Beetroort Litchi

Combi Flavors...

A truly enjoyable meal is one which is a
• Visual treat for your eyes. For e.g: Uses a range of colors [preferably natural] to create an inviting dish
• Tickles / Stimulates your olfactory receptors
• And of course tastes fantastic.. Now taste again is directly a function of the kind of foods you grew up eating, the additional exposure to alternate cuisines you got along the way, your own openness to experimentation and of course, in how your taste buds were created!!

In my experience, there is a unique pleasure in consuming foods which are filled with a combination of the primary flavors – sweet, sour, salt, bitter, spicy

Combis that are worth a try…
• Roti with bitter-guord curry & Apple Raitha / Mango Yogurt
• Rice with spicy sambhar & Sweet pumpkin curry

Watermelon Peas

Orange Carrot

Green Tea

Green tea is one of the most discussed foods in recent times, although the Chinese have known the medicinal benefits of it since ancient times. Its origin is in China, but is produced in many countries now. Green tea is produced from leaves of the plant ‘camellia sinensis'. Out of the 3 varieties of tea (green, black and oolong), green tea is the least processed variety and so provides many antioxidants, tannins, and flavonoids.

Nutritional Values of Green Tea

Green tea will not add up to your calorie consumption! It has very small amounts of many other nutrients but is high in antioxidants. You can use green tea in many recipes and enjoy the benefits.

Nutritional values (Per Cup – 150 ml of prepared Tea*)
Energy (Kcal)	Nil
Protein (gms)	Traces
Carbohydrates (gms)	Traces
Fats (gms)	Traces
Vitamins (gms)	Trace
Minerals (gms)	Trace

*Made from 1.9g of tea in 150 ml of fresh boiling water

Benefits of Green Tea

The health benefits of green tea are due to certain components like flavonoids, polyphenols (particularly catechins), tocopherols and some phytochemical compounds.

• Contains many antioxidants
• Boosts immunity
• Minimizes the risk for various types of Cancers
• Improves blood circulation
• Helps to keep your skin glowing
• Helps to control hair loss
• Helps to control blood pressure
• Helps to prevent cardio vascular diseases
• Has a role in building bones
• Might help in preventing Glaucoma

Myths about Green tea

1.     Myth: Green tea - a short cut for losing weight! 
Fact: Green tea is believed to increase the metabolic rate by around 4%, but that is not enough for reducing weight. One cannot lose weight by drinking green tea alone, but by following a well balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle one can.

2.     Myth: No harm in unlimited consumption of green tea. 
Fact: Green tea contains certain compounds such as caffeine and catechins, which might be harmful if taken in excess. Caffeine as known can affect the sleep causing headaches. Catechins have an affinity toward iron, so if consumed with a meal, before or after a meal, it may hamper iron absorption

Tips to include Green tea in your diet

1.     Drink the regular hot green tea or iced green tea.

2.     Green tea extract can be added to the salad dressings (goes well with vinegar and olive oil) - can be used for vegetable, chicken and fish salads.

3.     Brewed green tea, honey and lemon juice makes a tangy sauce for grilled chicken or fish.

4.     Add a teaspoon of green tea powder to the yoghurt/curd for a different flavour.

5.     Green tea powder can be used while preparing ice creams, puddings, cream cakes and smoothies (if you like the taste).

6.     Green tea tastes good with milk too, try using it to prepare a latte.

7.     Green tea extract can also be added to the dip and spreads served with garlic bread.

[Src: http://wipro.chihealth.in/articles/GREEN-TEA/907]

Brown & White Rice - Comparison

Pomogranate Olives

Bittergourd Banana

What should be on MY PLATE?

Recently, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) unveiled its new Food Plate. The earlier Food Pyramid had now been replaced by MyPlate. As our Indian diet gets more westernized with globalization, we should be aware of such changing concepts in the world.

MyPlate divides a plate into four labelled sections that show what a balanced meal should look like. Fruits and vegetables take up half the plate, while the other side offers one section for protein and one section for grains. Dairy is seen to the side in a blue circle much like a cup.

The following are the dietary guidelines included:
Balancing Calories   
Enjoy your food, but eat less. 
Avoid oversized portions.      

Foods to Increase  
Make half your plate fruits and vegetables.
Make at least half your grains whole grains.
Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk.      

Foods to Reduce  

Compare sodium in foods like soup, bread, and frozen meals ― and choose the foods with lower numbers.  

Drink water instead of sugary drinks.

Src: http://wipro.chihealth.in/DisplayArticles.do?artID=86

Why I started this blog?

You see, hear, read and experience new aspects about food everyday.. Some are interesting, Some are informative, Some are worth knowing, Some blow your mind away...

An attempt to put it all together in one place...