Children develop food preferences at a very young age. And, this is the reason why parents always look forward to including healthy and nutritious options in their kids' diet. One such great option is soy. Soy is a plant-based food, a very rich source of protein and amino acids, that your body is unable to produce on its own. Hence, getting soy foods for kids can prove to be the best thing for your child's nutritional needs.
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| Include Soybeans and their products in kids' meals. |
Benefits of Soy foods for kids
- Rich
source of potassium
If your child consumes one cup of soy then he will get 866 mg of potassium which is almost double what you get after consuming 1 medium-sized banana. Potassium helps to improve digestion, improve kidney functions, and helps your nerves to function properly.
- Low fat
content
Most children do not need the fat they consume from dairy products such as milk, cheese, etc. However, most soy products are cholesterol-free. Soy foods have almost zero fat content which helps to protect them from future risk of child obesity. Soy foods for kids help to maintain heart health in the long run.
- Improves
brain health
Soy contains dipeptides which not only improve cognitive and memory functions but also help to reduce the risk of memory degradation in the future.
- Overloaded
with protein
Soy is loaded with all the nine amino acids which are required for building healthy bones and muscles. Hence, adding soy foods to your kids’ diet will fulfill their daily protein requirements and also contribute to their overall development.
Soy is rich in diverse nutrients such as iron, vitamins B, zinc, calcium, fiber, and polyphenols. In addition, soy is just right for kids who are lactose-intolerant.
Related Post- Calcium Foods with Better Absorption
Soy products and delicious soy recipes for kids
You can prepare and experiment a lot with soy. Here are diverse soy foods and recipes not only your kids would love but your family will be asking for more.
1.
Soy Milk
You can replace milk with soymilk for your kids above 2 years. Soy Milk comes in different flavors and can be consumed directly or used for cooking. While choosing soy milk for kids, see to it that you buy the ones which are enriched with vitamin D and calcium.
Apple and
cinnamon soya shake
Ingredients
●
½ tbsp cinnamon powder
●
3 cups apple cubes
●
2 cups chilled low-fat milk (99.7% no fat milk)
●
1 cup chilled soy milk
●
½ tbsp sugar substitute (optional)
Procedure
● Combine all the ingredients in the juicer/mixer and blend
it until you get a frothy and smooth mixture.
● Pour the mixture equally in 6 glasses and serve
immediately.
2.
Tofu
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| Tofu- One of the Soy Foods for kids! |
In order to make tofu, soybeans are cooked naturally. There are two types of tofu, one is soft and the other is firm. Firm tofu contains more protein as compared to soft tofu. You can find tofu in a variety of flavors and textures in the market. Just like cottage cheese(paneer), it can be eaten raw, grilled, fried, or cooked into amazing recipes.
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Crispy
baked Tofu nuggets
Ingredients
●
250g-extra firm tofu (cut into cubes)
●
¼ tsp garlic powder
●
2 eggs(whisked)
●
1 cup bread crumbs
●
¼ tsp salt
●
½ cup all-purpose flour
Procedure
● In order to remove extra moisture from tofu, place the
tofu block on a piece of cotton cloth and place another cloth over it and leave
it untouched for the next 2 hours.
● Remove breadcrumbs on a plate and add salt and garlic
powder to it.
● Preheat the oven at 425 F. Take a baking sheet, place a
wired rack over it and apply non-stick spray over it.
● Now, cut the tofu into cubes and dip it into the flour, then
eggs, then bread crumbs mixture and place it on the rack.
● Bake it for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
● Serve it hot with your kid’s favorite sauce or dip.
3.
Soybean flour
It is made by grinding roasted soybeans into powder form. It is considered to be very healthy and is used in various food products. Interestingly, you can add soy flour to your regular chapati dough or make some new and delicious recipes by using it as a primary ingredient.
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| Replace all-purpose flour with soy flour. |
Soy flour
dosa
●
¼ cup soy flour
●
¾ cup rice flour
●
¼ cup drained and
soaked urad dal
●
Salt as per taste
●
1 cup water
●
Oil as per requirement(1-2tbsp)
Procedure
● Blend urad dal using ¼ cup of water in a grinder and make a
smooth paste.
● Transfer the mixture to a big bowl and add rice flour, soy
flour, salt, and ¾ cup of water to it.
● Stir the mixture well using a whisk until you get a lump-free paste.
● Heat a non-stick griddle and sprinkle some oil over it.
● Now, pour a ladleful of batter on the griddle and spread it
in a circular motion until it reaches a diameter of 6 inches.
● Add some oil to the edges of the dosa and cook well from
both sides until it turns light brown in color.
● Make all the other dosas in a similar way and serve hot with coconut chutney and sambar.
For US4. Soya chunks
Soybean or soya chunks are made from the leftover soy flour after the extraction of soy oil. Soy chunks come in different forms such as big soya chunks, small/mini soya chunks, or soy kheema. In order to cook, soak soy chunks in warm water for at least 30 minutes.
Soybean sabzi
●
150 Gram Soybean (soaked
overnight)
●
1 Onion, chopped
●
2 tbsp Ginger- chopped
●
2 tbsp Garlic- chopped
●
1 Tomato- chopped
●
Green chilies- chopped
●
A pinch of Turmeric
Powder
●
Red Chilli Powder to taste
●
Salt to taste
●
1 tbsp chat masala
● 1-2 tbsp refined oil
Procedure
● Add soybeans and 2-3 cups of water in a pressure cooker
and cook it till the soybeans turn soft.
● In a pan, heat some oil and add ginger garlic to it. Once
they turn brown add chopped onions and saute till they turn golden brown.
● Now, add tomatoes to it and cook until they are soft.
● Add boiled soybeans, red chili powder, turmeric powder,
salt followed by green chilies, and stir it for a few minutes.
● Now, add 2-3 cups of water to the mixture and allow it to
simmer for the next 10 minutes.
● Let the sabzi cook on low flame. Stir occasionally till
all the water disappears.
● Sprinkle some chat masala on the sabzi and serve hot.
More Ways to Include Soy in Your Kid's Meals
Soy is definitely a versatile food that can be served in different forms and tastes. Check other ways to consume soy-
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| Replace animal meat with plant-based soy meat! |
1. Prepare chocolate milk or cold coffee using unsweetened soy milk.
2. Use soy milk with any cereal as a healthy breakfast option.
3. Use presoaked soya chunks or granules in any gravy-based or dry vegetable preparations. Since soy does not have flavor, you can easily hide it in any vegetable preparation.
4. Use soy meat as any meat substitute while preparing burgers, etc.
4. Instead of paneer or cottage cheese, use tofu cubes to prepare dishes like Matar paneer, aalo paneer, etc.
5. Use soybean oil in your daily food preparations.
6. Readymade Tempeh is available as frozen foods that you may add to any recipe for enhanced nutrition.
7. Include soaked soybeans in your mung sprouts for more nutritional value.
8. You may buy flavored soy milk for your family.
9. 'Soy chaap' is a popular Indian recipe that gives the appearance and taste of a rich meat dish.
Great list of food, I definitely agree with overloaded protein which we doing atm. Thank you for sharing these awesome option!
ReplyDeleteGlad the post helped you!
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