Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Lunch and Dinner

I strongly believe that the traditional Indian thali is the ideal combination of healthy foods. Nothing can beat a plate of steaming rice,chapathis,dal/sambar, sabzi, curd, salad/raitha and a fruit. Make it healthier by substituting the white rice with unpolished or semi-polished rice(brown rice), whole wheat flour for the chapatis with no added ghee(clarified butter) or oil, and use very little oil for the dal/sambar (lentil) and the sabzi.
Oh yes,we all get bored of eating the same stuff over and over again.So,what are the other options for lunch and dinner which are also "good for you"?

"Good for you" options:
.Mixed vegetable pulav (less oil)+raitha
.Kichidi with vegetables+kadhi or it's spicy counterpart from Karnataka:Bisi Bele Bhath + Curd/ raitha
.Alu/Methi/Gobi/ Dal Parathas (less oil)
.Whole wheat wraps with baked falafel+hummus+chopped tomatoes+chopped coriander leaves as a filling.
.Whole wheat sandwiches with cooked or raw vegetables and mint chutney+ Curd
.Whole wheat sandwiches with egg white omelets or chicken salad (No cheese, mayonnaise or butter) with coriander or mint chutney.
.Phulkas(no oil) with Chole

The trick is to reduce the amount of oil used for cooking/preparing most dishes. Do not add ghee or butter to the end product and you could make a healthy "new" dish using the same recipe!! I personally use only ONE teaspoon of oil for all my dishes(make sure you use a good quality non-stick vessel) and it still ends up tasty!!A 1/2 liter bottle of oil lasts me(two adults) for about 3 months(no jokes)!! No harm in trying-what's to lose? The extra weight-definitely and in the bargain you are driving towards GOOD HEALTH not just for you,but your entire family.

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