Pongal

Khara Pongal

Pongal is both a festival as well as a dish. In Tamil Nadu (a state in South India)it is the "harvest festival" and the dish is made on this day(I suspect, that is why they both share the same name)! There are actually two versions to this dish-the sweet one(sakkarai pongal) and the spicy one(khara pongal).
As a kid I would insist that my mom made only the sweet pongal(blame my sweet tooth for it) and subsequently, I almost forgot what the spicy version tasted like.It was much later when I started my career as a Dietitian,that I was re-introduced to the khara pongal, as it was on the breakfast menu for the patients.Again, having rice for breakfast was new to me and I tried my best to avoid it for a while.Then my seniors decided that they had to make me try it, and one fine morning(I still remember that it was a cold, rainy, Friday morning) I was ordered to taste it.So,there was me,squirming in my seat when the cook brought me a tasting cup of steaming hot pongal and another cup of raitha. Duty called(it was a rule that the dietitians had to taste the food before it could be sent to the patients) and so I took the spoon and dipped it into the cup and took a little(I was after all JUST tasting) and tasted it-and my,my, it was the tastiest pongal I had eaten. I ended up finishing the whole cup(even though I had eaten a substantial breakfast at home) and have ever since become a pongal fan!! After that I would bug mom to make the khara pongal at regular intervals.
The recipe is quite easy and if you want to up the nutritional value,you could add your favourite veggies to this rice+lentil dish.The cook at the hospital even shared a secret(that even my mom didn't know)-just before serving the dish,mix a cup of hot milk for a nice flavour(and for some added calcium indeed)!!
Ingredients: (Serves 3)

• Rice:1/2 cup
• Split mung dal: 1/2 cup
• Onion:1 cup (chopped lengthwise)
• Green chillies:1 or two(slit lengthwise)
• Ginger:1" piece(chopped fine)
• Turmeric:1/2 teaspoon
• Milk:1 cup(optional)
• Mustard seeds:1/2teaspoon
• Zeera/Cumin seeds:1 teaspoon
• Urad dal(dehusked and split black matpe bean)-1/2 teaspoon
• Chana dal/Bengal gram dal: 1 teaspoon
• Peppercorns: 5-6
• Curry leaves:3-4
• Oil: 1 teaspoon
• Salt: to taste

Method:

1. Wash the rice and mung dal separately and let it soak in water for 10-15 mins.
2. In the meanwhile,heat the oil in a pressure cooker, then add the mustard,cumin seeds,urad dal, chana dal, and peppercorns.
3. When the mustard starts to sputter,add the curry leaves, the chopped ginger and the turmeric.
4. Stir the ginger till it turns slightly brown,then add the chopped onions and the green chillies. Fry till the onions are translucent.
5. Drain the water from the mung and rice,add the mung dal and saute for 2-3 mins on medium heat. Then add the rice and again stir for a minute.
6. Add a little more than 3 cups of water and salt, mix and close the lid of the pressure cooker and let it cook for about 3 whistles. (If you have a rice cooker,then transfer the contents to a rice cooker and cook till the rice and dal are well cooked).
7. Once it is done,mix well (the dal should be completely mashed).
8. Just before serving mix the hot milk(optional, and check for salt) and serve piping hot with either raitha or chutney(we ate it with the tomatilla chutney ).

International Confederation Of Dietetic Associations(ICDA)

The ICDA is an International Organization of Dietetic associations around the world and was formed way back in 1952.It's members represent about 150,000 dietetic professionals from 40 National Dietetic associations around the world.
It's mission :to achieve

1. An integrated communications system,
2. An enhanced image for the profession,
3. Increased awareness of standards of education,training and practice in dietetics.

Membership:
If you are a Dietitian and are a member of your National Dietetic Association,then you can be a member of the ICDA.Do check if your National Association is a member of the ICDA first.
Benefits:

• Dietitians Networking Service
• Dietitians Around the World Newsletter

For more info check out the ICDA webite:
http://www.internationaldietetics.org/

Fructose Worse Than Glucose?

The body metabolizes different sugars in different ways. Peter Havel and his colleagues conducted a study over a period of 10 weeks at the University Of California.There were around 32 obese men and women who drank either fructose or glucose sweetened beverages during the period.
Both groups gained weight,but it was interesting to note that the group that took the fructose beverages gained fat on their belly,whereas the glucose group gained fat under the skin.
It is a well known fact that abdominal fat is linked to higher risk for heart attacks and strokes. In addition to this,the fructose group also had higher cholesterol and became less sensitive to the insulin released in the body.
This does not mean that you can gorge on table sugar(you still have to keep a watch on the AMOUNT you consume),it only means that fructose sweeteners are worse than glucose sweetners!
The bottom line: limit sugar consumption on the whole,and avoid foods containing High Fructose Corn Syrups (HFCS)as far as possible.
Read more:

1. Times Of India: Fructose Worse Than Glucose for Human Health
2. The Journal Of Clinical Investigation: Fructose VS Glucose
   

Swine Flu Alert

After Mad Cow disease and the dreaded 'Bird Flu', now we have 'Swine Flu'! The WHO has stated that cases have been reported from Mexico,US(San Antonio,Texas and San Diego) and Europe,has called the situation as 'serious' but not yet declared it to be a 'pandemic'.
Read more:

1. WebMD: Swine Flu FAQ's
2. Centers For Disease Control and Prevention(CDC): Swine Influenza
3. CNN Health: Swine Flu Concerns Around The Globe
4. WebMD:What Parent's Need To Know
   

Sweet Mango Dosa

Mango Dosa

It's mango season,and I just had to try something different.I tweaked this traditional Manglorean(a small seaside town in South India that my side of the family is originally from)Sweet Dosa recipe and added mangoes instead of cucumbers.As a kid,I grew up watching my mom and gran starting the next day's breakfast preparations a day in advance.We always woke up smelling the wonderful aromas wafting from the kitchen. This recipe too is no exception,I had to soak the rice once we were done with breakfast,grind it in the evening and let it ferment overnight,and voila the batter for the next day's breakfast was ready.
Traditionally it's made with either Southekai(Kannada for cucumber) or with watermelon. Otherwise it has all the original ingredients like:Beaten/Flattened Rice: 'Poha' is rice that is dehusked and then flattened into light flakes. Traditionally flattened with iron rods,it used to contain more iron than regular rice.
Jaggery: or 'gur',is a traditional non-refined sugar(made from either cane sugar or from date palm) which is rich in non-heme iron and other mineral salts.
Fenugreek seeds: 'Methi' seeds as it's commonly known in India, is a known galactagogue and recent studies have shown that it has cholesterol and serum glucose lowering properties as well.
Ingredients:

• Rice: 1 cup
• Flattened rice/Poha: 1/2 cup
• Jaggery(scraped): 3/4th cup (or sugar-1/2 cup)
• Yogurt(preferably homemade)-1/2 cup
• Fenugreek/Methi seeds-1/2 teaspoon
• Ripe Mango:1 big or 2 small
• Salt:1/2 teaspoon

Method:

1. Wash the rice and the fenugreek seeds,then soak it in water for at least 6-7 hours.
2. Wash and drain the flattened rice and let it stand for about 10-15 mins.
3. Grind all ingredients(except the mango) till you get a fine batter.Let it ferment for at least 8-9 hours or overnight(works well in warm weather). The batter will double in volume.
4. Make a puree of the mango pulp(when sugar is added to this pulp,it's called 'aamras').If using cucumber instead of mangoes,then grate half (a big) cucumber and mix with the batter.
5. Mix this puree with the batter and pour a ladle of the batter onto a hot non-stick pan and spread.
6. Cover with a lid and cook on medium flame for two or three minutes. Then cook uncovered till the dosa is done.
7. Serve hot(you can serve it with cut mangoes or even with some 'aamras').

Note:

1. If the weather is not warm enough(as was the case when I made it),the batter will not ferment and the dosa will not get tiny little holes on it( the dosa will be flat as seen in the snap).
2. The jaggery tends to add a brownish colour to the dosa(if you add sugar,the dosa will turn out a lovely yellow colour) but the dosas are more nutritious when made with jaggery.
3. Traditionally the dosa is eaten hot with a little ghee spread on top. Since the dosas are sweet, you can eat it as it is.
4. I used the Scarlet Sweet mango for this recipe,you could use any of the sweet mangoes available.

Earth Day

Happy Earth Day! Let's all do our bit to preserve the natural resources for the future generations to enjoy,and I mean not just today but throughout our lives. This day has been ear marked to remind us to do our bit,but don't stop after the day is over. The mantra is "Reuse,Reduce and Recycle" all round the year!!
Read more:

1. CNNhealth.com: 8 Ways to Protect Your Health-and the Planet
2. WebMD: 10 Easy Ways To Eat "Green" Earth Day and Everyday!
   

"Sweet" Dreams!

Sweet Dreams-that's the name of this awesome video I found on Sybil Hebert(a Dietitian from Cananda's)blog called "Nutrition Nibbles".
It's really cute-do check it out,it also subtly sells the idea that fruits and veggies are the "real" food,while sweets and candies are just "fake" foods!!
There are two versions:

1. The 10 minute version- on Sybils' blog,
2. The full film-on Pangea Day
   

Cholesterol Quiz!

It's quiz time again.!!It's been sometime since we had a quiz and I found two related to cholesterol on WebMD.

1. High Risk Cholesterol-Myths Vs Facts
2. Do you know how to lower your cholesterol?

These are short quizzes(7 and 5 questions respectively),but quite an eye-opener.

Tomatillo chutney

Tomatillos

No,it's not the 'salsa verde' with an Indian name.It's tomatillo used instead of red tomatoes in a chutney recipe that I learnt from my neighbour back in Bangalore.The use of roasted bengal gram and of course the tempering at the end gives this dish the Indian touch. It's a little rich(I had to add two teaspoons of oil+the roasted bengal gram and peanuts),but I did substitute oil instead of 'ghee' for the tempering. The 'ghee' is supposed to reduce the heat of the green chillies,so do let me know if it does!Tomatillo Chutney

Ingredients:

• Tomatillos:4 nos.(chopped)
• Green chillies/Serrano:1 or 2(depending on how much fire you can take)
• Garlic:4 cloves chopped(+ 2 to be added raw-optional)
• Ginger:1/2" piece
• Oil: 2 teaspoon
• Roasted bengal gram:2 teaspoons
• Roasted peanuts: 2 teaspoons
  
• Mustard seeds: 1/2 teaspoon
• Zeera/Cumin seeds:1/2 teaspoon
• Sesame seeds:1/2 teaspoon
• Asafoetida/Hing: a pinch(optional)
  
• Jaggery: 1 teaspoon(or 1/4 teaspoon sugar)
• Salt: to taste
  

Method:

1. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a non-stick pan,add chopped ginger and garlic.
2. When the garlic turns slightly brown,add the pinch of asafoetida(optional),chopped green chillies and fry for a minute.
3. Add the chopped tomatillos,salt,jaggery(or sugar) and stir.Cook till the tomatillos are soft.
4. Once it has cooled,add the mixture, the raw garlic(optional),roasted bengal gram and peanuts into a blender and blend till you get a fine paste. Pour the chutney into a bowl/airtight box.
   
5. Heat the remaining oil,add the mustard,cumin,sesame seeds.
   
6. Once the mustard starts to splutter, pour the tempering over the chutney and mix well.
7. Serve with dosas or idlis or as a spread on your sandwich(or mix with yogurt and use as a spicy dip).
   

Banana Raitha

Banana Raitha

Banana Raitha used to be a hot fave when I was a kid.Made along with a festive lunch [I always wondered why they wouldn't make a festive spread daily ;-)],with all the other yummy stuff that the festival calls for,I would have a hard time deciding what to eat first! Whenever mom made Banana Raitha on regular days,I would polish it off with hot 'phulkas' without touching the other curry's! This year on 'Ugadi' I made banana raitha and again for lunch on Easter. It's a subtle mingling of all tastes (sweet,salty,sour and a touch of spicy) and can be eaten as such or with phulkas.
Ingredients:

• Yogurt/curd-1 cup(preferably homemade)
• Low fat milk-1 cup
• Bananas- 2 very ripe
• Sugar-6 teaspoons
• Salt-1/2 teaspoon(or to taste)
• Mustard seeds-1/2 teaspoon
• Zeera/Cumin seeds-1 teaspoon
• Dry red chillies-1-2(broken)
• Curry leaves-2-3nos.
• Oil-1 teaspoon

Method:

1. Blend half cup yogurt/curd and half cup milk along with one banana,sugar and salt.
2. Pour into a bowl.Add the rest of the yogurt and milk and mix well.
3. Chop the other banana and add to the raitha.
4. Heat the oil,add the mustard and cumin seeds.When the mustard splutters,add the broken dry red chillies and then the curry leaves.
5. Pour this over the banana raitha and mix.
6. Serve the banana raitha chilled with hot phulkas (or eat as a snack).

Happy Easter!!

Here's wishing everyone a very Happy Easter!! We all need a break every once in a while to unwind-and this is most welcome.A great time to spend time with your family and friends and loads of fun for the kids.
On a healthier note,try to make some of the Easter goodies at home instead of buying them. Make your own Easter eggs and fillings instead. Take a look at the best to worst Easter treats on WebMD, it'll definitely make you pull out all your grandmother's recipes this Easter(but enjoy the treats in moderation)!!
Check out: The Best To Worst Easter Basket Treats!
and also this video on: Healthy Easter Basket

Sports drinks = eroded teeth?

What's the relation between sports drinks and teeth-plenty it seems, according to a recent study conducted by the International Association For Dental Research.
Earlier,I had read about the Queensland (Australia) Netball controlling body banning the consumption of oranges during the breaks on Glenn Cardwell's blog.The theory being that oranges are acidic and could erode teeth enamel as there isn't enough saliva when exercising to wash the acid away.The solution he had mentioned was simple-drink water after eating the orange!
Now,what does one do when using a sports drink to quench your thirst and replace the electrolytes lost by sweating?According to the report:

1. Don't sip the drink throughout the day,
2. Try using a straw,
3. Drink plenty of water to flush the mouth.

Read the whole article at CNN Health.com: Sports Drinks May Be Bad For Your Teeth

Green Apple Chutney

Green Apple Chutney

I had picked up 3 Granny Smith apples in the hope of turning it into a chutney that a friend had made.Well,the recipe involved some cooking and since I was feeling too lazy for that, thought I'd make it like raw mango chutney.So,I peeked into the fridge and got out all the stuff that goes into a regular chutney-mint leaves,cilantro,ginger,lemon,green chillies and put them all in the blender with the cored and peeled apples. The resulting Green Apple Chutney which came out of the blender reminded me of the "chaat" taste and so I blended some sugar and a little roasted cumin seeds,and the result was great. The Green Apple Chutney can be eaten with meals,mixed with yogurt and used as a dip, or used as a spread in a sandwich.Here's what I blended together for the Green Apple Chutney:
Ingredients:

• Granny Smith apples/tart cooking apples-2 nos.(peeled,cored and chopped)
• Mint leaves-10 numbers
• Coriander leaves/Cilantro-2 tablespoons
• Green chilly/Serrano-1 no.
• Ginger-1/2"piece
• Lemon juice-2 tablespoons
• Jeera/Cumin seeds-1 tsp(roasted)
• Sugar-2 tsp/to taste
• Salt-to taste

Method:

1. Put all the ingredients into a blender and blend till you get a fine paste.
2. Adjust salt and sugar according to your taste.
3. Serve the Green Apple Chutney with sandwiches, as a dip or as a salad dressing.

How to Read Food Labels

I just heard that the Union Health and Family Ministry(India) will make it mandatory for food manufacturers to put up Nutritional information on products-way to go Dr Ramadoss!! This move(albeit a little late)comes close on the heels of his attack on junk food consumption among Indians and it's impact on health. Food labellings will make consumers aware of ingredients, calories and the amount of fat(among other nutrients) that they consume.
All this is great,but one also has the educate the general public about "How to read,understand and use food labels".So,could the Ministry please put out a website/public service message to help educate people?
Until then,take a look at the US Food and Drug Administration info on reading food labels that I found on a blog called 'Words Of A Foodie' by Jamel Drake:
USFDA: http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/foodlab.html

My Introduction to Rhubarb.

Rhubarb Compote

I tried a lot of new vegetables and fruits (Asparagus,Bosc pears, Apple pears,etc)for the first time only after coming to the U.S. I had always seen these reddish stalks called "Rhubarb" in the grocery stores,but never bought them as I had no clue what to do with them. Then a big coincidence-two of my favourite bloggers(Natasha of 5 Star Foodie-Culinary Adventures and Rebecca of Rebecca's Insight's)happened to feature two Rhubarb dishes on the very same day. Was this a sign from above??I had to try it out-and so I did.

I bought these two lovely red stalks of Rhubarb (that too Organic,mind you) and decided that the Rhubarb Compote posted by 5 Star Foodie was the easiest to make. I may have over cooked it or maybe added a little too much water and hence the result was a mushy compote,but nevertheless tasty. It's got a slightly sour(khatta) taste and that with the vanilla yogurt was just out of this world!! I used the remaining syrup in some black tea and that was amazing too!
Thanks a ton Natasha and Rebecca for introducing me to this new vegetable.
So all those of you intrigued by this vegetable and want to try it out,check out the Rhubarb Compote recipe on 5 Star Foodie's blog and let her know how it turned out!

News: Pistachio Recall

It was tomatoes first,then peanuts, now pistachios. The FDA has issued a warning stating that pistachios may carry Salmonella bacteria.
Kroger Co. has recalled the pistachios sold.For more info check out this article on:

1. WebMD: FDA-Stop eating Pistachios,Salmonella feared
2. CNN Health: California plant recalls 1 million pounds of pistachio products
   

Chilly Tofu

Chilly Tofu

This is an 'quickie' dish.Takes just about 10-15 minutes.I was inspired by Nita Mehta's 'Chilli Paneer' recipe.I just substituted the firm tofu for the paneer and omitted the ajinomoto(MSG).
Ingredients:

• Firm tofu-200gms (cut into 1" cubes)
• Garlic- 6-7 flakes (chopped fine)
• Green chillies-2 nos.(chopped fine)
• Tomato sauce- 3 tbsp
• Chilly sauce-1-2 tsp
• Soy sauce- 2 tsp
• Coriander/Cilantro -2 tbsp(chopped fine)
  
• Oil-1 tsp
• Salt: to taste
• Pepper: 1/4th tsp
• Sugar:1/4th tsp

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a non-stick pan.Add the chopped garlic and chillies.
2. Fry for a minute or two(take care not to burn it),reduce heat and add the salt,pepper and sugar.
3. Add the tomato sauce,soy sauce and the chilly sauce,mix well.Add about 2tbsp water.
   
4. Add the tofu cubes and the chopped coriander/cilantro leaves.
5. Cook for another 3-4 minutes on reduced heat.
6. Serve hot.

Water with added vitamins-why and for whom??

I fail to understand the need for water which has been enriched with certain vitamins and minerals.I'm a strong believer in the fact that if you eat a 'Balanced Diet' you don't need to take nutritional supplements(unless you have been advised by your doctor or are an athlete/sportsperson with special needs). I believe that the body is able to absorb vitamins better from those found in it's natural form, rather than from supplements. What about countries where these products have not been launched-does it mean that they are not getting their Recommended Dietary Allowance(RDA). Or what about animals-does anybody give them supplements? Don't they survive even in the wild with their regular food-so,why does a regular human being require supplements?
Next comes the question 'for whom' are these products targeted at? Those who can buy the product can buy and consume foods which contain these very nutrients(with added benefits of getting fibre thrown in for 'free'). The malnourished people who do require them, probably cannot waste money or afford to buy these products.
Also,those of you who are watching calories need to be aware that unlike 'plain water' these 'special' waters are not Zero Calorie!! Most of them contain anything between 9-70 kcal/ 8 ounce serving!!
So let's raise a toast to the only "Zero" calorie drink-good old 'plain' water(about 8-10 glasses/day) and fresh fruits and vegetables!!
For further reading check out these two articles on WebMD:

1. Super-Waters:Health or Hype.
2. Vitamin Water On the Hot Seat.
   

My "3 teaspoon oil" meal !!

If I can dish it up, so can YOU!! Here's a 'dekko' at the yumptious Indian thali meal(served in the thali plate I manged to get from India). The meal consists of:

• Rice (ran out of brown rice,so it was the 'white rice')
• Dal('Mung' dal-recipe courtesy Sharath M)- 1tsp oil for tempering
• Dry sabzi(khol rabi leaves, potatoes, capsicum)-1 tsp oil
• Chutney( roasted channa dal, cilantro)-1tsp oil for tempering
• Khol rabi salad
• Fat free yogurt/curd

Nothing fancy-just the regular fare cooked with just the minimum amount of oil(the only innovative thing I did was to include the khol rabi leaves with the 'alu+capsicum' sabzi). So no recipes. Anyone can make a healthy meal of the day-to -day fare,and remember portion sizes also matter!
Bon appetit!

To Be Or Not To Be A Teacher!

Time for another "Guest Article".Teaching as everyone knows is a very noble profession,yet not many of us get into the profession. This article throws light on "who should,and how one can get started in the teaching line".
It's written by a retired Professor,Ms.Shobha Kumar, with whom I had the good fortune of being associated through the Indian Dietetic Associations(IDA),Bangalore Chapter. Incidentally,she is also the current Vice-President of the IDA (Bangalore Chapter).
Read her article: To Be Or Not To Be A Teacher.

There's Something In The Air Today.........

Today is officially the "First Day Of Spring"!!Celebrate it by enjoying the outdoors-go trekking,cycling or just take a picnic basket and hit the park nearby.
It's so beautiful,I wanted to share this snap I took from my balcony.

It's A New Way To Walk!

"It's a new way to walk"-that's a song on Sesame Street that my son loves watching.It's got a nice catchy tune(just right to pep you up) and the newer version is sung by Destiny's Child!!The tune keeps going on and on in my head and that's when I thought that it'll be a great inspirational song for people who need a little push to start exercising.Listen to it and walk your way to a healthy life!!
Walking is one of the easiest and simple ways to keep yourself fit. Start with half an hour of regular walking around your neighbourhood (if it's too crowded,then pick a park close-by or walk on the treadmill). Then after a day or two, increase your speed to a brisk walk and finally if you do have the time,increase it to an hour's walk. If you don't have time for a walk early in the morning,try walking before lunch/dinner, or even in the evening after work.The important thing is to find time for some kind of physical activity in your busy day!

Food labels-a quiz!

Ok-so you think that you know how to spot "Healthy Food" by reading the labels. Let's see how good you are by taking this quiz on WebMD titled "Nutrition Label Quiz:Can You Spot Healthy Food Choices?"
It's an eye-opener!!If you don't do too well on the quiz,that's fine.Just be careful when you go grocery shopping the next time. If you've done well-then,hurray for you!!

Mushrooms and Green Tea to stop Cancer?

Apparently yes-a friend of mine sent me a link last night from the "Sydney Morning Herald". The article titled "One Mushroom a Day to Stop Breast cancer" talks of a study conducted to determine the protective properties of traditional Chinese diets. The study concludes that mushrooms(as little as one per day) and green tea could protect you from breast cancer.Lab research has shown that mushrooms have anti-tumor properties while green tea has polyphenols (an antioxidant compound) that have shown to fight breast tumors in animals.
So,the next time you go shopping,don't forget to buy some fresh mushrooms and a packet of green tea.

Authentic Indian Junk Food

Junk foods are a Dietitian's worst nightmare! What is junk food anyway and why is it such a taboo word?It is actually a slang word for foods which have very little or absolutely no nutritional value and yet are very palatable and popular. In India, the general mindset is to limit junk food to just pizzas and burgers,so avoid these, and you are eating healthy food-not true. What about the Indian junk food? They are equally as bad as their western counterpart, if not worse. Let me list out some of the "Authentic Indian Junk Food" that we all so unknowingly consume:

• Mixtures/chivdas/ farsans:don't we all have a couple of packets of these in our houses. Whether it is 'ghathia' from Gujrat or 'murukkus' from Madras,we all have our hot favourites!
  
• Bajjis/pakodas: whether it is a rainy day or not,we like it with a cup of hot 'chai' or even with our meals.
• Vadas/pooris: eaten as a snack or even for breakfast,these deep-fried foods are not helping you maintain your weight or your lipid levels!
• Paani-puri/ sev puri/bhaturas: a-ha, a visit to your friendly neighborhood 'chaatwala' and you loose count of the calories you gleefully tuck into!
  
• Vada pav: our very own authentic Indian burger. Just white bread with deep fried mashed potatoes in a besan/chickpea flour coating.
• Butter Masala dosa/cheese dosa/Chinese dosa: all ways to to make the 'dosa' as unhealthy as it can get.
• Gobi Manchurian: even the Chinese will have a fit if they eat this so called 'Chinese' dish.

With these Indian junk food, and the fact that most of these are still being fried in 'trans-fat',we are probably eating the worst.Here's a solution,check out the Healthy Snack options and try eating them instead all this month, and you might just acquire a taste for eating nutritious food!

Healthy Nutrition Month

March is 'Healthy Nutrition Month'. The American Dietetic Association(ADA) celebrates it annually with campaigns.This years' theme is "Eat Right"
Try to make the right choices with what food you buy,what you cook and finally,what you end up eating.
For more information on healthy choices read my previous posts on:

• Breakfast
• Lunch/Dinner
• Snacks
• Understanding cooking methods and choosing the 'Healthy' methods.
  
• Eating out
• Sample Diet
• Planning a Healthy Menu
  

Brain surgery for weight loss?

That's exactly what a woman in West Virginia did.An article in the Times Of India titled "Woman has brain surgery to fight flab" says that the woman tried deep brain stimulation after trying everything else(diets,stomach stapling,etc). It is only the second such surgery performed and is a part of a clinical trial.
In the procedure, wires carrying electrical impulse were inserted into the region of the brain that controls the stomach and uses electricity to control her feelings of hunger and satiety.
For all that she has gone through,I just hope the procedure works!

Bringing up a healthy child.

Gone are the days when a 'plump' child was considered as healthy. I remember my mom always admired plump kids and tried her best to feed her skinny daughter (you're right-ME)! Today, mother's get worried if their child is even 'pleasantly' plump. This is the case not just here in the US(where the awareness of child obesity and the associated high cholesterol risks are high),but back home in urban India too. When I worked at Manipal Hospital with the pediatric endocrinologist,I had the chance to counsel many kids under the age of 10 who were not only over-weight but some of whom were also diagnosed with high cholesterol levels.Back then almost all the parents were shocked as they always thought 'cholesterol' was something 'one needs to worry or take care of after the age of 45'.It's a myth that cholesterol starts to build up in the arteries only after forty. Infact, it's building up in your arteries even as you read this.
What are the reasons that children nowadays are more prone to obesity and hypercholesterolemia?The three main reasons:

1. Lack of exercise
2. Junk food,chocolates/sweets and colas
3. Eating in front of the T.V

When we were kids we played outdoor games almost every day. These days you'll rarely find kids playing outside,which means that they get very less exercise. That and the fact that junk food has started to replace the traditional (non-fried) Indian foods in many households adds to the situation.
What does eating in front of the T.V have to do with weight gain?-a lot apparently.An episode on 'The Truth About Food' on Discovery showed an experiment wherein the conclusion was that we tend to eat more without realizing it while watching T.V.
The solution to this is that you as a parent need to make a change now.

• Stop buying junk food and other 'calorie dense' foods on a regular basis,instead get them into the habit of eating 'nutrient dense' foods.
  
• Join your kids in an outdoor sport/game that everyone enjoys,that way the whole family gets an exercise.
  
• Start having meals together at the table and talk to your family.
  

It's one small step for you,but a 'big' leap towards a healthier life for you and your child!

Read more:
1.Kids and Cholesterol
2.Adult Fast-Food Diets Tied to Too much TV as Teen

How to start a career as a Dietitian (in India)?

A lot of students who have earned their degrees in Nutrition have no clue as to what should be their next step(I was one among them,not so long ago). For this very reason I approached none other than the President of the Indian Dietetic Association (IDA),Mrs Dharini Krishnan.
Read about it on: Guests on Bonne Nutrition

Getting kids to eat veggies....

An article in today's Times Of India titled 'Veggie names leaves preschoolers wanting more' talks about a research conducted by Cornell University and suggests that giving fancy and catchy names to veggies got the tiny tots to eat more.
Great idea for all mommies with fussy kids like mine! Mother's on the net,let's put on our thinking caps and think of funky names for all vegetables-any suggestions? How about "Cool broccoli" and "Barney Brinjal" for a start?

Empty Calories

Years of analyzing peoples' diets to check where the fault lies, has taught me that by simply making the person conscious of what is called 'empty' calories,goes a long way in helping them get into a healthy diet pattern. So,what are these so called 'empty' calories?They are foods/ingredients which provide no additional nutrition other than calories,and the three main culprits are:

1. Sugar
2. Oil(yes,they do have Essential fatty acids,but we don't need to drink oil to get them)
   
3. Colas and Alcohol

I would say sugar and products containing sugar and the oil/butter/ghee we use in our day to day foods are the major source of 'empty' calories.Has anyone ever wondered how many teaspoons of sugar he/she consumes in a day? I've known so many to take around 20-24 teaspoons of sugar just in their tea/coffees (excluding that which is present in sweets/colas).Take this quiz I found on CNN Health,to see if you are aware of the number of liquid calories you could be having in a day. Try and limit your sugar consumption to just 3-4 teaspoons/day.
Next comes oil.I've always mentioned in all my articles that you don't have to drown the food in oil.All oils including olive oil (extra virgin varieties too)contain the same calories,and hence need to be limited. Use just about one teaspoon for cooking the entire dish.Your monthly oil allowance should not be more than half a liter per person per month (if you eat all three meals at home).
I've clubbed colas and alcohol together as I believe that these need to be eliminated(especially colas) in the quest for better health. I came across a lot of people who would have atleast 2-3 colas a day and end the week with alcohol. Along with alcohol, came the other no-no's:the chips,fries,colas and all the regular high calorie foods.
Weekend binging on foods which you have managed to avoid through the week will bring back all the calories you managed to cut from your diet. At the end, the weight loss will not be significant,which generally makes the person put the blame on the diet (if not the dietitian).
If you can bring down the use of these 'empty calories' to it's bare minimum,half your battle would be won (the other half would depend on the amount of exercise you put it).
Note:
If you want to know more about which are the other foods that are high in sugar,then check out this wonderful article on WebMD called 'Sugar Shockers-Foods surprisingly high in sugar'.

Besan Dosa (Chickpea flour crepes)

When I was growing up in Bombay,Besan dosa was a very popular dish in most Udupi restaurants and was even sometimes called "Vegetarian Omelet". Besan dosa was also sold as a filling inside sandwiches which were named "Veggie omelet sandwich"! Funnily enough,I hated them at that time and preferred my regular 'egg omelet' to the veggie omelet. I made Besan Dosa for the first time sometime after Diwali as I had a pack of leftover 'besan' that my mom who was visiting,had used to make sinful 'besan laadus'. I used it for making kadhi a couple of times and was wondering what else I could do with it (pakodas are a strict no-no).That was when my mom mentioned that I could make Besan dosas but also reminded me that I never much cared for them when I was a kid. Finally,one day I tried it out and to my amazement, loved it(thankfully it was appreciated by hubby and little brat) and so now it's a regular feature at home. Make sure you use a good non-stick pan when you make this-that way,you won't need to use a lot of oil.Besan Dosa

Besan Dosa (Chickpea pancake):Serves 4
Ingredients:

• Besan/Gramflour/Chickpea flour: 2 cups
• Rice flour:1/4th cup
• Rava/Semolina/Cream of wheat: 1/4th cup
• Whole wheat flour: 1/4th cup
• Curd (plain Yogurt)-3 tbsp
• Onion:1/2 small(finely chopped)
• Tomatoes:1 small(finely chopped)
• Green chillies:1-2(finely chopped)
• Corriander leaves/Cilantro: 2 tablespoon,finely chopped
• Hing/asafoetida: a pinch
• Turmeric powder: 1/4th teaspoon
• Jeera/Cummin seeds:1/2 tsp
• Salt:to taste
• Oil:1 tsp, to grease the pan

Method:

1. Mix all the ingredients.
2. Add enough water to make a batter of dosa/pancake consistency.
3. Heat the oil in a non-stick pan on medium flame.
4. Pour a ladle of the batter and spread like a dosa. Cover for a 3-4 minutes.
5. Then,flip the dosa over to the other side and cook for another 1-2 minutes.Make sure not to burn them.
6. Serve the besan dosa hot with mint,ketchup or a spicy chutney.

A quiz-check it out!

I found this interesting (short) quiz on CNNhealth.com. It's called 'How you eat Vs. what you eat'. It's just five questions-try it!!
Once you're done with the quiz,you could also check out other articles on 'Health'.

Mediterranean Diet-where does the Indian diet fall short?

A recent article in WebMD states that women(I'm sure the same would apply to men too) on a Mediterranean Diet have significantly less chances of developing heart disease and stroke!
Let's analyze the ingredients for the Mediterranean Diet mentioned on WebMD and see where the typical Indian Diet goes wrong.
Mediterranean Diet: Fresh,healthy food
Indian Diet: Though we do eat lots of different varieties of vegetables,most Indians tend to overcook the vegetables which inturn reduces the nutritional values. You could try to add vegetables in dishes that normally doesn't include a vegetable(like grated carrots in phulkas, mixed vegetables in kichidi,uppmas,etc) and also include salads with every meal.

Mediterranean Diet: Portion control
Indian Diet: No portion control at all. We tend to eat till we 'feel full'. We need to keep in mind that too much of even the good things are not recommended. To get an idea of portion control,check out these slides.

Mediterranean Diet: Healthy fats and olive oil
Indian Diet: We still use saturated fats like ghee/butter/coconut oil and trans-fat(hydrogenated vegetable oils like vanaspati)in our cooking. The general belief in most houses is that unless you drown the food in oil,it doesn't taste good!!
Olive oil is expensive,but you can switch to using small amounts of oils like peanut oil,canola oil,safflower oil,soybean oil for your cooking(you could try getting a different oil each month to get the benefits of each one). The trick is to use just about a teaspoon of oil for cooking the entire dish(use non-stick pans/kadai).

Mediterranean Diet: Omega-3 fatty acids
Indian Diet: Most Indians don't eat fish,and those who do normally prefer it fried. The best way would be to eat fish in a curry or bake/broil it. Vegeterians can get their dose of omega-3's from walnuts,flax seed(and oil), pumpkin seeds, soyabeans(and soy oil) and from canola and olive oils.

Mediterranean Diet: More vegetables,less meat.
Indian Diet: Earlier this was the scene among non-vegetarian Indians,but in the recent past the trend seems to have reversed. The best thing would be to eat lean meat not more than once (or at the most,twice) a week and stick to eating more vegetables and legumes the rest of the week.

Mediterranean Diet: Wine in small amounts( 3 ounces/80 ml)
Indian Diet: Though wine does have it's benefits,it should not serve as an excuse for consuming it. You'd still get the benefits by drinking plain grape juice!

Mediterranean Diet: Whole grains.
Indian Diet: Refined foods with no nutritive values like refined flour(maida),sugar, polished rice have replaced healthy foods like whole wheat flour, jaggery, unpolished rice. Avoid (or reduce the frequency) of using these and stick to whole grains and legumes(but keep in mind the portion sizes).

Mediterranean Diet: Fruit for dessert.
Indian Diets: Desserts for us would mean 'gulab jamuns', or 'jalebis' or atleast 'kheer'. These are not just high in sugar,but most are high in oil/ghee. Eating plain fruits for dessert or even as a snack will definetly require lots of will power.

If we could just make these changes in our daily diet and exercise regularly,there would be no need for us to adopt a foreign cuisine in the name of health(and then maybe a few years/centuries down the line,researchers would advocate the Indian Diet)!!

Nutrition and Diet from a Cricketers' Viewpoint

My first celebrity "Guest Writer" is cricketer Sridharan Sriram.
Check out Sriram's views on Nutrition and Diet:
Guests On Bonne Nutrition
Thanks a 'ton' Sri for taking time out to pen your thoughts on nutrition.

South Asians More Prone to Diabetes

Why doesn't it surprise me??
A report in the Times Of India talks about a research conducted in the UK which shows that South Asians (including Indians) living there are more likely to develop Diabetes then the rest of the population!
With India fast becoming(or already) the "Diabetes Capital of the World",it's no surprise that geographic locations is not going to make a difference to their health status.The same reason why the new BMI guidelines (I have already mentioned about) apply to every Indian/South Asian regardless of where they live or what passport they hold.
With changing food habits, a more sedentary lifestyle and also the fact that South-Asians are genetically predisposed to such ailments means that we are more likely to develop not just Diabetes,but a lot of other lifestyle related diseases like cancer,heart disease,etc.
What is the solution?
Get back to eating traditional foods which are far more healthier than the junk that has replaced it, reduce usage of oil and sugar, eat more whole grains and legumes,vegetables and fruits and exercise daily.
Source:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Health--Science/South-Asians-prone-to-diabetes/articleshow/4115896.cms

New BMI guidelines for Indians/South Asians.

Hurray,finally the long wait is over!
I just got to know that the BMI guidelines have been revised back home in India.This happened late last year(how I missed this important news though I spend a good part of my day scanning the Times Of India's online paper, is still a mystery to me).
The Body Mass Index(BMI) is a measure of weight divided by height.
BMI= weight (kg) / [height (m)]²
For years there was a debate with regards to whether the World Health Organisation (WHO) approved BMI parameters which stated a BMI of 30 and above as obese, were correct for Asian populations.
Indians as a race, have been known to have a higher body fat than their western counterparts and until now, using the global standards meant a large part of the population went scott-free even though they were at a greater risk for lifestyle related diseases.
Now,the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on the advice of the WHO has issued new parameters for Indians:
If the BMI is-

• <18.5:underweight
• 18.5-22.9:Normal weight
• 23-24.9 :Overweight
• >25 :Obese

So,if you are an Indian(or for that matter of South-Asian origin) and stay overseas,it is important that you bring this change to the notice of your doctor.Chances are that they might not be aware of the change and still use the western BMI parameters on you(literally-"phir bhi dil hain Hindustani")!
For more on this topic:
*http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Delhi/Obesity_guidelines_released_for_India/articleshow/3756942.cms

Kadhi(Yogurt curry)

Kadhi is one of our favourite dishes, and something which reminds my hubby of his mother's cooking(which is a HUGE compliment)! It's a quick dish and I usually make it on days when I have to cook in a rush. It's a combination of curd(yogurt) and chikpea/gram flour,which means nutritionally it's loaded with calcium(yogurt) and protein(gramflour) . The actual Indian recipe has 'Pakoda' (a deep fried item made with a combination of gramflour,onions,chillies),but adding that would disqualify this otherwise healthy dish from being put up on my blog. You could however,add the Nucchina Unde/Steamed lentil ball,the recipe was sent to me by my friend Suma. These could be added to the gravy,just before serving.
Kadhi(Yogurt curry):Serves 4
Ingredients:

• Curd/Yogurt: 2 cups
• Besan/gram/chickpea flour: 2 tablespoons(make a smooth paste with cold water)
• Ginger+garlic paste: 1 teaspoon
• Mustard seeds: 1/2 teaspoon
• Jeera/Cumin seeds: 1/2 teaspoon
• Methi/fenugreek seeds: 1/4th teaspoon
• Hing/asafoetida: a pinch
• Turmeric: 1/4th teaspoon
• Coriander/Cilantro leaves: 2 tablespoons(finely chopped)
• Salt: to taste
• Oil: 1teaspoon
• Water:2-3 cups

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a non-stick kadai/wok.
2. Add the mustard,cumin and fenugreek seeds. When the mustard starts to pop,add the turmeric,hing and the ginger+garlic paste.
3. Fry for a minute and then add the curd and stir for another minute.
4. Add the besan/chickpea paste and 2-3 cups of water,salt and stir.
5. Cook till it starts to boil.
6. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
7. Serve hot with rice.

Note:If you are serving this with the steamed lentil balls,then place the steamed ball/unde in the gravy when serving.

Nucchina Unde(Steamed Lentil Ball)

This recipe is being shared by Suma Bhat from Corvallis,Oregon,who got it from her mom-in law.
It can be served as a snack or even a breakfast item. It's a combination of two lentils and the steaming certainly qualifies this as a "healthy" snack.You could opt to add a mix of different vegetables to make it more filling and of course more nutritious. Thanks Suma for sharing this recipe.
Nucchina Unde(Steamed lentil ball): Serves 3
Ingredients:
• Toor dal/split yellow lentils: 1 cup
• Channa dal/split Bengal gram: 1/4 cup
• Corriander/Cilantro leaves: ¼ bunch(finely chopped)
• Curry leaves: 10nos. (finely chopped)
• Green chillies: 5 to 6,chopped.
• Grated fresh Coconut: 1 tsp
• Grated Ginger: ½ inch
• Salt: to taste
• Hing /Asafoetida:a pinch
• Oil: 1 tsp (for greasing)

Method:
1. Soak both the dals in water for 4 hrs. Later drain the water and grind the drained dals without adding any water (make sure the mixture is coarse, not very smooth).
2. Mix all other ingredients to this mixture.
3. Now grease steel vessel or Idli plates lightly with oil, make oval shaped balls and steam cook in a pressure cooker for 15 – 20 minutes until they are done.
4. Serve hot with mint chutney.
Note:
To make it more nutritious,you can add cut and steamed mixed vegetables like french beans, peas, grated carrot,finely chopped onions and mix it with the coarse lentil mixture before steaming.

Palak Tofu Sabzi(Tofu in Spicy Spinach Gravy)

I experimented with this dish two weeks ago and found it to be just as yummy(if not better)than the now-famous original North Indian dish called 'Palak Paneer'. Paneer is the Indian cottage cheese,which for this recipe is cut into cubes and cooked in a gravy of pureed spinach(with of course all the spices that go into traditional Indian cooking). I used the silken tofu and soon realized my folly as it was too soft and would not hold it's shape-nevertheless,the end result was simply nutritious! Spinach is a very good source of iron*, folate,vitamins A and K,and fiber while tofu is a complete protein and hence this dish is ideal for vegetarians and vegans.
Palak Tofu(Tofu in Spicy Spinach Gravy):Serves 4
Ingredients:

• Palak/Spinach:1/2kg(500 gms)
• Firm Tofu: 250gms,cut into 1/2' cubes
  
• Onion: 2 medium(finely chopped)
• Tomatoes: 2 large
• Green chillies: 2-3
  
• Ginger+garlic paste: 2 teaspoon
• Garam Masala: 2 teaspoon
  
• Turmeric powder: 1/4th teaspoon
• Coriander/Dhania powder: 1 teaspoon
• Cumin/Jeera powder: 1 teaspoon
• Oil:1 teaspoon
  
• Salt: to taste

Method:

1. Wash and clean the spinach leaves.
2. Steam the leaves along with the green chillies.
3. Once it has cooled down,blend it along with the tomatoes to a fine puree.
4. Heat a teaspoon of oil in a non-stick pan.
5. Add the chopped onions and salt. Stir for about 5 minutes,then add the ginger+garlic paste and cook for another 5 minutes.
6. Add the spinach+tomato puree,the garam masala,cumin,turmeric and coriander powder and mix well.
7. Cook for about 5 minutes,then add the tofu cubes.
   
8. Keep stirring,add a little water. Then cook covered on medium flame for another 15-20 minutes.
9. When the gravy thickens,taste to check if the spinach has lost it's raw taste.If it has, then the dish is ready.
10. Serve hot with phulkas/whole wheat tortillas(Do not add ghee/clarified butter)
    

NOTE: *Since the iron in the spinach is non-heme(i.e from a plant source),it needs Vitamin C for it's absorption.So,you could add a dash of lime to the dish when serving or end your meal with a fruit rich in Vitamin C(eg:Orange,kiwifruit,guava,etc).

Avocado

Avocado or "Butter fruit" as it's commonly called in India,is a fruit that is native to South America. It is not very popular as a fruit, as it has "no taste" or is basically "bland",although the "Butter fruit milkshake" is quite popular at the juice bars in Bangalore.
However,not many people know the health benefits of Avocados. This fruit has a higher fat content than most other fruits,but since the fat it contains is mainly monounsaturated fat(MUFA),they are actually good for health.They are also packed with fiber,folate and heart-healthy anti-oxidants like vitamin C and E.
So,how does one eat a fruit that really has no taste-simple,use it as a spread on toast/sandwiches (instead of butter/mayonnaise) by mashing the fruit,adding a little lime,salt and pepper. Another popular dish(the one I had served at my son Aditya's birthday bash) is the "Avocado Dip" or "Guacamole" as it's popularly called. I learnt it from my hubby's aunt (Anita athya) when we had gone to their place at Rockville,MD during the Christmas vacation. Thanks athya for teaching me another "Healthy recipe".
Avocado Dip/Guacamole:
Ingredients:

• Avocados:2-3 ripe
  
• Red onion: 1/2(finely diced)
• Tomatoes:3 nos.(finely chopped)
• Cilantro/Coriander leaves: 3 tablespoons(finely chopped)
• Lime juice:1 teaspoon
  
• Green chillies:1-2(finely chopped)
• Pepper:1/4 teaspoon,freshly ground
• Salt: to taste

Method:

1. Cut the avocados into half,remove the seed and scoop out the pulp.
2. Mash the pulp using either a masher or a fork.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.
4. Serve along with baked tortilla chips or roasted plain papads.

So,the next time you have a party,serve something healthy which also happens to be tasty!

Tofu Bhurji (Scrambled tofu)

Soya or Soy is originally from East Asia, but has recently gained popularity all over the world ever since it's health benefits were discovered. Recently though, it has been getting some negative reports,but I personally feel that soy in moderation is fine.
The protein in soy is complete(equal to meat) and hence is better than other beans and legumes. There are many products that are made from soy,like soy flour,roasted soy nuts,soy milk, tofu,soy nuggets,etc.
This recipe is from Ms.Meghana Ghatpande(Rohini's mom and Meghana aunty to the rest of us).
Tofu is just like paneer to see and taste, but more nutritious and healthier as it's a plant product and made by coagulating soy milk. This makes a good side dish with phulkas and can also be used as a filling inside a sandwich/wrap. It's basically a protein packed dish,and the mustard,cumin and coriander make this dish oh-so Indian!!

Tofu Bhurji(Scrambled Tofu): Serves 4
Ingredients:

• Firm tofu*: 350 gms, cut into small squares or crumbled
  
• Onion: 1 medium, finely sliced
  
• Tomato: 2 big,finely chopped
  
• Mustard seeds:1/2 teaspoon
• Jeera/Cumin seeds:1/2 teaspoon
• Dhaniya/Coriander seeds powder: 1teaspoon
• Turmeric powder:1/4 teaspoon
  
• Green chilli: 1 no. (slit length wise)
  
• Oil:1 teaspoon
• Coriander leaves/Cilantro:a handful(finely chopped for the garnish)
  
• Salt:to taste

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a non-stick kadai/pan.
2. Add the mustard and cumin seeds.
3. When it starts to crackle and pop,add the sliced onions,salt and saute till it becomes translucent.
4. Add the turmeric, cumin powder,slit green chilli,tomato pieces and saute till it gets cooked.
5. Add the tofu,stir for a couple of minutes.
6. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with phulkas.

*While buying the tofu for this dish,pick up the firm tofu if possible(as the silken/soft tofu are more suited for making dips).

Khara Chakoli (Spicy Wheat Squares)

Yipee,we're on a roll!!My second "Healthy Snack Recipe" contribution is from Suvarna Patil, currently residing at Corvallis,Oregon. It's a traditional North Karnataka snack made from whole wheat flour. It also has a little tur dal(good protein+carb combo) and requires very little oil. Tastes yummy when eaten hot!!
Khara Chakoli(Spicy Wheat Squares):Serves two
Ingredients:

• Whole wheat flour: 2 cups
• Tur dal: 1/2 cup
• Green chillies:1 (or 2 if you want it really spicy)
• Garlic: 3-4
  
• Corainder leaves:1 tablespoon(finely chopped)
• Turmeric powder: 1/4 teaspoon
• Jeera:1/4 teaspoon
• Oil:1/2 teaspoon
• Salt:to taste

Method:

1. Boil tur dal in about 4 cups of water until it's cooked but not mashy.
2. In the meanwhile,make a dough with the flour and roll into a regular chapathi/tortilla.
3. Cut into squares and keep aside(be careful not to pile it one on top of the other,or else it'll stick to one another)
4. Make a paste of the green chillies and garlic.
   
5. Once the dal is cooked,add the squares and cook until the water starts to thicken.
6. Then add the paste of garlic+ green chillies,oil, salt, turmeric powder and coriander leaves.
7. Cook on reduced flame for about 15 minutes(add little water if needed).
   
8. Serve when it is still warm.
   

Papad ki sabzi (Indian Pasta curry)

I had first tasted this recipe when I was a Dietitian at Manipal Hospital.One of the trainee dietitians had got this dish for lunch and we just loved it. It's a typically Rajasthani dish.I had almost forgotten about it till a few months back. My hubby loved it and even took it for lunch the next day.That's when it was renamed as "Indian Pasta curry" by his colleagues as the papad tastes like a spicy pasta!! Goes well with phulkas or as a side dish with rice and dal.
Papad ki sabzi (Indian Pasta curry):Serves 4
Ingredients:

• Papad-2 or 3(straight from the packet-not fried or roasted)
• Curd/yogurt- 2 tablespoon
• Corriander leaves- a handful,finely chopped
• Hing/Asafoetida -a pinch
• Turmeric-1/2 teaspoon
• Red chilli powder- 1/2 teaspoon
• Mustard seed-1/4 teaspoon
• Jeera/Cumin seeds-1/4 teaspoon
• Oil-1 teaspoon
• Salt-to taste

Method:

1. Break the papad into 1" pieces,
2. Heat the oil in a non-stick pan.
3. Add the mustards and cummin seeds.
4. When they crackle and pop, add the turmeric and asafoetida/hing(be careful not to burn it)
   
5. Add the curd and chilli powder quickly and stir for 2-3 minutes.
   
6. Add about a cup of water.Bring to a boil.
7. Add the papad,salt and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
8. When it is done,garnish with chopped corriander.
   
9. Serve hot with phulkas.

Lose weight and gain health!

Trying to get even a couple of kgs/pounds off the weighing scale will go a long way in your quest for a healthy life. Being overweight increases your risk of developing associated health risks like Heart disease,Diabetes,certain types of Cancer, Gout and many more lifestyle related diseases.
The best thing to do is to lose the extra weight and once that has been achieved try and maintain your weight close to the ideal body weight.
The surest way to lose weight is to follow a diet+ exercise regime simultaneously. Don't look at it as "being on a diet"(sounds more like a new year resolution, and we all know what happens to that!). Look at it as choosing or opting for a healthy lifestyle.
In all my years of consultation,I've realized that the main culprits for weight gain are:

• Bad choice of day to day foods,
• Excessive consumption of sugar/sweets,
• Excessive use of oil when cooking meals,
• No physical activity.

Here are a few tips:

1. Reduce total sugar consumption to just 2-3 teaspoons/day,
2. Use just 3 teaspoons of oil for your entire days cooking (get a good non-stick pan)
3. Include lots of vegetables(cooked and raw) at every meal time,
4. Eat at least 3-4 different fruits a day(snack on fruits),
5. Avoid fried foods and munchies (say no to chips,mixtures,pakodas/bhajjis,etc),
6. Don't skip a meal(esp.breakfast)-it'll only make you binge at your next meal,
   
7. Drink at least 10-12 glasses of water per day,
8. If you are a non-vegetarian,use lean/white meat(eg:egg whites,fish,skinned chicken),
   
9. Avoid carbonated beverages and juices which have added sugar,
10. Don't go grocery shopping on an empty stomach,
11. Don't keep high calorie foods(like chips,chocolates,etc) in the house.
    
12. Watch portion size while eating-just because the snack has been given the "healthy"rating, does not mean you can have unlimited servings of it.
13. Sticking to your diet the whole week does NOT qualify you to binge on all the restricted foods during the weekend.
14. Make a list of your favorite foods and pamper yourself with just 1 item per month.
15. And most important-Exercise for 1/2 an hour to one hour everyday.

I was asked to emphasize on tip no.6 by my friend Rohini Ghatpande, as she feels that most people think that they can skip meals and lose weight. Thanks Ro, have highlighted your point, hopefully the message will go home!!
For sample diets and healthy snack recipes,please go through my earlier posts.

Healthy (and Tasty) Snack-Quick Mini Pizza

Hurray, a contribution to my Healthy recipe bank! Thanks to Tina Khanna from Delhi,who also happens to be a nutritionist,my former colleague and a friend. She swears that this recipe is a hot favourite with her husband and daughter.What I liked about the recipe, is the fact that it's a wholesome combination of whole grain(whole wheat bread),proteins(low fat paneer/tofu)and also a good source of fiber(veggies). So here's the recipe:
Quick and Healthy Mini Pizzas(Serves 2):
Ingredients:

• Whole wheat bread: 4 nos.(you could cut it with a bowl/biscuit cutter for a round shape)
  
• Low fat paneer(home made from skimmed milk) or Tofu: 100 gms
• Mixed Vegetables(Capsicum+onions+mushrooms+tomatoes): about 150 gms, finely chopped
• Oil:1 tsp
• Salt: to taste
  

Method:

1. Lightly toast the bread.
2. To a non-stick pan,pour one teaspoon oil and saute the mixed vegetables and paneer/tofu.
3. Add salt.
   
4. Spread this on the toast and grill in an oven or warm it in a closed pan.
5. Serve hot.

So,who says pizzas are bad for you-try this healthy version instead!! Any takers?

Healthy (and Tasty) Snack-Corn Bhel

The Sukha Bhel recipe reminded me of another one of my favourite snack item which has ingredients similar to that of Sukha Bhel.You just have to substitute the puffed rice with boiled corn kernals. Here's the recipe:
Corn Bhel(Tossed corn salad):
Ingredients:

• Boiled corn kernals-2 cups
• Tomato-1 chopped
• Onion-1 small (finely chopped)
• Carrot-1/2 (Grated)
• Cucumber-1/2(finely chopped)
• Corriander(cilantro) leaves-a handful,finely chopped
• Green Chilly-1 finely chopped or 1tsp red chilly powder
• Chaat masala-1/2 teaspoon
• Raw mango(optional)-1/2(finely chopped)
• Lemon juice-1 tablespoon
  
• Salt-to taste

Method:

1. Put all the ingredients into a big bowl.
2. Toss well and serve immediately.

Healthy (and Tasty) Snack-Sukha Bhel

It's 5pm and i feel like having something 'chatpata'.Hmmm,so what is quick,tasty and chatpata-Sukha bhel!!
If you are wondering why I've added "and tasty" in the title,it's because my husband Vinayak strongly feels that if I just put it as 'Healthy Snack' nobody will want to try it as everyone assumes that anything healthy is not tasty. Not true. You don't have to pour oodles of ghee/oil/butter to make something tasty. Try out this simple and easy snack,and you'll know!!
Sukha Bhel-Tossed puffed rice salad (Serves 2)
Ingredients:

• Puffed rice-2 cups
• Tomato-1 chopped
• Onion-1 small (finely chopped)
• Carrot-1/2 (Grated)
• Cucumber-1/2(finely chopped)
• Corriander(cilantro) leaves-a handful,finely chopped
• Green Chilly-1 finely chopped or 1tsp red chilly powder
• Chaat masala-1/2 teaspoon
• Raw mango(optional)-1/2(finely chopped)
  
• Salt-to taste

Method:

1. Put all the ingredients into a big bowl.
2. Toss well and serve immediately.
   

Planning a Healthy Menu

Do you go to sleep at night trying to figure out what to make for breakfast? Once breakfast is done away with, raid the fridge to find something that can be had for lunch and dinner? Sounds fine,but have you been able to make and eat a balanced diet through the day?
A balanced diet is one which has all the required amount and types of foods that the body needs for normal growth and development.
So,how does one go about planning a healthy menu?
There are five basic food groups that one needs to choose from:

1. Cereals and grains (Eg:unpolished rice/brown rice,whole grain breads,etc)
   
2. Pulses and legumes(Eg: Dals,peas,moong)
3. Fruits and vegetables
4. Meat and milk (Eg: skinned chicken, fish; skimmed milk,low fat curd)
   
5. Fats and sugars (Eg:Olive oil,canola,peanut oil,etc)

You need to choose an item from each group,but keep in mind that quantity also matters. The cereals/grains would form the main part of your meal and will also provide the required amount of energy. The pulses/legumes or the meat/milk group will provide protein,while the fruits and vegetables will provide the vitamins, minerals and fibre, among other things.
Let's try and plan a meal based on the information provided:
Unpolished/semi-polished rice (Cereal group)
+Dal palak (Pulses+Vegetable group) or Fish curry (for non-vegetarians)
+Garden Salad (Vegetable group)
+Low fat curd (Milk group)
+Fruit
and the oil used for cooking would come from the last group.
Again,I have not mentioned the amount,as this has to be determined individually.
Here are a few things you need to keep in mind:

• Try using whole grain foods whenever possible.
  
• Include plenty of fruits and vegetables in the meal.
• Use just one teaspoon of oil for cooking the entire dish.No frying.
  
• Use white(lean meat)when choosing from the meat group.
• Moderation is the key when choosing from the grain and meat groups.
• Try to be innovative and add pulses/legumes to recipes if you don't have the time to make a separate dish from pulses-eg. Veg pulav with channa/soya nuggets, Cauliflower and peas sabzi,etc.
  

As Smitha Suresh has written in the earlier post,it helps to plan the whole days menu.Planning an entire week's menu would be great and would also help you while grocery shopping.

Choosing Healthy Food when Dining out:

Before learning how to pick out "Healthy Options" from a restaurant menu, try to familiarize yourself with some cooking terminology so that you know how the food is cooked. I'm going to categorize it under "Red-Alarm bells" and "Green-Go ahead".
Red-Alarm Bells:

1. Deep fried: Deep frying is a cooking method in which food is submerged in hot oil (read:calories,calories).
2. Pan fried: or shallow frying uses lesser quantity of oil than deep frying using only enough fat to immerse about one-third of each piece of food.
3. Breaded: to coat a food with flour, beaten eggs and bread crumbs before frying.
4. Creamy/in a cream sauce: containing cream or/and butter,cheese.
   
5. Basted: to cook food by brushing or spooning with fat at regular intervals.
   
6. Crispy: food fried in such a way that it is very crunchy.
7. Batter dipped: food dipped in a coating mix before frying.
   
8. Scalloped/Gratin: refers to a preparation of a thinly sliced potatoes(or any other food) and a cream sauce topped with a crust of browned breadcrumbs and butter,often sprinkled with grated cheese.
   
9. Alfredo(used mostly in America):food made with Parmesan cheese,butter and heavy cream.
10. Au-gratin: Covered with bread crumbs and sometimes butter and grated cheese, and then browned in an oven.

Green-Go Ahead:

1. Steamed:food cooked by using steam by putting it on top of boiling water in a closed vessel.
   
2. Poached: Poaching is the method of gently simmering food in a liquid(usually water,milk or stock).
   
3. Broiled:food cooked by placing it at a measured distance below dry heat
   
4. Grilled: food cooked on a grill which is placed above the heat source.
   
5. Roasted: food cooked using dry heat which could be an open flame,oven or other heat source.
   
6. Baked: Baking is the technique of prolonged cooking of food by dry heat acting normally in an oven.
   
7. Braised: meat cooked by searing using a little fat then simmered in a covered dish in a small amount of moisture.
   
8. Tandoori: food cooked in a tandoor over hot charcoal.
9. Stir-fried/sauteed:food cooked in very little oil over high heat using light tossing and stirring motions.

Once you are familiar with these terms,choosing a healthy option from a restaurant menu will be easier.Check out this awesome slide show on WebMD titled "Healthy Restaurant Eating"

Sample Diet For A Fast Paced Life

Now that Smitha Suresh has briefed us on "Nutrition For A Fast Paced Life",let us see what a day's diet would look like if you choose from the healthy options:
Sample Diet *:
On Rising: A glass of water +1/2 cup skimmed milk for tea/coffee(1 tsp sugar)
Breakfast: Plain Wheatflakes +cut fruits +1/2 cup skimmed milk
Mid-morning: Fruit + Thin buttermilk
Lunch: Kichidi (with mixed vegs)
+Kadhi (no pakoda)
+Garden salad(No dressing)
+Fruit
Tea time: 1/2 cup skimmed milk for tea/coffee(1 tsp sugar)
2-3 high fibre Marie biscuits
Dinner: Clear tomato soup/ Rasam
+Phulkas(No oil/ghee)
+Palak( with moong) curry(less oil)
+low fat curd/Raitha
+Fruit

*Note: the quantities have not been mentioned, as that needs to be determined individually.

Nutrition For A Fast Paced Life

For my next post,I thought I'd invite someone to write a "Guest article" for Bonne Nutrition. So ladies and gentlemen,please welcome Ms.Smitha Suresh, a very good friend and also a former colleague of mine who has a pulse on the current situation (I am afterall on a "mommy-break" from active consulting) .
Click here to read the article by Ms.Smitha Suresh:

Information for Students on Courses in Nutrition In India:

Since a lot of my friends have been asking me about how to get started in the field of Nutrition,I thought who could be better to enlighten the public than my very first boss,Ms.Swarupa Kakani. She's been a great teacher and I can proudly say that I learnt my Nutrition "A,B,C's" from her, when I started my career as a trainee at Manipal Hospital,Bangalore.

Click here to view the excerpts from the interview with Ms. Kakani.

How to plan a 'Balanced Meal'.

Planning a healthy meal for you and/or your family is not rocket science. It can be very easy if you keep these 3 steps in mind:
Step 1: Choose an item each from each of the four food groups:
a) Whole grains: chapathi/ roti(whole wheat, jowar, bajra, corn/makkai, etc), rice(ideally unpolished/ semi polished rice), broken wheat/dalia.
b) Vegetables and fruits: aim at including at least two different vegetables and a fruit instead of dessert/sweets.
c) Pulses/lentil/lean meat: dals, pulses (whole or split) and once/twice a week chicken, fish or eggs.
d) Milk- buttermilk, curd/yogurt made from skimmed milk.
Step 2: Avoid/use very little oil for cooking as far as possible (e.g: phulkas/dosas without oil, sabzi’s/palyas made with just 1-2tsp oil). Try to use as little as 3tsp oil/person for the entire day’s cooking.
Step 3: When serving keep in mind ‘portion sizes’. Divide your plate into two halves- one half should contain the sabzi/palya/kootu(1-2 varieties) and the other half can be further divided into two portions-one for the whole grain and the other for the dal/pulse item.
Once you get these basic steps correct, you can go one step further and plan out healthy meals not just for the day but for the entire week. Doing so will ensure that you:
1. eat a variety of healthy meals on a regular basis,
2. plan your grocery list in advance-that way you don’t end up buying more than you will need,
3. save time and money-buying things from the list helps avoid impulse buying and will shorten the time spent in shopping.

A little planning never hurt anyone-and if the planning is for a healthy meal, then you (and your family) have only benefits to reap at the end of the day!!

Healthy Snack varieties

Now that the healthy options for the three main meals have been dealt with,one tends to wonder if there is any thing called a "healthy snack"? What are you supposed to eat when hunger strikes and you are hours away from your next meal? Snack by all means,but choose wisely, as most snacks are high in calories and low in other nutrients.Nutritious snack foods are a great way to provide energy and nutrients until your next meal,but that does not mean that these can be eaten in unlimited quantities. That means,you would still require to control the amount you eat.

So here are some of the examples for a "Nutritious" snack:

• Fruit chaat/ Fruit bowl (No Sugar or Honey).A mix of salad vegetables and fruits with chaat masala
• Sukkha/Dry Bhel (No Sev or Papadi)
• Corn/Kabuli Channa bhel (No Sev or Papadi)
• A handful of mixed dry fruits and nuts(10-15 numbers in all)
• Smoothies made with fruits and low-fat curd/yogurt(No sugar)
• 2-3 high-fibre Marie biscuits(top it with cut fruits for a change)
• Home made popcorn (made with very less oil)
• Steamed/grilled corn on the cob(bhutta)
  

You could have this with a glass of thin buttermilk,black tea with lime or even fresh juice(no added sugar).

Healthier choices when eating out :

Ever since I put up the last article on lunch and dinner options, I’ve received a lot of emails from friends requesting for tips on choosing healthier options at the office cafeteria and restaurants in general.
Firstly, don’t shy away from asking for food to be cooked with less oil. Chances are that the Masala Dosa that you asked to be made “without oil/ghee” will be made with just 2 teaspoons of oil instead of the regular 5-6 teaspoons, which still makes a big difference in the long run!! Most restaurants nowadays are eager to please their customers and will go the extra mile if asked to do so-so, go ahead and ask!!

Here are some of the other stuff you need to avoid:
.Fried papads
.Pooris/Naans/ Roomali rotis
.Cream soups
.Fried fish
.Fried chicken
.Dal fry
.Fried momos/Spring rolls
.Chow mein
.Oily pulavs/fried rice
.Cream sauces
.Sweets

Instead try:
.Roasted papads
.Phulkas/Chapathi/ Rotis (No oil/butter/ghee)
.Clear soups
.Fish curry
.Tandoori/ Grilled/ Tikka chicken
.Plain dal
.Steamed momos
.Stir-fried food
.Plain rice
.Marinara sauce
.Fruit bowl/platter

It's a different matter if you eat out occasionally(read: once a month),but if you eat out on a daily basis,it makes sense to choose the healthier options.

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.