afraid to embrace imperfection. There will be days when takeout feels like the only option, and that’s perfectly okay! The goal is to find a balance that works for you and your family. With a little planning and these handy cooking tips for busy moms , you can create a happy and healthy kitchen routine, even amidst the whirlwind of work and family life. So put on your apron, working moms, and get ready to conquer the kitchen! You’ve got this!

This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’
hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla
in collaboration with Dr. Preeti Chauhan.

The post Top 10 Time-Saving Kitchen Hacks for Working Moms appeared first on Growing With Nemit.

I love chocolates! Even though I don’t have a sweet tooth I just can’t control my cravings for chocolates on certain days. Do you know eating chocolate releases a feel-good neurotransmitter called dopamine in our brain? And, we all are aware of the many health benefits of eating chocolates. But as they say, too much of anything is not good, especially if it’s laden with sugar and preservatives. What if I tell you that there’s a new chocolate brand in India that is changing the way we look at chocolates? I am talking about BeeTee’s Melt sugar-free chocolates, yes all their chocolates are free from refined sugar.

What is BeeTee’s Melt?

They are bean-to-bar chocolate manufacturers from Chennai, India. BeeTee’s Melt as a brand was conceived by a talented woman entrepreneur, Thamarai. She not only taught herself to make chocolate from scratch but also completed an international course in chocolate making, starting her journey at the young age of 21.

They follow a principle in their business where they give importance to health over profit margins. And, that’s why all their offerings are free from refined sugar, preservatives, fillers, and stabilisers.

Not just that, their chocolates have the added bonus of being vegan, soy-free, and gluten-free. They sure are winning the hearts of many health-conscious people.

Sugar-free Chocolates by BeeTee’s Melt

Currently, they manufacture 3 varieties of chocolates-

1. 72% Dark Chocolate
2. 54% Coconutmilk Chocolate
3. 48% Milk Chocolate

Image Source – BeeTee’s Melt

The first thing that caught my attention was their packaging, it’s quite different and interesting. The colour of the pack tells you the flavour of the chocolate inside like dark brown is for dark chocolate, green is for coconut milk chocolate, and light brown is for milk chocolate.

If you’ll look closely you will notice that the design on the cover is not just any print but a well-thought idea to highlight the main ingredient (i.e. cacao beans) of their chocolates. I would call it smart branding.

Now, if you are confused about the percentage mentioned on each chocolate then don’t be, and let me explain. The percentage refers to the % of cacao in the chocolate bar. While going through their website I got to know their procedure of chocolate making. And, the most interesting part about the process is that they don’t separate cacao butter from the beans and that explains why their chocolates are so rich and melt in the mouth.

So, you see 72% Dark Chocolate bar has 72% Cacao Beans plus Cacao Butter and 28% Palm Sugar. No hidden ingredients.

Now, let’s open each pack and know more about their content and taste.

1 – 72% Dark Chocolate 

I have never liked dark chocolate because they are nothing but bitter. I was quite hesitant to take a bite of BeeTee’s Melt Dark Chocolate and that’s why I asked my husband to try it first. He’s a diabetic with a major sweet tooth, so this bar was anyways meant for him. He took a bite and just closed his eyes, it seemed he moved to a different world at that moment. I should have clicked his picture then.

Image Source – BeeTee’s Melt

Anyways, his expressions made me curious enough to try it out myself. And, I must confess this is by far the best dark chocolate I have ever tasted. I guess it’s the right percentage of cacao beans + cacao butter + palm sugar along with the right technique of chocolate making that did the magic.

This is a must-try for those who take their health quite seriously for a guilt-free indulgence.

2 – 54% Coconutmilk Chocolate

Another vegan chocolate on the offering is BeeTee’s Melt Coconutmilk Chocolate. The first thing you will notice as soon as the chocolate melts in your mouth is the heavenly floral and nutty flavour of coconut milk. It is perfectly sweetened with coconut sugar which further enhances the taste of the chocolate. The taste will linger in your mouth and your mind for a long time.

If you are vegan but dark chocolate is not what you crave for then coconut milk chocolate is what you should try.

3 – 48% Milk Chocolate

The last one on the list is BeeTee’s Melt Milk Chocolate. This one is quite different in taste from other milk chocolates in the market. It has the classic flavour of milk chocolate combined with a distinct sweet and earthy taste it gets from the muscovado sugar. This one is definitely for the ones with a sweet tooth and those who don’t prefer different flavours in their chocolate.

Image Source – BeeTee’s Melt

The only ingredients in this chocolate are cacao beans, cacao butter, milk, and muscovado sugar.

Why you should try BeeTee’s Melt sugar-free Chocolates?

Here are my top 5 reasons why one should try BeeTee’s Melt Chocolates-

1. They are an Indian Artisan bean-to-bar chocolate brand.
2. Their chocolates are all-natural and vegan.
3. They do not separate cacao butter from the beans making their chocolates more rich and creamy.
4. They make sugar-free chocolates (no refined sugar) with no added preservatives, fillers and, stabilisers.
5. These chocolates allow for guilt-free indulgence. They are tasty and healthy.

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You may buy your favourites directly from their website, or place your order on Amazon, Flipkart or, BigBasket. This festive season gift your loved ones the best of handcrafted chocolates from BeeTee’s Melt.

What kind of chocolate do you like? Milk or Dark? Tell me in the comments below.

The post Sugar-free Chocolates by BeeTee’s Melt for Guilt-free indulgence appeared first on Growing With Nemit.

Hello mommies! I know a lot of you want to know how to instil healthy eating habits in kids. So, today I’ll be sharing some tips from my experience with you all. When Nemit was about 6 months old and it was time to introduce solids to him, I joined a couple of Facebook groups to learn the right techniques of weaning. I got to know about the traditional and baby-led weaning.

And the message that these groups were imparting was giving only healthy nutritious food to the baby. And, because my thoughts were in line with them, I succeeded in following the same for Nemit.

I know right now you must be having a lot of questions. That’s why I am listing down a few tips below which I followed to develop good eating habits in Nemit. Let’s understand a little about nutritious food. In simple words, food consisting of all the essential nutrients is nutritious. But, there is no single food which has all the nutrients.

Human body requires seven major types of nutrients.¹

(Protein, carbohydrate, fat, vitamin, mineral, fibre and water)

Now, to get these nutrients in balanced quantity, a child should eat from different food groups.

Check out the VIDEO to understand the food groups better

4 Tips to develop good eating habits in kids early on in life

1. Start early and don’t give up.

Starting solids for the baby is fun but as the baby grows, meal times become a task. Many times I wanted to choose the easier way out but I somehow knew my efforts would pay off someday. I learned to make interesting finger foods for him to encourage eating on his own. Later, I started involving him in meal preparation. It helped him in understanding his food. Check out these creative recipes made with PediaSure that you can prepare together with your child.

2. Follow a feeding schedule.

I started following a feeding schedule for Nemit from an early age. And we are still sticking to it. It really helps in keeping a note on how much and what all he ate in a day. And, this makes it easier to plan the meals and include all the food groups in his diet.

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3. Eat together and eat the same food.

Before Nemit joined playschool, we used to eat all 3 meals together. You may introduce family food (sans salt and sugar) to your baby at 7-8 months. I would strap him in his booster chair and put a spoonful of food in his tray. He would play with it for a few secs & then watch me eat and follow. Kids learn a lot from their parents, so set a good example by following good food habits.

4. No screens while eating.

You will get tempted a lot to use that 30 mins of mealtime for yourself. And, you would want to replace eating together time with screen time. Please don’t do that! Once your child will get used to the screen, he will not leave it. Initially, you won’t understand the impact it will cause on the baby’s brain but there will be an impact on his development.

It’s just a matter of a few years, but good habits go a long way. And, trust me, you will be so proud of yourself when you will see your child is growing right.

In case, you are wondering if it’s too late to develop good habits because your child is past baby and toddler age, no, it’s never too late! It may take a little more effort but it’s still possible. Just say no to unhealthy junk food or any bad habits like a distraction while eating. If your child is a fussy eater, you may check with your pediatrician for guidance. The nutritional supplement like PediaSure is recommended by doctors for picky eaters. It consists of 37 vital nutrients from all the food groups for a child’s overall development.

Reference:

• https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/160774.php
• https://pediasure.com/child-development-nutrition/5-food-groups-kids

This is a sponsored post, however, all opinions are that of the author.

The post 4 Tips to develop good eating habits in kids #GrowRight appeared first on Growing With Nemit.

Not sure? Let’s find out!

Hello mommies and daddies. Today I will be taking up an important question which bothers a lot of parents. Especially those whose children are fussy eaters. They really worry about their child’s growth due to their fussy eating habits. And in the hope to support their optimal development they sometimes offer them health supplements like Pediasure. But does PediaSure help growth in fussy eaters?

I know some of you will jump up and say, ‘Yes, it does!’ Well, that’s great. 

But what about others? What stops them in believing that? It’s definitely the lack of knowledge and the right information. Or maybe they are not in that category of parents with fussy eaters. Well, a few years ago, I was in the former category struggling to understand how PediaSure helps growth.

Nemit is not a fussy eater by habit. But his cold and cough episodes would turn him into a picky eater for that duration. It didn’t bother me much since that used to happen once in a while.

Everything was fine until he started his preschool when his immunity got compromised and such episodes got intensified. And each episode would last for 12-14 days. We were really worried since every time Nemit catches a cold, he stops eating or demands comfort food. And, he was losing weight as well.

Some of our well-wishers suggested allowing him to eat whatever he likes even if that means giving him unhealthy comfort food. Luckily, before taking their advice we met our pediatrician to ask her opinion.

Of course, a doctor is always a better choice for health-related advice rather than a bunch of experienced family members. But to our surprise, she at that time recommended PediaSure once a day for 3 months.

Obviously, I was doubtful and she sensed it. But what she explained changed my whole perspective towards PediaSure as a health drink and nutrition supplement.

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How does PediaSure help your child grow right?

She started by explaining the importance of nutrition during the initial years of a child’s life. If your child is getting a nutritious well-balanced diet and is gaining optimal height and weight then there’s nothing to worry about. But if your child shows a lack of interest in eating, falls sick often, and is not attaining optimal growth then it’s a matter of worry.

She further added that these initial years of a child’s life are the most crucial when the rapid growth and development takes place. PediaSure consists of 37 vital nutrients which helps them to grow right by supporting their brain development and immunity. She shared some of the links for reference which I’m adding at the end of the post.

Source – www.pediasure.in

So, when a child is a fussy eater or the period of fussiness overstays (like in our case), it may create a risk of nutrient deficiency. This, in turn, may lead to an impact in the future. To cover this gap, pediatricians all over the world recommend PediaSure. There are many studies which support that nutrient deficiency may lead to many serious complications in children at a later age.

Why take that risk when there’s a solution available? We can only help our kids develop good eating habits from an early age. But can’t force feed a child if he’s a fussy eater.

I realized giving PediaSure is a much more sensible choice rather than offering unhealthy comfort food to the child. Comfort food may fill their tummy but it can never fill the nutritional gap. 

References –

• https://nutrition.abbott/za/continuing-education/child-nutrition/toddler-picky-eating

• https://nutrition.abbott/za/continuing-education/child-nutrition/healthy-eating

• https://pediasure.in/about-pediasure/pediasure-formulation

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5118732/

All content here, including advice from the doctor, should be considered as opinion only. Always seek direct advice from your own doctor in case of any questions related to your health.

This is a sponsored post, however, all opinions are that of the author.

The post Does PediaSure help growth in fussy eaters? #GrowRight appeared first on Growing With Nemit.