Articles by Sweta Uchil-Purohit

Salt is the most underrated ingredient, but by far the most important when you think of food. Important enough to be worshipped by the Greeks, to have battles fought over it, to be used as currency and to make international headlines- thanks to Mahatma Gandhi’s ‘Salt Satyagraha’! Used widely to give the ‘salty’ flavor to dishes, it is said that a pinch of salt added to sweet dishes tends to make the dish sweeter! Pic: http://bharatcs.blogspot.in It is one of the most precious natural compound and found naturally in saltwater and in the mineral halite. Salt or ‘table salt’ is…

Think of sugar and it brings sweet memories to everyone’s mind. Sweet memories of chocolates, payasams, laddus, cakes, milkshakes and all the lovely treats that are ‘oh so sweet’! Can you imagine a day without eating sugar? Not unless you are a diabetic. A day without sugar is something unimaginable for most of us. Imagine drinking that cherished cup of tea or coffee without sugar! Well, thankfully most of us don’t have to eliminate sugar all together, but what we need to do is keep a watch on the amount we consume every day. Back in 2009 the American Heart…

Diwali always brings back fond childhood memories of buying new clothes, bursting crackers and the house filled with the yummy aromas of various sweets and savouries being made at home. Preparations for Diwali would start a week or two in advanceand the goodies stored in boxes for eating and distributing among friends and families during the festival. The more we gave the more sweets and other goodies that we got back in return. Though this happened just once a year, by the end of the festive season we got to the point of having an overload of sweets. These days,…

Kids are fussy eaters and there’s hardly a parent who isn’t stressed out about what their child ‘will and won’t’ eat. Most of the times the ‘won’t ‘list exceeds the one’s that they do eat. Sometimes these are not of utmost concern for most pediatricians or dietitians, but if key nutrients are getting missed out on a daily basis, then an alternate solution needs to be looked into. Minimise the consumption of junk foods with no mnerals and vitamins among kids. File pic. One of the key nutrients in a child’s diet is calcium. If your child is allergic (lactose…

“Who moved my onion?,” “Onion may touch Rs.100/kg by Puja,” “Onion free with purchase of tyres,” “Amid LOC firing, India plans to buy onions from Pakistan,” “Soaring onion prices bring tears across India”- these are all the headlines the humble onion is making in newspapers across India! Get on to any social networking site and you’ll find hundreds of ‘original’ teary jokes and see ‘rings’ with the onion taking the pride of place instead of a diamond! So much brouhaha over the price of one of the most essential ingredients in most menus seems justified. Jokes apart, yes, they do…

Being a parent these days is tough. Kids today are so opinionated or pampered that they not only choose what c­­lothes to buy/wear, but also invariably decide what is cooked at home! And you’re not alone. When you talk to other parents at school, park or playground, the topic inevitably turns to foods and vegetables that kids will not eat. That means slowly but surely they are missing from the parents’ plate too — eventually. After all, which parent wants to spend more time making another dish?  The tendency is to eat what the kids eat, and the dishes that…

Ramzan or Ramadan is the holy month of blessings which is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar. This is believed to be the month that the Koran was first revealed by God to Prophet Muhammad. During this, the followers of Islamic religion fast from sunrise to sunset. The purpose of fasting is to teach self-discipline, patience and spirituality and encourage charitable works. This year Ramzan will be observed till 7 August 2013, followed by Eid-al-Fitr on 8 August. The meals consumed after or before the fast or ‘roza’ is basically categorised into the pre-dawn meal, known as ‘Suhoor/Suhur’ and…

Who doesn’t love monsoons? The smell of wet earth, watching the raindrops, ducking for cover when you realise that you didn’t pack your umbrella or sharing an umbrella with a friend and getting half-drenched in the process! There’s nothing like reaching home and unwinding with a steaming cup of chai or kaapi along with a nice hot snack. While it won’t hurt to occasionally give into your temptations and sink your teeth into those crisp onion or mensinkai (chilies) bajjis , for all those who are looking for healthy snack options that you can munch on those rainy days, here…

According to recent newspaper reports, almost 40-80% Indians do not get enough vitamin D. This is surprising - since vitamin D, also known as the ‘Sunshine vitamin,’ can easily be got through exposure to sunshine. What’s more, it’s free! Interested?? You better be, that is, if you don’t want to join the list of Indians who have vitamin D deficiency. Sunlight is the best source of vitamin D. Pic: Mahesh Telkar What is Vitamin D and why do we need it? It’s a fat soluble vitamin which is needed by the body for absorbing calcium and phosphorus, both of which…

“My son doesn’t drink milk,” “My child doesn’t eat vegetables,” “My daughter won’t eat anything other than biscuits..” - sounds familiar? A common complaint that most parents have is that their child doesn't eat (enough). There are even instances of parents requesting the pediatrician to prescribe some supplements or health tonics that will increase the child’s appetite. Most of the times these are not required as parents just wrongly assume that their child isn't eating enough - just because the portions children eat are too small. Keep in mind that they are kids and will not be able to eat…