Imagine it is between 3 to 4 pm, your child is back from school and the many extra-curricular activities and is hungry. While you do want to keep them satiated until dinner, stop and think for a minute before you grab that conveniently packaged snack off the counter. Do you really want to give your child a snack of artificial food with additives? Certainly not!
Would it not be great if you could find some quick and interesting recipes to make for your kids, while resting assured that you are giving them something they enjoy eating and yet, nutritious?
The simple solution is – incorporate almonds!
These nuts are not only a great snack option but are also convenient and deliver a host of nutrients like vitamin E, riboflavin, fibre, protein and many others. In other words, almonds are a healthy alternative for a variety of unwholesome snacks, readily available. In addition, since these nuts are tasty and crunchy, they can also satisfy your child’s sensory cravings.
Here are some super yummy yet nutritious recipes that you could try out for your kids:
Badam Custard
Custard has always been a favourite with the tiny humans. With addition of almonds, you can add this to the list of wholesome snack recipes for kids!
Serves 2
Preparation Time: 20mins
Cooking time: 15mins
Ingredients
Almonds (roasted) – 200gms
Milk -500ml
Sugar -100gms
Egg yolk – 6no
Vanilla essence – 3ml
Corn flour – 25gms
Method
Blanch almonds and make a smooth paste, keep aside. Mix egg yolk and corn flour in a bowl, keep aside.
Boil sugar and milk. Then, add some warm milk to the egg yolks and whisk, keep aside. Keep milk at simmer, add the tempered yolk mixture and cook for 5 mins.
Keep stirring and pour the almond paste and set in a fridge. Serve cold.
Nutrient Analysis
Calories
2530
Protein
76.8 gms
Total fat
174.7 gms
Saturated
28.6 gms
Monounsaturated
81.2 gms
Polyunsaturated
29.3 gms
Carbohydrates
163 gms
Fibre
21.4 gms
Cholesterol
1674 mg
Sodium
138.2 mg
Calcium
1216 mg
Magnesium
805.4 mg
Potassium
2255 mg
Vitamin E
53.1 mg
Almond Cookies
This quick and easy recipe not only gives you delicious cookies but will also leave your kids asking for more.
Serves 2
Preparation Time: 20mins
Cooking time: 15mins
Ingredients
Flour – 1kg
Baking powder – 1/2 tsp
Lemon zest -2 tblspn
Salt – a pinch
Butter (unsalted)-700 gms
Powdered sugar – 300 gms
Almonds (finely crushed) – 200gms
Method
Mix cream, butter and icing sugar thoroughly. Fold in all the dry ingredients.
Shape it in small balls and roll it in crushed almonds.
On a greased baking tray, bake the cookies at 170 degree Celsius for 20mins. Serve.
Nutrient Analysis
Calories
11093
Protein
151.6 gms
Total fat
693.8 gms
Saturated
252.2 gms
Monounsaturated
179.7 gms
Polyunsaturated
44.7 gms
Carbohydrates
1060 gms
Fibre
24 gms
Cholesterol
756 mg
Sodium
822 mg
Calcium
690 mg
Magnesium
1286 mg
Potassium
2700 mg
Vitamin E
49.8 mg
Badam Elaichi Shake
This is one of the easy recipes to make which gives you a whole of lot of goodness from ingredients like elaichi, badam, honey and cardamom.
Serves 2
Preparation Time: 10mins
Cooking time: 15mins
Ingredients
Milk – 3 cups
Almonds (peeled and chopped) – 1/2 cup
Honey – 1tbl spn
Cardamom powder – 1/2 tsp
Saffron – 5 strands.
Vanilla ice cream – 2 scoops (optional)
Method
Mix all the ingredients and blend in a blender. Froth it up and serve chilled, garnished with almond flakes.
Nutrient Analysis
Calories
1216
Protein
38.8 gms
Total fat
82.8 gms
Saturated
22.7 gms
Monounsaturated
35.6 gms
Polyunsaturated
7.5 gms
Carbohydrates
78.1 gms
Fibre
1.25 gms
Cholesterol
108.4 mg
Sodium
317 mg
Calcium
1062 mg
Magnesium
355.9 mg
Potassium
1447 mg
Vitamin E
13.1 mg
Paneer Badam Ka Cheela
This Indian recipe, that pretty much every Indian household is familiar with, can be a great snack recipe for kids for mid-meal munching.
Serves 4
Preparation Time: 10mins
Cooking time: 20mins
Ingredients
Besan – 2cups
Baking powder – 1/4thtsp
Salt – ½ tsp
Ajwain – 1/4thtsp
Red chilli powder – ½ tsp
Oil – 3 tblspn
For the stuffing
Paneer (mashed) – ½ cup
Badam (chopped) – 1/4th cup
Jeera roasted – 1 tsp
Salt – ½ tsp
Green chilly chop – 1 no
Ginger chop – 2 tsp
Green coriander chop – 1 tblspn
Method
Make a thick batter using besan, salt, ajwain, red chilli powder, baking powder and water. Keep aside.
Mix together all the ingredients nicely for the stuffing.
Heat a non stick pan and drizzle a little oil. Pour a little batter and spread around thinly. Allow to cook on one side and then gently turn it. Flash cook on this side and turn immediately.
Now spoon out the stuffing and place in the centre horizontally. Fold the cheela like a dosa or a cigar.
Remove and serve hot.
Nutrient Analysis
Calories
1966
Protein
83.9gms
Total fat
99.5gms
Saturated
3.7gms
Monounsaturated
13.7gms
Polyunsaturated
10.9gms
Carbohydrates
184.2gms
Fibre
6.7gms
Cholesterol
4.2
Sodium
263.4 mg
Calcium
410 mg
Magnesium
462.9 mg
Potassium
2470 mg
Vitamin E
8.6 mg
Toasted Almonds and Tomato Uttapam Pizza
A western twist to a popular south Indian recipe can be all the excitement your kids can ask for, pre or post their play time.
Serves: 1 person
Preparation time: 8 – 10 minutes
Cooking time: 12 – 15 minutes
Ingredients:
Uttapam batter – 75 ml
Almonds cut into half(unpeeled) – 15 g
Tomato deseeded and chopped – 10 g
Chopped onion – 10 g
Chopped ginger – 2 g
Chopped coriander – 2 g
Pizza sauce – 5 g
Parmesan cheese grated – 3 g
Salt – to taste
Refined oil – 5 ml
Method
Pour the uttapam batter in the centre of a heated non-stick pan. Sprinkle chopped tomato, onion, ginger and coriander, evenly on top. Turn the uttapam upside down to cook it from top for about a minute. Then, turn it back and spread the pizza sauce. Add almond halves and turn it over, once again.
Then, remove from the pan and sprinkle grated parmesan on it. Cut it into 4 pieces like a pizza. Serve hot.
Nutrient Analysis
Calories
393
Protein
12 g
Total fat
14.7 g
Saturated
1.6 g
Monounsaturated
6.2 g
Polyunsaturated
5.1 g
Carbohydrates
56.5 g
Fibre
0.5 g
Cholesterol
0 mg
Sodium
967 mg
Calcium
76 mg
Magnesium
63 mg
Potassium
252 mg
Vitamin E
3.9 mg
Badam ki Kheer
This popular desert accompanies most Indian food preparations at home during festivals. However, since it is prepared so rarely, kids love it so much more.
Do not hesitate to make your kids happy every now and then by whipping up some kheeron regular days.
Serves 4
Preparation Time: 10mins
Cooking time: 20mins
Ingredients
Desi ghee – 2 tblspn
Almonds – 1 cup
Green cardamom powder – 1/2 tsp
Rice – 3 tblspn
Milk – 1lt
Raisins – 1/2 cup
Sugar – 150 gms
Almond slivers – 1 & 1/2tblspn
Method
Soak rice for half hour. Soak raisins in water for 15 minutes. Blanch the almonds, remove skin and grind to a paste adding little water.
Heat a pan and add desi ghee. Now lightly sauté the almond paste on low heat for 1 minute. Add milk and bring it to a boil. Lower the heat and add rice. Cook for 15 minutes or till the rice overcooks and thickens the kheer. Add sugar and raisins. Garnish with almond slivers.
Nutrient Analysis
Calories
3000
Protein
70.6 gms
Total fat
169.4 gms
Saturated
34 gms
Monounsaturated
52.3 gms
Polyunsaturated
16.7 gms
Carbohydrates
298.7 gms
Fiber
3.5 gms
Cholesterol
99 mg
Sodium
173.3 mg
Calcium
1748 mg
Magnesium
778.9 mg
Potassium
2847 mg
Vitamin E
31.9 mg
Almond and Soya Milk Smoothie
A healthy recipe to serve your kids, anytime of the day, a glass of this smoothie can give them the goodness of soya milk and almonds which can provide essential nutrients such protein, calcium and many vitamins and minerals.
Serves: 4
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: no cooking time
Ingredients:
Almond Flakes – 100 g
Soya Milk – 750 ml
Honey – 150 g
Whole almonds – 350 g
Banana – 200 g
Method:
In a mixer jar, take whole almonds without skin add soya milk, honey and banana in it. Blend it and garnish with roasted almonds flakes.
Tip: Add a berry flavour as per availability to enhance flavour.
Nutrient Analysis
Calories
3588
Protein
122 g
Total fat
240.6g
Saturated
17.4 g
Monounsaturated
144 g
Polyunsaturated
56.6 g
Carbohydrates
267.6 g
Fibre
40.8 g
Cholesterol
0 mg
Sodium
440.7 mg
Calcium
2154 mg
Magnesium
1407.6 mg
Potassium
4351 mg
Vitamin E
118.5 mg