Nature’s bounty has truckloads of food options that are grown and easily available in India and can replace exotic superfood of the faraway lands!
Food is travelling the world. Globalization is having a major impact on food systems around the world. Plantation patterns, distribution and procurement are being decided on the consumption behaviour of food. Eventually, certain exotic superfoods that nowhere existed in Indian cultivation history for long are making their way to our plates and fields but at a hefty price. A gooey avocado toast tastes heavenly but let us not forget our coconut pulp or cherries that have similar nutritional value as that Central American crop and are easy on the pocket as well.
There are several Indian counterparts of the International superfoods. So if your lifestyle, spending pattern, personal taste allow for it, make these changes in your diet with the Indian alternatives.
Daliya instead of Quinoa
Quinoa has become so popular among fitness enthusiasts for their high fibre, high-protein content that fusion foods like quinoa pulao, quinoa biriyani are making roadways into Indian platter replacing carb-rice rice. But daliya (broken wheat) and Amarnath seeds loaded with calcium, zinc, iron can be placed on a higher side than quinoa if nutritional benefits are compared.
Sabza instead of Chia seeds
Falling to the fad of chia seed pudding for breakfast? Hold your plate, the very Indian sweet basil seeds or sabza seeds have the similar properties of swelling up in the water and are rich in antioxidants promoting weight loss.
Cabbage and spinach instead of kale
Kale crisps are reigning the snack market for all good reasons. Kale chips are crunchy with a captivating flavour, yet they have few calories and are a source of several essential nutrients. Spinach and cabbage can also be utilized to make low carb spicy snacks but often overlooked.
Amla instead of Goji berries
Remember how moms would find a solution to all hair and skin problems all in amla? A rich source of vitamin c, amla helps to build immunity and are a rich source of antioxidants. Amla can be a convenient replacement for Japanese goji berries packed with Vitamin C.
Indian Moringa instead of Matcha powder
Matcha tea has grabbed a fair amount of beverage market share. A hot cuppa of matcha latte releases a steady stream of energy that enables your mind to calmly focus on the task. It has also been shown to boost weight loss. Moringa on the other hand has 30 times more protein, 10 times more fibre and more calcium than its Japanese counterpart.
Consider these alternatives the next time you visit a veggie and fruits store, keen to grab your weekly dose of goodness.
