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Vashi2Panvel.com: Navi Mumbai: November 5: When eight-year-old Neha returned home to tell her mother that Meenakshi aunty had laid a table of pizza, pav bhaji, chips, sandwiches, bhel and the ‘yummiest’ desert for Mita’s birthday party, Netra was aghast. “ ‘My God! So much of junk food for the kids’, was my reaction. No wonder the kids had a great time", rued Netra Sharma, Neha’s mother.

But as the excited Neha explained the menu, Netra’s respect for Meenakshi grew. Meenakshi had managed a pizza with a wheat chapatti as a base, pav bhaji was home made with little oil accompanied by brown bread, bhel was a mixture of sprouts and lots of vegetables with dashes of lime, brown bread sandwiches and yummy desert was fresh fruits with some fruit salt served in Barbie dishes, followed by fresh strawberry milk shakes.

Meenakshi Ahuja advocates that children and adults tend to eat well presented food. “Make sure that healthy food is presented attractively,” says the homemaker. She adds that the myth that fast food cannot be healthy and healthy food cannot be tasty and popular has to be busted.

With a little innovation and care and replacing some ingredients, junk food can be made healthy and nutritious, she says. Adds Radha Deshpande, nutritionist, “Bhels, sandwiches, burgers can be converted into healthy options by using a little discretion.”

Home made fast food is less junky than food outside, she adds. Says Gargi, fast food is higher in calories, sodium and fat and lacks in vitamins and minerals etc. so we should make a conscious effort to add these to the food.

“Toppings are a good source of vitamins, proteins. Top chapattis, brown breads, wheat biscuits with innovative combinations of vegetables, eggs, paneer and tofu and even honey,” she adds.

Gargi Sathe, consulting dietician advises using lots of vegetable in home made ‘junk food’. Noodles and pav bhaji can be extremely healthy if lots of fresh vegetables are added to it and made with less oil.

‘Replace packets of junk food with puffed cereals like popcorn, popped wheat, puffed rice or non fried chips. And children will be more than happy to munch on them,” she adds. “Make interesting salads of carrots, cucumbers, French beans, radishes, cabbages and keep them handy so that children can snack on them instead of chips and cola,” says Radha.

“Make baked vegetables with white sauce by using wheat flour, it tastes just the same”, adds Radha. Steamed sprouts or corn, murmuras with tomatoes, cucumber and coriander leaves, dhokla sandwiches, also make delicious snacks.

Says Meenakshi, “A good way to prevent the family from eating junk food, is to avoid stocking it at home. Let them have it as a special treat.”

Mothers have a tough task of imbibing healthy eating habits in their children. “When everyone around them is eating a pizza, it is difficult to convince the child to eat a roti and sabzi. But a roti topped with sabzi, some cheese, might just work” remarks Meenakshi humouresly.

It is necessary to have a alternative ready if not junk food Instead of canned fruit juice indulge in fresh juice or better still in a fresh fruit, as it will also provide you the necessary fiber and keep you away from added sugar.

Channa chats, sprouts chats are also tasty healthy options. Use water with the meal and no other drink-especially aerated ones. Serve fresh lime water in tall decorated glasses and there is a chance that no one will also for cola, suggested Gargi.

Home made dosas, and chapattis can also be made into interesting frankies by adding nutritious stuffing.

Raw vegetables can be made interesting when served with the right combinations. You could use fillings of vegetables, like cucumber, lettuce, peppers, cabbage, onions, tomatoes, in sandwiches or cutlets, she suggests. At the same time do not ban junk food, because then it will only increase the craving. Decide a junk food day and let the entire family indulge on that day, says Radha.

Kanchan Maslekar