Try these tasty recipes to build and maintain healthy and strong bones!

1.    Ragi Porridge

Ingredients:
•    4 tbsp. ragi flour dissolved in 1 cup of water
•    2 cups water
•    1-2 cubes of jaggery
•    A pinch of salt
•    ¼ tsp. cinnamon powder

Method:
1.    Stir dissolved ragi in water so no lumps remain
2.    Boil remaining 2 cups of water over medium flame and add jaggery cubes until they dissolve. Strain water into a separate vessel and again place on flame.
3.    Lower flame and add dissolved ragi flour to the jaggery water and stir until no lumps are present.
4.    Stir in salt
5.    Serve hot. If you want the jaggery to be thicker, leave on low for an additional 5-7 minutes before serving.

Note: Chopped fruits can also be added for additional benefits

2. Yogurt Raitha

Ingredients:
•    1 ½ cups of yogurt
•    2 tbsp. grated carrot
•    1 small onion chopped
•    1 small tomato chopped
•    ¼ cup finely chopped cucumber (with seeds removed)
•    1 small green chilli finely chopped
•    2 tbsp. finely chopped fresh coriander leaves
•    1 tbsp. pomegranate seeds
•    Salt- to taste
•    A pinch of jeera powder

Method:
1.    Place yogurt in a deep bowl
2.    Add all the vegetables and pomegranate seeds and mix well
3.    Add salt to taste and sprinkle jeera powder over yogurt before serving
4.    Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes
5.    Serve cold as an accompaniment to rice, pulao’s or chapathis

3. Fruit custard

Ingredients
•    ½ litre skimmed milk
•    3 level tsp. custard powder dissolved in ½ cup water
•    3 tsp. sugar
•    1 tbsp. chopped cashew nuts and raisins
•    ½ cup mango chopped into cubes
•    ½ cup chopped banana
•    2 tbsp. pomegranate seeds

Method:
1.    Place milk in deep bottomed vessel on stove on medium flame, add sugar, cashew nuts and raisins to milk and bring to a boil. 
2.    Pour dissolved custard powder over milk and stir for 1 minute.
3.    Custard can be served hot or cold. For cold custard, bring to room temperature and place in fridge for 1 hour.
4.    Add fruits just before serving

4. Cheese Sandwich

Ingredients:
•    2 slices of whole grain or multigrain bread
•    1 slice of cheese or 2 tbsp. grated cheese
•    1 tbsp. green capsicum (cut fine)
•    1 tbsp. chopped tomato
•    ½ tsp. butter

Method:
1.    Apply butter lightly on one slice of bread. Add cheese and chopped vegetables on top.
2.    Cover with the other slice of bread and grill in a sandwich maker or tava for 2 minutes on low flame until browned. Repeat on the other side.
3.    Serve hot with mint chutney

5. Mixed Broccoli and Spinach

Ingredients:
1/2 a head or 1 small head of broccoli (washed and cut into florets)
•    1 bunch of spinach leaves (chop tender stems fine and separate spinach leaves)
•    4-5 garlic cloves finely chopped
•    1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
•    1 teaspoon cooking oil
 
Method:
1.    In a broad non-stick pan, toast sesame seeds until lightly browned over medium heat. Do not let them burn. Remove from heat and keep separately.
2.    In the same pan, heat cooking oil over medium flame and add broccoli florets and minced garlic stirring occasionally, until broccoli is tender but slightly crunchy.
3.    Add spinach and salt to taste, cook covered for 2-3 minutes until spinach is slightly wilted
4.    Remove from heat and sprinkle sesame seeds over dish before serving. Serve hot.