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What's on your plate?
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Don't purchase health foods merely going by the labels. Do a thorough check and here's how
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FOOD FUNDAS A preliminary check of the ingredients can help you zero in on health foods PHOTO: SHAJU JOHN
Eat healthy to feel and live better. Health foods, low fat, high-fibre and sugar-free are some terms that we constantly come across. Branded and unbranded products claim to offer healthy alternatives. But do we really know the food we eat? Spend a few extra minutes to check the ingredients before making a purchase.
Our daily bread
You would want to replace white bread with whole wheat, ragi or multigrain bread. At your nearest bakery, you almost pick up a loaf of soft, fluffy, dark brown bread that bears a label `wholewheat.' Aha! It's a trap. First things first. Wholewheat, ragi, or any other cereal bread is rich in fibre and can never be fluffy and soft like white bread. These breads also break easily if you try to slice them thin. "Since whole grain breads break easily, the slices are thicker. They have a shelf life of just two to three days when not refrigerated. If the loaf is soft, fluffy and doesn't break easily when sliced, it has a lot of maida. Branded multigrain breads have only 20 per cent cereals and fibre," explains nutritionist Kavita Kabra. Don't go by the colour too. Rich brown colour can be obtained by adding molasses.
Snacking isn't limited to calorie-rich junk foods. Biscuits, soups, oatmeal bars, and even namkeens are available in low-fat versions. Branded biscuits that claim to be high on fibre are better than the normal ones. But again, they may contain only 20 per cent more nutritional value and fibre content because high-fibre biscuits have a shorter shelf life and can break easily.
"Oatmeal bars, chocolate flavoured cereal bars and dry fruit options are healthy but do check for the sugar or honey content. These are not recommended for diabetics," adds Kavita.
Talking of sugar, are the sugar-free substitutes safe? Check the ingredients and avoid products that have aspartame. Choose brands that have the sugar derivative sucralose instead.
To test if the namkeen is truly oil-free, do a simple test. Place a small portion of the namkeen on a newspaper for five minutes. Residual oil content indicates presence of oil. Authentic oil-free snacks that are roasted will leave little or no residue. These snacks are not rich in colour and are a bit tougher to chew compared to fried snacks. Soups are a way to healthy life and homemade one are best. Packaged soups have preservatives and high salt content. Moreover, the dehydrated vegetables in those packs won't help you get much nutrition. Likewise, ready-to-eat packed rotis are huge time savers. But they have more maida than wholewheat.
Organic method of farming avoids insecticides and pesticides and hence is healthier. A crop becomes organic only when the soil is totally free of pesticide residue. It takes at least three to four seasons for this. Then, how can we be sure that the product sold is organic? Check whether the product is certified by either national or international agencies. Under organic cultivation, the yield is lower. This is why organic cereals are priced slightly higher.
SANGEETHA DEVI. K
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