Search
Login
Foodies Only in your inbox
By clicking "Subscribe", you agree to ourPrivacy Policy and to receive marketing emails from Foodies Only
ITC Portal
Copyright © 2025 Foodies Only
Copyright © 2025 Foodies Only
5 min
29/01/2026
While developing their children’s snack habits, Indian parents make decisions based on taste and nutrition, but do so in a more subtle manner through swapping items rather than imposing strict limitations. From using hidden vegetables to traditional whole-grain ingredients (like ragi) to packaged snacks (like makhana), families are finding ways to develop a snack routine that offers both a taste of comfort and a nutritional benefit.
Indian parents negotiate what their children want to eat against what they would like their children to eat. Kids want crunchy, brightly coloured snacks, and many parents want their children to eat healthily. Taste still has a place, but today it’s non-negotiable that all snacks offer a healthy option. With rising awareness of sugar, refined flour, and ultra-processed foods, Indian parents have begun to rethink their snack choices. This does not mean that Indian parents have abandoned all packaged foods or indulgent snack items, but rather that they have found a way to compromise.
The perception that snacks are "fillers" between meals has changed; they are now integral to shaping children's tastes, preferences, and relationships with food. This is particularly evident in urban Indian households, where the long hours spent on school schedules, after-school tuition classes, and screen time mean children are snacking more often than ever before. Parents see that these increments of 'snacking' add up nutritionally, and therefore, instead of focusing solely on main-meal nutrition, parents are more concerned with improving the quality of what children consume at 4 PM (or what will be packed into their tiffin boxes).
The majority of moms' "hacks" involve concealing vegetables within familiar formats and combinations. Things like spinach hidden in cutlets, beetroot blended into chocolate muffins, and lauki cooked into pancakes are not new concepts, but are now thought out more methodically. The intent of using these "hacks" is not to deceive children or hide vegetables for the sake of hiding them. It is an intentional method for exposing children to vegetables, allowing them to gradually acclimate to the new taste without feeling overwhelmed.
Once viewed as not trendy or convenient, ragi, jowar, and bajra are now presented in modern-day snack formats, such as ragi cookies, dosa wraps, and laddoos, providing parents with calcium, fibre, and long-lasting energy. The difference is how they are being marketed. Instead of being sold as "healthy alternatives," these grains are being sold just for their tasty flavours. The slow-release carbohydrates in these grains align perfectly with the outcomes parents are looking for, given concerns about sugar spikes and hyperactivity.
Parents are still looking for convenience; they have not swayed away from purchasing packaged snacks; however, they are purchasing differently. Roasted makhana, baked millet puffs, and low-spice chivda are the new preferred snack options available. Parents are reading labels carefully, but even after reading the labels, the determining factor for a repeat purchase is flavour. Brands that have been able to reduce the oil, artificial additives or excessive salt while keeping the flavours familiar build long-term trust with Indian kitchens.
Finally, the biggest change is a change in philosophy. Parents today are no longer so concerned about "good" versus "bad" food labels, but more about finding balance. Parents today allow chips or sweets on occasion, often alongside home-cooked meals or whole fruits. This method of eating reduces food obsessions and fosters a more intuitive style of eating. As a result, children can grow without feeling guilty about food.
With a more pragmatic, culturally informed approach, Indian parents are reinventing children’s snacks by blending their own heritage and parental responsibilities rather than relying solely on dietary restrictions. Parents are introducing hidden vegetables into common food items, reintroducing traditional grains (such as ragi), and leaning towards snacks based on makhana or with minimal additives while maintaining flavour profiles to continue enjoyment and improve nutritional quality. Overall, this represents a larger trend in parenting that has adopted a long-term approach to how children develop their relationship with food, emphasising an adaptive, trusting approach rather than control, thereby combining enjoyment with conscious eating practices.
