Beat The Heat With Some Cool Stuff

KOCHI: With tinkling bells of the ice cream man, the sweet-sour smells of freshly cut mangoes and the splash of fresh lime juice on your tongue, its time to welcome yet another summer vacation. While summer arrives with many cheers of fun and games, so does it bring with it problems of dehydration, sun stroke and heat. Here are a few tips to keep the young ones healthy and kicking this vacation even while keeping their taste buds happy.Dos and Dont's to bust thirst■     Students playing outdoor games should drink water or some liquid every two hours.■     Pot water is the best dehydrator for summer as it’s cooler than the room temperature, yet suitable for the body. ■    Unlike popular belief, chilled juice and ice creams might not be the best choices when it comes to keep off thirst. In fact these increase thirst.■    Tender coconut water and yoghurt including lassi and lime juice  are great for summers. ■    Say no to sugary drinks like colas. “These dehydrate the  body and its best to keep away from them,” says Geeta Mary, dietician at the PVS Memorial Hospital, Kochi.Involve children with food“During summers, children learn a variety of things from tennis to guitar playing. Initiating them into healthier foods and into the process of making food can also be done at this time. This raises their interest in food,” says consultant dietician  Dr Dharini Krishnan.■    Help children to grow vegetables like spinach at home in little pots or on the kitchen backyard. ■    Take your child to the vegetable vendor and teach him/ her to chose the vegetables.■    Ask children to make small items like salads for themselves.■    Lots of little plastic gadgets for cutting vegetables into various shapes are available in the market. Help children decorate their foods with these.How to make your food coolWhile most parents have a tough time making children eat healthy food, here are a few tips on how to make nutritious food attractive to your children.■    Try home-made, healthier versions of popular foods : Junk foods with their fat content are a strict no-no on summer days but imitating them with healthier foods are a great idea. Home-made pizzas are a great example. Home made pizzas with lots of vegetables can be an interesting try. Similarly, wheat momos with lots of vegetables or dry fruits, home-made frankies replacing the potatoes with other vegetables and vegetable spring roles are some items one could try.■    Mix and Match for tastier foodsMix conventional healthy foods with a touch of the exotic. Boring salads for instance can be a hit if you add a few sweet fruits, nuts and chocolate gratings to taste. Similarly cold soups (hot soups after a few hours in the fridge), fruit salads and fruit tarts can be a healthy treat to children on summer days.■    Add crunchy and crispy dressings on conventional snacks and other food items to make them delectable to children.