A smorgasbord of choices

The more options you are presented with, the tougher it gets to make the right choice, nutrition-wise. Today, we are not only bombarded with advice about what to eat and what not to but also have easy access to a mind-numbing variety of ingredients.

Seriously juicy marinated prawns
Sizzling sensuously in a pan
With curry leaves and garlic slivers.
A medley of sensations, oh man!
Taste that curly crackle, feel that crispy hiss
Is this food heaven? Or is this pure bliss?

“Fresh prawns, so why not”. The content creator behind the video with this ode is Saina Jayapal. And unsurprisingly, she titled the reel ‘Prawn fry ASMR’. Also, yes, the foodie and independent PR consultant loves her seafood! “But living in Bengaluru, I’ve tried probably every ‘food trend’ and ‘superfood’ there is. These cater to our fast-paced urban lives,” she points out. In that spirit, she’s also tried ‘mock-meats’ (plant-based products that mimic the texture and taste of meat). “I liked a mock-meat burger but then saw what goes into it and freaked out,” she adds.

Today, Jayapal’s relationship with food has changed. Perhaps, going back to her hometown Kozhikode has played a part in that. And in fact, for the past month, her diet has been home-cooked food made fresh every day. Seafood is a staple and other meats/chicken also feature.

“But South Indian cuisine easily lends itself to plant-based versions.” For example, in Kerala cuisine, everything is usually cooked in coconut oil or coconut milk, no dairy (ghee or butter) involved, meaning there are easy vegan versions of every dish. Importantly, Jayapal is cutting out unhealthy foods. “I’ve not had bread in a month, indulgences include banana chips (again, fried in coconut oil!) and I’ve lost a ton of weight. In Bengaluru, I’d be up late watching OTT channels or scrolling through social media. Here, I sleep early.” Plus, Jayapal walks long distances (8 km or more) every day or trains with weights.

Back to basics

This motif of going back to the roots is rather a recurring theme, when it comes to food. Especially for Gautam Krishnankutty, chef. “The older I’ve gotten, the more I am interested in going back to my roots and to original recipes,” he says. And examining his own culinary heritage. “I can do a decent Kerala meal but I’m not 100 per cent on all the recipes so over the past two years, I’ve been researching, reading and thinking about what my mother used to make for me and replicating those recipes.”

The food industry veteran, who used to run three restaurant chains, does not follow food trends, nor does he believe in calling anything a ‘superfood’. “The term comes from a very White Western view of the food universe. The new thing is jackfruit and moringa leaves and drumstick leaves, which we look and laugh at because we’ve been doing it for so long!”

He is equally unequivocal about plant-based ‘meats’. “The more you research into what goes into making these things... well I’d rather eat meat. If you want to be a vegetarian or be ethical, eat vegetables,” is his no-nonsense advice. Young chefs today, he hopes, will “reconnect with what makes good food approachable. Return to function and not so much form.”

An integrity to food

In a way, Karan Upmanyu, sous chef at a popular restaurant in Bengaluru, is doing what Krishnankutty wants young chefs to do. Upmanyu believes that “chefs across the board have the responsibility of bringing back integrity to food.”

He also says indigenous varieties of rice deserve to be the ‘next big thing’. “Rice has been cast in a bad light and unfortunately, many varieties have vanished, but urban farmers and collectives are doing an incredible job of bringing some varieties back.”

This is why the menu at his restaurant offers risotto with Gobindobhog rice, a variety from West Bengal. “We’re looking into Padmarekha (a rice from Karnataka), very fragrant, very interesting.” Upmanyu also embraces plant-based foods like tempe or tempeh, an Indonesian-origin fermented soybean product available as a cake/block or as chunks), as a healthier meat substitute than say, ‘mock-meats’. “We use tempe in burgers,’’ he explains. He thinks there’s nothing wrong in being excited about trends like using yuzu or hibiscus in desserts and smoothies. “But yuzu is imported so that trend may not last long,” he observes.

Plant-based options

Over the past two years, more and more urban Indians are choosing to go plant-based or vegan, giving up dairy/animal-based products completely. So, the market for plant-based foods is enormous. A December 2021 report in a business daily states that the global plant protein market currently estimated at $29 billion, is to touch $160 billion by 2030. In India, alternative ‘meats’ comprise the fastest growing category. A March 2021 report from Research and Markets, notes: “The Indian Meat Substitutes Market is estimated to reach over US $47.57 million in value terms by the end of FY2026 and is forecast to grow at CAGR of 7.48% during FY2021E-FY2026F.”

Meaning tempe is that preservative-free, gluten-free, dairy-free plant protein that’s in the right place at the right time. And something that Siddharth Ramasubramanian, a veteran in the global hospitality/restaurant business, is excited to offer in India. Ramasubramanian says he and his family like the protein’s mild nuttiness. A flavour chameleon, tempe can be used in anything from curries, stir-fries and salads to replacing the meat in burgers/cutlets, the potato in ‘aloo palya’ for masala dosa and the paneer in paneer makhni. Even pav bhaji. “We replaced half the potato with tempe mince and because it has a soft, creamy texture, it blends perfectly. And the protein content in my pav bhaji just shot up through the roof,” he says. Also, Ramasubramanian emphasises that his company make their tempe by fermenting whole non-GMO soybeans with no preservatives or additives.

As per the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture), 100 gm of tempe has around 19-20 gm protein, while 100 gm tofu (made from soy milk and more processed) has 9.4 gm protein.

So, is tempe for everyone? According to Bengaluru-based lifestyle coach and fitness instructor, Swetha Devaraj: “I tried tempe in Indonesia years ago on my travels there and liked it very much. Fermented soy is any day better than your tofu or soy milk because at the end of the day, soy is genetically modified.” Devaraj started out as a vascular sonologist (takes images of organs, tissues and blood vessels) and is now a full-time fitness professional. “If you have estrogen imbalance, be careful while eating regular soy products…there too, a fermented soy product is way better,” she cautions.

Wearable nutrition

Devaraj is a keen advocate of biosensors or wearable devices that track blood glucose levels. She uses one herself, in fact, and predicts that these ‘personalised nutrition aids’ will soon go mainstream. She first came across these devices as a student in the US and noticed that diabetic patients wore them on a prescription basis. The biosensor she now uses is a continuous glucose monitor. “I can figure out which food is causing the spike in my body.” And then look at what she needs to change to optimise her fitness and lifestyle. But won’t a wearable device lead to greater anxiety? “Yes, it is very easy to get paranoid with this,” she admits. “But, it’s not for lifelong use…just for a couple of weeks, to know what is happening to your body,” she adds.

Better gut, better health

In fact, looking deep inside your gut is something Bengaluru-based celebrity nutritionist Ryan Fernando believes is going to be big this year. “Microbiome testing is discovering the gut microflora and how that affects your diet. This will lead to bespoke planning of your diet, based on your microbiome. I also believe that immunotherapy from a diet perspective will be very much on the radar because of the pandemic,” he says.

Fernando says superfoods are important. “For example, you are pre-diabetic but don’t want to give up your rice. So we bring in cinnamon, which is a superfood that lowers blood sugar levels. Or, if we say don’t eat oily foods, that’s painful to follow. Adding garlic to the diet means you boost good cholesterol while lowering bad LDL cholesterol. So, have mint-garlic chutney with your favourite dosa. Superfoods are actually a super easy way to put in healthier touchpoints in a day,” he adds.

As for Jayapal, she says she is at her healthiest and happiest. So much so that she is even thinking of moving back permanently to her home state. “In Bengaluru, I would drink chamomile tea to calm myself down. If I do that here, they’ll laugh,” she says wryly. She’s at that stage where she has the freedom to up and go, if she feels like it. “I’m wondering why I haven’t made this move before,” she smiles.

In short, an invisible virus has taught us not to take anything for granted, especially our health. But how to stay healthy, when work/life is stressful, full of unwanted ‘variants’ and ordering take-outs is so easy? Can going plant-based or gulping down yuzu/hibiscus smoothies balance the scales? Or is it something more? Perhaps, true wellness is from eating better and making conscious lifestyle choices.

A burgeoning pandemic

This positive trend of healthy living does not, however, hide the fact that India today has a huge problem — rising obesity among adults and adolescents. Bengaluru-based consultant paediatrician Dr Praveen Bopaiah says the obesity pandemic is at alarming levels. “I am seeing gynecomastia (breast development) in boys, and this can affect them in the long term. I see this in the 9-14 age group, kids who have their own smartphones. They are on their laptops, binge-eating. ordering whatever they want.” In girls, unhealthy eating manifests as early puberty, she points out.

“Parents have no time to monitor the children. Rather, many parents are proud that their children make their own sandwiches. What’s going inside the sandwiches? Mayo, cheese, etc! Moreover, parents too are overweight. “I’ve got entire families on strict exercise routines. I tell them to maintain a food chart. I tell them, take videos while doing 50 Suryanamaskars and send them to me. This is how they stay on track,” she adds.