Nutritionists and holistic foodies share the insider track to healthy eating

Collective anxiety, protracted lockdowns, quarantine survival hacks the year 2020 has so far been anything but easy. On the upside, with the onus on each of us to make responsible choices, the “new normal” has pushed people to make a switch to sustainability, such as clean eating and growing your own produce.

Now, given the increasing the impetus to jump on the clean eating bandwagon, nutritionists and holistic foodies share secrets to mindful eating.

Make choices rooted in reality

G.R. Mahesh, founder of Gubbi Goodu Farms, simplifies it. “Clean eating is all about consuming whole foods with its source of origin as close to nature as possible,” he says.

“Mindful eating boils down to one’s mind-set and there are several ways to make a healthier switch. Buy more from the local farmers market, plan your meal and eat lots of locally available vegetables and fruits instead of ‘trending’ global superfoods.” Manasa Rajan, health coach and head for food design R&D at Eat.fit, recommends including a dash of raw foods to your meals. According to her, it is a great way to start mindful eating.

Grow your food

While mindful eating might require you to emit a few comfort foods off the grocery list, one needn’t entirely deprive themselves of those; rather, one needs simply replace them with healthier alternatives.

Reetu Uday Kugaji, a culinary expert and chef consultant shares some such alternatives. “Have a sweet tooth? Stick to healthier options than regular sugar. Jaggery, honey, desi khand (a raw form of sugar or the unrefined sugar) and maple syrup are great alternatives,” she suggests.

Reetu also advises enthusiasts to use more of olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil and sesame oil while cooking. However, for those on the lookout for ways to build self-sustenance, Reetu advises to start small. “I grow curry leaves, cilantro, mint leaves, basil, green chillies and cherry tomatoes. These are a lot easier to grow and can be used in myriad dishes,” she asserts.

Blogger Aswathi Balakrishnan also shares that beginners can get started with microgreens — as they’re low maintenance and are packed with benefits. The 27-year-old, who took to kitchen gardening at the onset of the lockdown, adds, “Microgreens are my absolute favourite and they are super easy to grow.

Get started with herbs such as coriander, curry leaves, mint, and basil. You don’t have to purchase anything as you can grow them from pulses that are readily available in your kitchen for starters,” she states.

Mindful eating follows mindful cooking

Letting us in on a fun hack that never fails, Sahana Dasharathi, a nutritionist at Dash of Nourishment, suggests, “Use cooking methods like steaming, grilling, sautéing instead of deep frying or shallow frying because we end up consuming lesser calories in these cooking methods.”