FOOD THAT IS HEALTHY AND HARMFUL (4) -MAIZE/ CORN

MAIZE/CORN

Corn, grilled corn, boiled corn, sweet corn, steamed corn, popcorn is one of the simplest purest pleasure. We use maize in very different form such as corn meal, corn starch, corn syrup, animal feed etc. It is the most abundant grain crop worldwide and is exceeded only by wheat as a cereal grain. However not all of this maize is consumed by humans. There are majorly six types of corn-

      

       1.     Dent corn

(It is grown in U.S and Canada field. Mostly used to make animal feed or processed into flour to make cereals.)

       2.    Flint corn

(Considered better than Dent corn and is used to make corn meal.)

       3.    Pod corn

(It is a wild variety of maize)

       4.    Pop corn

(It is small corn cob which expands and puffs when heated. It is a very popular snack food.)

       5.    Flour corn

(These corns has soft, starchy kernels that can be easily grounded into flour. We can make Indian flat bread or tortillas and many more.)

       6.    Sweet corn

(It is used in vegetable form. Consumed- grilled, boiled, steamed or even can be served fresh, frozen or canned.)

 Like every food let’s check out what corn has-

BENEFITS:-

·       Rich source of calories, vitamins and minerals. (contains folate, thiamine)

·       Good source of lutein. ( a powerful antioxidant)

·       Reduces cholesterol absorption in the body

·       Increases bone strength

·       Air-popped popcorn (without oil/butter) is low in calories

·       High in fiber.

DRAWBACKS-

·       Causes intestinal irritation.

·       Sweet corns may cause tooth decay as it contains good amount of sugar.

·       Causes bloating and flatulence.

·   It lacks two essential amino acids which are necessary to make it a complete protein.

HOW TO BUY:-

Easily available in market all over the world. Prefer to consume fresh corn however frozen corn can also be used.

·       Feel the kernels through the husk.

·       Make sure the husks are not dried. The husks should be green.

·       The corn that is full must have golden silks coming out from top. These silks are actually signal of how many kernels are there in the cob. More the silk more are the kernels.

STORAGE TIP:-

To preserve fresh corn you may store fresh kernels in air-tight containers.

We can consume corn in many forms- vegetable, salad, soup, bread, snacks and many more. Check out one such recipe made using corn and cheese-“CORN CHEESE BALLS”. 

For recipe click the link given below:-

https://cookpad.com/in/recipes/661914-cheese-corn-balls

FOOD THAT IS HEALTHY AND HARMFUL(3)-PEANUTS

PEANUTS

Peanuts aka the Groundnuts (mungfali) are widely used not only in Indian Kitchen but also in various cuisines around the world. Though it has 'nuts' in its name but it is not actually a nut. It is a pulse and comes from legume family. It is grown in tropical and subtropical regions. Groundnut is the major oil seed crop in India. Next to China India is the second largest producer of Peanuts in Asia. It not only has crunchy, nutty taste but also have a number of health benefits. So lets check out what peanut has-

BENEFITS:-

·         They are rich in energy. 

(because it contains potassium, minerals, vitamins, zinc, magnesium, anti-oxidants etc.)

·          Calorie content-approx.576 calories per 100 grams.

·         It is a good source of monosaturated fats (MUFA).

·         Lowers bad cholesterol and increases good cholesterol.

·         Some poly-phenolic anti-oxidants are present in peanuts which fights against diseases like- Heart diseases, nervous diseases, Alzheimer's diseases and Infections.

·         It makes the skin smooth. ( helps to look young!)

DRAWBACKS:-

·         Can cause allergic reactions.

·         highly susceptible to contamination. ( never leave it open especially in humid areas. Molds can contaminate it.)

HOW TO BUY:-

·         If buying unshelled then look for off-white color, compact and healthy looking shell.

·         It should be uniform in size and should feel heavy in hand.

·         Always buy unsalted peanuts.

STORAGE TIP:-

Store it in air-tight container and place it in cool dry place.

PREPARATION AND SERVING:-

·         It can be consumed rather I'd say can be enjoyed boiled, salted, sweetened or even roasted.

·         In India we use it in various dishes. ( In vegetables, dal , for garnishing or also for stuffing).

·         Peanut Butter made from peanuts is widely used as spreads for sandwich or we have it with crepe's.

Lets check out how can we use peanuts to cook vegetables.  Peanuts not only will give a nice crunch but also it will enhance the taste of vegetables. We can use it in many stuff vegetables. Here's a recipe of Stuff Ivy Gourd aka Kundru/Tondli in which we used peanuts for its stuffing. 

For recipe click the link given below and do not forget to try it. 

https://cookpad.com/in/recipes/2623979-stuff-tondlikundruivy-gourd

FOOD THAT IS HEALTHY AND HARMFUL (2)

Hello! Lets continue our healthy and safe eating drive. So in this blog you will get to know some interesting information about BREAD.

BREAD 

It is a staple food in every society since pre-historic times.This simple food require only flour and water. Over the years each society discovered its own unique type of bread. There is a huge variety of bread available all over the world like made using different flours-different shape-different baking techniques.Bread section probably is the most popular section in super-markets.We often get confused by reading those fancy and eye-catching labels--Multi-Grain bread, Whole-wheat bread, High Fiber bread, Organic Bread etc etc.So lets try solve this confusion.

BENEFITS:-

• It is a good source of carbohydrates.
• Wheat and flour contains Folate, which is needed for the formation of healthy Red Blood Cells.
• High in Riboflavin.
• High in Fiber, ( especially whole- grain breads )
• Some kinds of bread provides good amount of Iron.

Some other benefits--It is versatile. You can have it in breakfast, main course, snacks anything. Mainly it is cost effective. 

DRAWBACKS:-

• Increases bad cholesterol.
• Dangerous for patients of Celiac. As they cannot tolerate the Gluten present in it.
• High in Sodium.
• Causes Constipation and obesity.( specially white bread).
• Have high glycemic index.(increases blood sugar)
• contains a large amount of a protein called gluten.
• lacks essential as vitamins A,B12,C and D.

[GLUTEN:-This protein has glue-like properties (hence the name glu-ten) responsible for dough’s elastic properties.]

NUTRITIONAL VALUE:-

• One slice of regular sized bread contains 70-80 cal.(approx)
• Breads with nuts and seeds are higher in fat.

HEALTHY AND UNHEALTHY BREAD:-

In India we have a variety of flat breads.Made using different grains (wheat,maize flour,pearl millet, sorghum etc) and all of them are full of good nutrients except breads made from All-Purpose flour. Likewise White Bread which is made from refined flour is the most unhealthiest bread. It is said"Whiter the bread, sooner you are dead". It contains high amount of sodium, increases blood sugar level, because of high carbs content it is difficult to digest and thus causes constipation.

TIPS FOR BUYING A BREAD:-

Never go on those fancy names pick the one which have correct nutrients.

• Look for "Whole-wheat bread" or "100% Whole- grain bread".
• First ingredient listed in label should be- Whole Wheat Grain.
• check the sodium. (each slice contains approx.200 milligrams of sodium.

Recommended once in a week. But you can consume Indian flat bread-Chapatti daily without any fear.

Here is a Healthy bread recipe for all Bread lover's. Check this out:-

https://cookpad.com/in/recipes/1055788-herbed-wheat-bread