Mama's View | Parenting, Education, Money & Mindful Living

Crispy Masala French Fries – 3 Flavor Twists Kids Will Love! Potato snacks are an all-time favorite for both kids and adults! French fries are my tween’s go-to lunchbox treat — and over the years, I’ve created my own healthier, crispier version with a special twist. These fries are tossed in a homemade masala (spice mix) that adds a burst of flavor — and the secret healthy ingredient I use gives them an irresistible crunch! 🌟 What’s Special? A healthy secret ingredient: rice flour adds crispness without deep batter. Customizable spice blends: choose from 3 unique masala mixes based on your mood or craving. 🥔 Ingredients: 8 large potatoes Oil for frying 4 teaspoons rice flour Magic Spice Mixes (Choose One or Try All!) Spice Mix 1: Kala namak (rock salt) Red chilli powder Amchur (dry mango) powder Spice Mix 2: Peri-peri spice powder Spice Mix 3: Oregano Chilli flakes A pinch of salt 👩‍🍳 Method: Prep the potatoes: Was...

Now that the festivals are around the corner most of us observe vrats and prefer eating food cooked without using garlic or onions or satvik ahaar as we call it.I usually make this chutney during festivals when there is a vrat and we prepare food without garlic and onions. This sweet and sour chutney is rich in iron that comes from the dates and antioxidants from tomatoes.This is a quick to make chutney and tastes great with plain steamed rice or with chapati and parathas. Ingredients Tomatoes-3 medium sized,ripe Dates-4-5,seedless Roasted Cumin powder-2 teaspoon Refined vegetable oil/ghee-2 teaspoons Dry red chilli-2  Panchphoran (Saunf, jeera, methi,kalonji seeds) -1teaspoon Salt -a generous pinch Sugar or Jaggery powder -2.5 tablespoons Water-2 tablespoons  Method -Wash the tomatoes and dice them into small pieces -Soak the dates in water for 10-15 minutes.Wash well and cut them into small pieces. - Take a pan and dry roast the cumin seeds for 3-4 minutes...

Oatmeal is one of the healthiest foods known for its high nutritional values.Oatmeal has been approved as a heart friendly food as it lowers cholesterol and lowers the risk of heart diseases. Types of Oats and Oatmeal Oatmeal is a whole-grain cereal made from ground oat groats.It has very low fat content and is rich in soluble fibers called Beta-Glucan. Oatmeal comes in several forms: Instant Oatmeal -It is dried and precooked.It often contains sweeteners and other flavours as additive. Rolled Oats -This old fashioned oats is steam processed and rolled into flakes.This helps the oats to stay fresh for a longer time.Rolled oats are used as an ingredient in muesli and granola. Steel-cut Oats/Irish Oatmeal -The oat groats are chopped into small pieces using  large steel blades and are usually roasted. Nutrition Vitamins -Oatmeal is a good source of B-complex vitamin.Vitamin B is water soluble and is important for metabolic functions. Minerals- Oatmeal cereal is a ric...

Filled with vitamins,minerals and fiber,bananas provide some important nutrients to the body. Bananas come as a versatile fruit and are loved by both adults and children.They are an excellent source of energy and can be eaten as whole,sliced to make fruit salad or mashed as baby food Nutritional Value Potassium- Bananas are rich in potassium, a mineral essential for healthy heart,muscle,kidney and digestive system. Vitamin C -Vitamin C is known for it's antioxidant properties.It is also required in the formation of collagen,absorption of iron and formation of hemoglobin. Vitamin B6 -It converts carbohydrates to glucose and thus maintains healthy levels of blood sugar in the body.It also helps in the formation of hemoglobin and metabolism of protein. Fiber- Bananas contain soluble fiber which lowers cholesterol.Soluble fibers also help in weight loss.     Health Benefits  Regulates Bowel Movements -Bananas contain pectin which is a soluble fiber that helps ...

Supermarkets today are flooded with several brands and varieties of cooking oils.All oils have different characteristics like nutritional properties,smoking point and culinary uses.Irrespective of your preference,it is always advisable to choose liquid fat over solid fats like butter and margarine. Oil Fats Saturated Fats- These fats increase the levels of total cholesterol and LDL which is the bad cholesterol.This allows fat to be deposited on the walls of the blood vessels thereby causing blood clots ,heart diseases and possibly type 2 diabetes. Unsaturated Fats -These fats are considered to be heart friendly.they are of two types. Monounsaturated Fatty Acids (MUFA) Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFA) Both are healthy fatty acids and lower the total cholesterol and the bad cholesterol too. The Good and Bad Fats Good Fats Monounsaturated Fats- These oils are usually liquid at room temperature.They lower total cholesterol and LDL(Bad cholesterol)and increase HDL(goo...

Simple and Refreshing Curd Yogurt or curd is a dairy product which is made by lactic fermentation of milk.It is a therapeutic food known for its refreshing taste and smoothness.One should always consume fresh curd made from fresh and pure milk. Types of Curd Thick Curd Whisked Curd Sweet Curd  How to Store Always store curd in the fridge and not in the freezer.If kept below 5 degrees C,yogurt can stored for several weeks. Nutritional Value  Curd is very nutritious.150 grams of whole curd contains 7.7 gm of protein,240 mg calcium,163 calories and 23.8 gm carbohydrates. It also contains vitamins A,E,K, folate,vitamin B6 and vitamin B12. Apart from the important vitamins,curd also contains calcium,selenium,magnesium,zinc,phosphorus,copper and saturated and monounsaturated fats. Probiotic Curd Probiotics when added to curd help in digesting fats and protein. This helps to relieve constipation by improving intestinal mobility. Probiotics are also benefic...

Helping kids avoid junk food and eat superfoods: Kids love to eat burgers, fries and a whole lot of other junk food.It's not that a trip to KFC or McDonalds is bad but having it once in a while is okay but if your kids want to have it on a  regular basis, then we all know it's definitely not good.old habits are hard to break but it's not impossible.Though my son is not accustomed to eating junk food but he sometimes whines for it and I do take him out for a treat but that is not very often,once in 2 months maybe. I try to make sure that there is no junk food in the house .Developing good eating habits in kids can be tricky but parents should make sure that kids are exposed to different kinds of super foods from an early age. What are Superfoods Well, superfoods are those foods that are packed with vitamins,minerals and antioxidants.In other world superfoods are whole foods.These foods act like a tonic for the body and help you build immunity and live a healthy ...