This Pediatrician-Designed Tableware Makes It Simple to Teach Kids How to Eat Healthy
Ahimsa Home is a line of stainless-steel dishes that double as educational tools.
Ahimsa Home
Being mindful of ingredients, portion sizes, and nutritional needs is all part of taking a healthy approach to eating. According to Dr. Manasa Mantravadi, pediatrician and creator of kid-friendly tableware collection Ahimsa Home, conscious eating habits should begin during childhood. “Healthy eating habits are especially formed during the first 1,000 days of a child’s life,” she explains. “It is incredibly important to begin teaching children about age-appropriate portions, new flavors, and what to avoid, as this sets habits that will carry through adulthood.”
Ahimsa Home was created with the intention of doubling as a tool to encourage and simplify healthy eating for children. The durable collection, made from 100-percent recycled, high-quality stainless steel, is inspired by the traditional compartment plates, cups, and bowls often seen in Indian homes and restaurants. After doing her due diligence on the manufacturing process of stainless-steel dishes, Mantravadi made it a point that Ahimsa Home features clean, chemical-free products, containing zero plastic, including in its packaging. Designed with quality, size and aesthetic in mind, the eco-friendly collection is a modern and thoughtful take on the classic Indian dishware. She explains its superiority over other commonly used materials, “Plastic products leach harmful chemicals into your food. Silicone gives your food a soapy taste, and stains. Bamboo cracks and peels. Glass dishes break. Stainless steel is the smart, simple solution!”
Photo courtesy of Brooklyn Delhi, Ahimsa Home
Drawing from her own experiences as a mother of three, Mantravadi stresses the importance of engaging children during mealtime. “This is a science-based approach to children’s development, as well as something I have firsthand experience with,” she says. “The shiny mirror finish and fun colors that we use on our dishes make for an engaging experience – kids love them and don’t want to use anything else.”
Among the products in the collection, the smart snacking bowls that encourage doling out healthy portions of snacks are a favorite of Mantravadi. “I love how cute they are, and they truly make snacking more fun,” she admits. As an added bonus, all of Ahimsa Home dishes can be written on with permanent marker, and won’t leave any remnants when cleaned with soap and water. The playful aesthetic appeals to kids, and the fact that all of the products are dishwasher-safe and stackable for simple storage is a perk for parents.
The Mindful Mealtime Set is highly regarded within the collection. Mantravadi says the five-piece set is a best-seller, beloved by children because they consider it their very own special set of dishes. The compartment plates are favored among eaters who prefer different foods not to touch, and are accompanied with mealtime guides that help determine how much a child should be eating based on their age. “Most people don't know that the big section in the compartment plate is for fruits and veggies,” she explains. “Protein is actually meant to go in the smallest section.”
Despite being geared towards children, Mantravadi says Ahimsa Home's dishes are overall meant to encourage children and adults to look deeper at what, and how much, they are eating at each stage of life. “I, along with many other parents, eat off of Ahimsa plates as well because they truly help make healthy eating simpler.”
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