Think Global but Eat Local

The urban population in India has cut down on literally everything from their diet especially sugar, ghee, oil, carbs. Little do they know that it comes as a package: A slow cut down of nutrients, vitamins, essential minerals. Even hair, skin tone and energy level!

Ask them what motivated them to do so and the obvious reply would be “To keep fit”

Of course eating idli and chutney, poha or paratha does not sound half as cool as eating salads, soup or oats. Packaged, ready­made food have all been advertised as healthy. They have been marketed under various brand names. It is but of course a gimmick. One season the aisles of supermarkets will be filled with packets of wheat based cereal. The next season it would be gluten free followed by super nutritious sugar free cereal. A consumer who has been dying to lose some weight gets confused. She immediately approaches a dietitian who plays along with her mind. The end result : The pockets of dietitians and nutritionists keep getting wider along with the waistline of every average Indian.

Come to think of it, with all the hue and cry about the western diet filled with bread, salads and olive oil, it is our very own idli and coconut chutney that has emerged the winner.

Idli has been voted the most nutritious food in the world by several organisations including the WHO (World Health Organisation). It is a tailored complete meal when accompanied by a side dish such as chutney, podi or sambhar. Carbohydrates, proteins, enzymes,fats,amino acids are all present in a meal consisting of idli and coconut chutney. For some unknown reason Indian food has been associated with deep fried kachori,samosas,jalebis or butter chicken.

What about the healthy rajma chawal, steamed dhoklas,upma,appams and dosas?

These are all healthy,affordable and digestible!. They also keep one’s stomach filled for a long time. The spices and ingredients added to the accompaniments have numerous anti­ oxidants. No wonder our grandparents never had to resort to gyms and fad diets. Traditional,local food is laden with all the necessary nutritious elements to fuel one for the entire day.

While it is absolutely fine to explore the west; when it comes to satisfying our taste buds nothing can beat tradition. Think Global,but eat Local!