How to Incorporate Cashews in Everyday Food for Children?

As a mother, it is natural for you to cook delicious treats for your little ones. Since there are so many fast-food chains and junk food items easily accessible for children, mothers try to make delicious yet healthy food incorporating proteins, healthy fats, and carbohydrates. Nuts are something that comprises everything from protein to healthy fats and necessary carbohydrates. 

Cashew nuts are extremely rich in minerals, necessary vitamins, proteins, and carbs. Not only are they rich in vital nutrients but their mellow taste makes the pick of the litter for children of all age groups. 

Cashews – A Brief Introduction

Initially originated from Brazil in the year 1558, cashews are now cultivated and exported from different parts of the world. Most of the countries that cultivate cashews have a warmer climate. The most popular regions are India, Brazil, the Philippines, and Nigeria. 

Cashews are normally grown on trees. It has a long stalk, filled with flesh that produces a fruit known as cashew apple. Cashew apples resemble small pears but the main thing is the kidney-shaped nuts. 

Cashews for Kids 

Mellow in flavor but with a delectable flavor profile, cashews have healthy beneficial minerals that can fulfill the basic nutritional requirements of children and young adults. 

• The recommended serving size of cashews can easily provide 36% of the daily vitamin E requirements. 
• The daily recommended amount of cashews provides 4-grams of proteins. 
• 13% of daily fiber requirements can be covered with a handful of cashews.

Although raw cashews have a greater nutritional value than roasted ones that are available in the market for human consumption, they can cause chronic kidney issues and skin irritation. Therefore, it is important to have them in roasted form. Roasted cashews are easily available in secure packets at your local supermarket. 

Recommended Cashew Consumption for Kids 

• Finally ground cashews for children who are 1 year or above. 
• After your child is 2 to 3 years old, you can feed them a small dollop of cashew butter.
• 3 years or above children can be fed a few chunks of cashews.
• 5 years or above children can have 3 thickly chopped cashews. 

Benefits of Cashews 

Here are some amazing benefits of cashews that are important in a person’s life from a very young age: 

Helps in Fat Management 

Cashews are rich in unsaturated fats which are a good kind of fats and they help you maintain your LDL levels. If you want your kids to grow with a healthy heart, adding a reasonable amount of cashews will help them. 

Brain Power 

Children nowadays have to go through so many books and extra activities. In such a scenario, giving them cashews can help them have a better memory. Cashews are rich in Riboflavin and L-Carnitine which improves brain power.

Maintains Sugar Levels 

Type-1 diabetes is not a joke. Many children suffer from type-1 diabetes either because of genes or consuming too much junk food. You can help your child stay away from sugary snacks by giving them cashews which are not only filling but also help you maintain blood sugar for years to come. 

How to Incorporate Cashews in Cooking 

Cashews have a mellow flavor, rich texture and a creamy taste, and a crunch that is somehow like a peanut. From sweet dishes to savory main courses, you can use cashews in so many dishes apart from your regular salad that has the tendency to drive kids away. 

Here are a few ways you can use cashews in cooking: 

Toasted Cashews 

Since they are extremely rich in minerals and packed with protein, you can actually toast them with different ingredients and make them a delicious munching snack. Some ways to have deliciously toasted cashews are with these seasonings:

• Rosemary, brown sugar, pink salt. 
• Paprika, olive oil, lemon juice. 
• Barbecue powder, lemon juice.
• Brown sugar, coconut oil, cayenne pepper, sea salt, and maple syrup. 

You can either toast these ingredients with cashews in a hot pan for a minute or two or in the oven. 

Cashew Butter 

Although cashew butter is easily available in markets, making it from scratch with your kids can also be an entertaining yet economical activity. 

• Take cashews and blend them until they reach a creamy consistency. Make sure that they are not salted. 
• Add butter which should be ? of the total amount of cashews and blend it one more time. 
• You can keep it chunky or smooth. 
• Cashew butter can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container. 

It is a healthy alternative for dairy-based products. 

Cashew Curry

Adding a blend of roasted cashews with the right spices can turn into some delicious curries. When we think of curries, Indian and Pakistani cuisine comes to mind. However, the range of modern curries is diverse and covers a large flavor profile. 

Some delicious tasting curries that come with the right spices and a mellow blend of cashews are: 

• Srilankan creamy cashew curry is perfect for vegans. 
• Creamy cashew and chicken curry with Indian flavors.
• Shrimp and chicken cashew curry for seafood lovers. 
• Cashew butter chicken.
• Pumpkin and cashew curry. 

Cashew Stir Fry 

Who doesn’t like delicious stir fry? The crunch of vegetables with a delicious protein and some nuts, you can chop up some vegetables, fry your favorite protein and add your favorite sauces and of course – cashews. If your kids love noodles (which most of them do), boil and mix them otherwise, use any kind of boiled rice. 

Conclusion 

Cashews are a great source of minerals and vitamins for children. Mothers who want to feed their children cashews on a daily basis can incorporate this nut into different kinds of recipes. Cashews have a lot of health benefits that you can benefit from just by eating the recommended serving size. Also, it is important to understand that raw cashews straight out of the tree can be dangerous for health. Therefore, cashews available at the store or online in the roasted form are the best ones for human consumption. Just make sure that you are not over-eating them.

Similar Posts:

None Found