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World Food Day 2019: Towards a sustainable and balanced food future
World Food Day 2019: This World Food Day, pledge to keep your body healthy by eating balanced and nutritious meals that suit your body type.
October 16 is celebrated as World Food Day. The day aims at creating awareness on what one should eat - a healthy, and more importantly, a sustainable diet, which is affordable and accessible to everyone. Nutritionists, dieticians, chefs and experts share how you can make healthy decisions.
Delnaaz T Chanduwadia, Chief Dietician of Jaslok Hospital and Research Centre, says, “Due to our conscious choices, fast paced lifestyle, and social media, we tend to consume more of some food groups and lesser of the others. If you do sit back and retrospect, you will notice that we do consume a lot of foods that are from the cereal food group. However, they are refined. Examples are sandwiches, samosas, vadapavs, packaged food and street food like chaat. The common factor in all of these being high amounts of refined flour and also a lot of trans fats. All these foods are also very high in unhealthy fat.”
What we need to do is make a shift in our choice of foods. We need to choose whole grain cereals, pulses and millets, instead of refined foodstuff. Millets as a food group have not been explored much. They are a power house of vitamins, minerals, fibre and calcium,examples being — jowar, bajra, ragi, kong, sama, kodo etc. These are indigenous that are very versatile. They have been used widely by our ancestors all along and it would be wise for us to begin using these in our daily diets.
Dietitian, Deepti G Dua, co- founder of Mutation Diet Clinic, says, “There are seven essential factors for a balanced diet such as — carbs, protein, fat, fibre, vitamins, minerals and water. Plan your diet on plenty of foods rich in carbohydrates. Include eggs, white meats, fish, beans, lentils, and high-protein dairy, like Greek yogurt in your meal. Replace saturated with unsaturated fat. Enjoy plenty of fruits and vegetables. Reduce salt and sugar intake. Eat regularly, control the portion size and drink plenty of fluids.”
Superfoods for the season
This season packs a serious nutrition boost with superfoods that can fuel all of those fall activities and will keep you going. Incorporate apples which are the easiest grab-and-go foods, not only for this season but throughout the year. You can consider dicing fresh apples in a bowl of oatmeal and can add a pinch of brown sugar and cinnamon to further enhance its taste. Pumpkin is another superfood which is a power-house of flavour, vitamins, and fibre. Adding pumpkin puree to smoothies, oatmeal, or even a pumpkin humus will get you going this season.
Dr Siddhant Bhargava, Fitness and Nutritional Scientist, says, “When was the last time you made Brussels sprouts a part of your diet? This fall, consider tossing and roasting some with a dash of olive oil, salt, pepper, and the herbs of your choice for a simple and wholesome side dish that you will enjoy munching on. Swap the marshmallows and butter with healthier options like sweet potatoes in your pies. Cranberries are a nutritive treasure trove. Consider adding a handful of fresh berries to muffins or bread you’re baking to lend a sweet boost. Carrots are a very good option this season, these can be added to your salads, juice or in smoothies. Even carrot pancakes are a healthy, yet delectable, option that will help fuel your day. Being big on flavour, leeks can transform any fall dish you are cooking. They enhance the tastes of soups and stews. Kale offers a whole lot of nutrients and is in season right now. It enhances the taste of green salads and will not go wrong in anything that you are preparing.”
Sustainable options in a diet
Experts agree that we should consume only those fruits and vegetables that are seasonal. Souvik Gupta, culinary head, Loft, says, “The mantra is to reduce carbohydrates as fillers, which is the cause of obesity. Instead, stick to using fillers from fresh fruits and vegetables.”
Dr Siddhant Bhargava, Fitness and Nutritional Scientist, says, “Whether you are an apple-shaped, a pear-shaped, or a chili pepper-shaped body type, it is important to finding out the suitable diet and workout programme that suits you.”
1. The chili pepper-shape: People tend to gain weight around their midsection, thus making them prone to an augmented peril for heart ailments and diabetes. A diet that integrates healthy fats may reduce the jeopardy of cardiovascular snags. It is recommended to have fish, olive oil, lean proteins, nuts, and complex carbohydrates, like vegetables, fruits, vegetables, and beans. The calorie count for their diet includes 800 calories from carbohydrates, 700 calories from fats and 500 calories from proteins.
DIET: Breakfast: Omelet made with two eggs and 1/4 cup each sliced mushroom, bell peppers, and grated mozzarella cheese, coupled with whole wheat bread. The meal should comprises of a one-fourth cup of raisins and almonds.
Lunch: One cup of black bean soup, followed by fresh spinach salad, one vegetable, and one whole wheat chapatti.
Dinner: Grilled salmon fillet brushed lightly with one teaspoon of honey and light soya sauce, half a cup of cooked brown rice and a mixed vegetable salad. The dessert should mainly comprise of yogurt and peach.
2. The pear-shape: A diet that is rich in complex carbohydrates, like whole-grain cereals, beans, and lentils; lean protein, like as chicken or fish; and fruits and veggies will assist in melting off extra pounds. Meals should comprise of 1,750 calories from the consumption of carbs, 375 calories from fats and 375 calories from protein intake.
DIET: Breakfast: Instant oatmeal, medium-sized bananas, and a half cup of freshly squeezed orange juice. For snacks, one can have whole wheat crackers.
Lunch: Two slices of whole wheat bread sandwich, followed by yogurt and apple for evening snacks.
Dinner: Four pieces of skinless, boneless grilled chicken breast, one cup of steamed green beans, whole wheat chapatti and one cup of salad. One must eat sugar-free desserts.
3. The apple-shape: Considering this body type, one’s diet plan will be a little advanced in healthy fats and lower in carbs, that is about 600 calories from carbohydrates, 525 calories from fat, 375 calories from protein.
DIET: Breakfast: one scrambled egg served with one slice of whole-wheat toast. For a snack, one can consume a small apple.
Lunch: Salads and six whole-wheat crackers. The evening snack must include one small pear.
Dinner: Grilled chicken, baked potatoes, steamed broccoli with a teaspoon of olive oil. For dessert, one can indulge in a cup of yogurt mixed with two tablespoons bran cereal half a cup of frozen blueberries.
Inputs by Dr Siddhant Bhargava, Fitness and Nutritional Scientist
