Why do children love sweets so much?

Dr Scharfenberg, Ayurvedic nutrition means buying expensive spices that the children won't like anyway, right?

Unfortunately, this is often the idea that many people have of Ayurveda. They understand it to mean very special Indian dishes with intense spices. But this is only a small part of Ayurveda. It is about a holistic health system with which we can support children in their development.

What can we learn from Ayurveda about a healthy diet for children?

In Ayurveda, childhood is seen as the Kapha phase, a phase in which the earth element is of great importance. Children gain substance, their tissue multiplies and they grow. Sweet foods have always supported us during this time; in the Stone Age, for example, many berries and honey were eaten. It is therefore logical that children prefer sweet flavours.

So children like sweets because they need them. But chocolate is not a good staple food ...

Of course, we are not talking about sweets. Nor are we talking about anything else that contains industrial sugar. Ayurveda utilises the natural sweetness found in carrots, beans, sweet potatoes and fruit, for example.

Do you have any suggestions for healthy sweets?

The classic morning porridge is made from oatmeal or other cereals. Served with steamed fruit, perhaps sweetened with a little maple syrup or dates. You can vary a lot here, mixing in a fruit or nut puree, for example. And if your child is at the stage where they only want pasta, then use high-quality wholemeal pasta and mash a carrot or sweet potato into the sauce for a sweet flavour.

Putting pressure on yourself to eat doesn't help at all.

Many children's palates don't like the rather sour tomato sauce. Banana bread also tastes sweet. And there are great brownies based on black beans. As a general rule, children like to eat warm - this also suits the Kapha quality and feels cosy. Many also like a creamy, mushy consistency. But this is less of a generalisation - there are also children who appreciate crunchy foods.

How important is variety on the plate?

Less important than many parents think. Children love routines, it gives them a sense of security when they recognise things on the plate. Yes, it can also drive me crazy when my daughter wants pasta several times a day - but I also know that it's a phase. I don't need to tell her to try something because it's healthy. Healthy is far too abstract a term. If I enjoy eating other things myself, then her curiosity will return. This simply takes time and patience. In my opinion, putting pressure on her won't help at all.

You mentioned routines, are they only important on the plate?

They generally play a major role in Ayurveda and children often appreciate this very much. This starts in the morning with getting up together, drinking warm water, tongue scraping and yoga. These are all things that can be modelled as a matter of course and that children grow into through play.

But shopping and cooking together can also be a routine. Spending time together when you are happy and relaxed is extremely important.

You yourself are currently travelling in a caravan in Europe with your husband and daughter. Presumably that makes it rather difficult with the routines?

Sometimes it works more, sometimes less on the road. Here, too, the most important thing is to stay relaxed. If we are visiting or eating in a place where Ayurvedic cuisine is rather difficult, then that's just the way it is. But what we always manage to fit in: porridge and warm water in the morning, yoga and spending time together.

Apart from the spices, there is something else that makes Ayurveda so strange and difficult: the doshas and the fact that everything is so individual ...

I'll try to explain it very simply. Ayurveda is a natural medicine, so it recognises the five elements: earth, water, fire, air and space. The mixture of elements results in three different bioenergies, called doshas in Sanskrit: the agitated vata dosha, the fiery pitta dosha and the structured, earthy kapha dosha, which is dominant in childhood.

With Ayurveda we can support our children with what creates a beneficial balance for them.

Dr Janna Scharfenberg

Each of us carries all three energies in our own individual mixture. This can already be seen in children. Roughly speaking, parents know very well whether their child is more of a sensitive, dreamy Vata type, a wild, go-getting Pitta or whether they have a small, calm Buddha child with a lot of Kapha energy at home.

And what do you do with this information?

First of all, it is not about changing the children. Ayurveda assumes that every being is perfect exactly as it is. But if we know about the doshas, we can support our children with what creates a beneficial balance for them. The Kapha being needs fresh impulses, Vata needs periods of rest, Pitta benefits from playful lightness.

Recipe: Ayurvedic ice-cream confectionery

Ice cream tends to be avoided in Ayurveda as it can affect agni(editor's note: the digestive fire) due to its coldness. This cool fudge is a very good alternative. The confectionery has a toffee-like texture and a lovely melting texture and is full of healthy nutrients thanks to the tahini (sesame paste).

• Für eine kleine Backform 
• Zubereitungszeit: 25 Minuten
• Kühlzeit: mindestens 4 Stunden

The recipe comes from the book: Ayurveda vor Life

Ayurveda for life by Dr Janna Scharfenberg, Südwest Verlag 2019, 206 pages, approx. 29 francs