Some people including babies and children are very much incapable of digesting the simple sugar lactose which is found in the milk as well as the milk products. Hence every parent in this particular case needs to have a clear idea about what they should offer to the kids so that everything will be critical for their good health and development. The human body basically has a miraculous mechanism of digesting and assimilating the food and multiple digestive juices will be working together at the molecular level to streamline the process of digestion and make sure that people are getting the necessary nutrients. The absence of smaller enzymes and chemicals in this particular case will lead to the intolerance of specific substances which is the main reason that consistently remaining in touch with the paediatric gastroenterologist will be important for individuals to carry out things very well.
In very simple terms lactose intolerance is basically the inability of the body to digest lactose further it is very important for people to have a clear idea about such perspectives so that everyone will be able to get things done on the right path very easily. Following are the most important tips based on the Indian diet that you need to focus on to deal with lactose intolerance very easily:
- Dealing with dairy alternatives for everyday use: Lactose-free milk is now very easily available in majority of the supermarkets and it will be highly successful and retaining the nutrients which have been found in regular milk. People can even opt for curd in such cases which will be based on plant-based milk like coconut or almond milk and tofu is also a great alternative to curries and snacks which is free from lactose. Plant-based milk in the form of Coconut milk and almond milk is a very good idea because it will be a substitute for regular milk.
- Shifting the focus to the calcium-rich non-dairy food items: Another very vital perspective that you need to take very seriously is to ensure that adequate calcium intake is there for lactose intolerant children and for this shifting the focus to the calcium-rich alternatives is very important for nutritious and very well-balanced diet. Some of the food items that you can offer to your child will be leafy greens in the form of spinach, drumstick leaves and other associated options. Nuts and seeds are also another very important aspect that you need to take into account and shifting the focus to the vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower and okra is also very much important.
- Indian breakfast options: For this, you can go for the oats that have been cooked with almond milk or coconut milk and further you can shift the focus to options like Poha which are available with peanuts and vegetables. In addition to this going for Idly and Dosa with Coconut Chutney is a very good idea and further shifting the focus to the smoothie with banana, spinach and almond milk as a breakfast option is considered to be very much beneficial for the kids suffering the problem of lactose intolerance.
- India-based lunch ideas: The best gastroenterologist paediatric doctors will always recommend that mothers provide the kids with lunch in the form of Dal rice and stir-fried vegetables, Roti with Channa masala and cucumber salad, vegetable with coconut-based Raita and quinoa salad with tofu and fresh vegetable vegetables. This will be helpful in managing things very well and further, as a snack option, you can go for the roasted chickpea, fresh fruit platter, peanut chart with lemon and spices along with coconut and jaggery Ladoo.
- Dinner suggestions for India diet: In this case you can provide the kids with the Dosa with tomato Chutney and vegetable curry, mix vegetable Khichdi with side salad, tofu curry with rice, vegetable Parth with coconut Chutney and for the desert you can go for Coconut Payasam made with the plant-based milk, fruit custard with the help of oat and almond milk.
Some of the important tips that parents need to focus on for managing lactose intolerance in their kids are:
- It is very much important for the parents to focus on gradually eliminating the dairy products and for this you should begin by replacing one daily product at a time with the other alternatives available in the market.
- Monitoring the symptoms and keeping a food diary to track how every food is affecting your child with the consultation of the doctors at the pregnancy care hospital is recommended for the ladies so that things can be done on the right track without any problem.
- Going for smart cooking by using coconut milk and curry, almond milk and smoothie and tofu in Paneer dishes will be important so that things are very well sorted out.
- It is important to focus on encouraging the calcium rich food items by ensuring that your child is having the diet that includes sample of non-dairy sources of calcium.
- Educating the kids about the importance of their condition is very much importance so that everyone collaboratively will be able to make highly informed food choices without any problem.
- Consistently reading the food labels will be very much vital in this case and further you should look for the hidden dairy in the package food items including the baked goods and the snacks.
- Collaboratively planning for the school meals will be very important so that you can provide your kids with healthy alternatives to the traditional items and make sure that their health is never compromised at any point in time.
- Seeking the professional guidance from the paediatric dietician will be very much important so that you can enjoy personalised meal plans along with nutritional pieces of advice.
Apart from the points mentioned above, managing lactose intolerance in kids within the context of an Indian diet will be very much achievable provided you will be moving with thoughtful planning and further by incorporating such alternatives you will be able to carry out things very well. In this case, parents will be able to make sure that children will grow up very healthy and happy without missing delicious food items at any point in time.
