Mrida partners Lady Irwin College in a program on Nutrition Awareness
In tandem with the National Nutrition Week, Mrida, a Social Business Venture focused on health and nutrition though its brand, Earthspired and Lady Irwin College, University of Delhi organised events focused on “Nutrition Awareness Creation and Promotion of Health through Under-utilised Millets and Amaranth”.
The events included a seminar with leading food and nutrition specialists and two competitions for the students to understand the culinary mechanics and benefits of these grains: an intra-collegiate recipe/cooking contest and an inter-collegiate poster making contest.
The seminar delved into the importance of nutrition and the revival of traditional crops and was addressed by Dr Manisha Sabharwal, HOD, Department of Food and Nutrition, Lady Irwin College, Dr Vandana Shiva, Founder, Navdanya and a renowned food sovereignty advocate and environmentalist, Dr Shalini Gaur Rudra, Senior Scientist at Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi and a food science specialist, Ms Para Dholakia, Asst. Professor, Department of Food Technology, Shaheed Rajguru College for Applied Sciences for Women and Mr. Arun Nagpal, Co-Founder and CEO, Mrida Group.
“Mrida’s health & wellness brand, Earthspired, is focused on Health and Wellness through Millets and Amaranth. The joint agenda at Lady Irwin College was to equip the new generation of nutritionists and food scientists with the knowledge of traditional grains that can be sourced locally, that have existed in our culture for centuries, and to bring into focus staple foods that have been forgotten to the popularity of wheat and rice," says Mr. Arun Nagpal, Co-Founder & CEO, Mrida Group.
The focus was on creating awareness among the students about Millets and amaranth, which are not just easy to grow but also highly nutritious. Earthspired team, along with Lady IrwinCollege, worked with students who have been trained in nutrition and food sciences to explore the possibilities of making these grains accessible to every household.
“Earthspired is a health and nutrition brand and committed to exploring the importance of nutrition and the revival of traditional crops. We are exploring opportunities with Lady Irwin College through which the budding food scientists and nutritionists can contribute in terms of research, internships and active involvement with our rural communities," says Ms. Iksha Chhabra, Business Head, Earthspired.
