Before winter illness takes a hold, why not try these recipes for baby and child friendly home cold and cough preventions and remedies.

I don’t know about you, but the lurgy has most certainly arrived in our house!  Coughs, colds, sore throats, earaches and temperatures!!

Author and journalist Mira Manek is urging us to use nature’s pharmacy during cold and flu season with these recipes for baby and child friendly home cold and cough preventions and remedies.

Winter illness recipes

Recipe: Tumeric Milk

8-10 months onwards

Turmeric has been the all-round healing spice in Indian homes for time immemorial. You can use normal cow’s milk or almond milk when making this hot drink. If your child doesn’t like the slightly bitter taste of the turmeric, you can sweeten with a little honey, preferably manuka honey, if older than one. And if he or she has a chesty cough, then adding a pinch of salt will help to loosen the phlegm. Adding a tiny amount of ghee (clarified butter) to the mixture can help to further soothe the throat. Lastly, let them sip this warm drink at night to help them sleep better, though it can also be sipped on throughout the day.

Place ingredients into a small saucepan and gently heat and stir. Pour into a mug and let it cool to the desired temperature.

  • 250ml milk
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder

Recipe: Special Tea

12 months onwards

This Mira’s own concoction, which instantly warms and soothes the throat. Add less ginger if it is too spicy for your child.

Boil these ingredients, strain in a cup and then stir in the honey, preferably manuka honey. Let it cool a little before drinking. Since it is spicy, you could feed the tea to your child with a spoon while it is still warm.

  • 250ml water
  • ¼ – ½ teaspoon grated ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 small cinnamon stick
  • 1-2 teaspoons honey
  • Juice of ¼ lemon

Recipe: Turmeric and honey paste

12 months onwards

This is a delicious paste that your child can eat straight from the spoon. Having a small teaspoonful can reduce the coughing and soothe the throat. This can be eaten at any time of day but it’s best to have it first thing in the morning and at bedtime. This can also be taken daily as a preventive measure during the winter – try spreading it on toast with a sprinkle of cinnamon powder.

  • Mix together ½ teaspoon turmeric and 1 teaspoon honey into a paste.

Recipe: Saffron in milk for babies and toddlers

6 months – 2 years

This is a remedy that Mira’s great-grandmother passed down to her grandmother and her sister still uses with both her children. This incredibly expensive, rich and powerful spice is an expectorant, helping to loosen the phlegm.

  • 1 tablespoon milk Pinch of saffron (4-6 strands)
  • Soak the saffron in milk for 15-20 minutes, then heat in a small saucepan for a minute or two. The colour of the milk should be a bright sunset yellow.
  • Some of the saffron strands should melt, but you can also break them with your hand to allow them to be further absorbed into the milk.
  • Be careful to use only the milk and leave the saffron strands when spreading the milk on the baby’s fingernails and toe nails, as well as on the forehead and chest when they sleep.

For more recipes, check out  Mira Manek’s  ‘Green Daal Stories’ or visit www.miramanek.com or @miramanek