Category: Food

The Sweeter Cravings

Have you ever given a thought to one elusive and relatively unimportant question? Don’t you think that Indian sweet dishes differ hugely and vastly from those around the world? While the entire world enjoys cheese cakes and apple tars and chocolate pastries; here at home we enjoy Moti choor ke Laddoos, Sooji ka Halwa, Kheer and Jalebis. I, for one have never seen any foreign sweet dishes similar to what magic our Indian sweets offer. They are crude in shapes and relatively uncreative as compared to their Indian counterparts. We have spiral shaped jalebis, spherical shaped Gulab Jamuns, diamond cut Kaju Katlis and the eternally loveable square shaped barfis. Even the shapes of our sweet dishes offer more varieties than the entire world’s sweets all together. So, let’s explore a few tonight.

Gulab Jamuns:

The epitome of sweetness and the harbinger of merry occasions, Gulab Jamuns is one of the most royal sweet dishes Indians offer. This is one dish which most often decorates the dessert counter sof Indian Marriages. Eaten warm, soft and dipped in slurpy sugar syrup, this sweet dish is enjoyed by kids and adults alike. To the uninitiated, Gulab jamuns are milk solids based spherical dumplings traditionally made with thickened or reduced milk and savored in rose flavored sugar syrup. Gulab Jamun is brownish red in color and it inherits the color because of the sugar content in the milk powder or khoya. When the dumplings are fried the sugar caramelization gives it its dark color. Traditionalists eat it when hot and in singular proportions while experimentalists usually add a dollop of ice cream atop of the gulab jamun which gives two solely different flavors to the dish and mingles the warmth and the coolness of both the ingredients.

Jalebi:

Again, a traditional fried sweet dish which enjoys the honor of being served in most of the marriage ceremonies. Jalebis are orange in color and are enjoyed best while warm. Jalebis have a chewy texture with a crystallized sugary exterior coating. This dish derives its roots from Iran where it is known as Zulbia and was traditionally given to the poor during Ramadan. It is made by deep frying white four in spiral shapes which are then soaked in sugar syrup. These are one of the highest selling sweet dishes in the local markets during chilly winters.

Kaju Katli:

Well, kaju literally means cashew nut and this sweet dish is based on these nuts. The batter or barfi is made by thickening milk with sugar and dry fruits. It is then spread in a flat, shallow dish and cut into desired sizes and shapes. Kaju Katli is often seen as diamond shaped quadrilaterals and comes in expensive at Rs. 500 a Kg. This sweet dish is generally given to friends and family members during Diwali celebrations as a mark of celebration. This dish has what the English call, gravitas. The thickened milk attributes to the dish by giving it a melting base. Melting, because as the barfi slides along the contour of your tongue, it starts melting and bursting into flavors. But the barfi’s card of aces is the cashew ingredient which makes it different from all the other barfis in town.

Rasgulla:

Many kids and uninitiated people muddle Gulab Jamun and Rasgulla with one another. This because Rasgullais the light shaded, spongier cousin of the gulab jamun. Rasgulla is similar in shape to Gulab Jamun and is cooked in sugar syrup, just like the latter. West Bengal on the other hand gave the world a newer sweet dish (similar to rasgulla) called Roshogulla which is lighter than the original and is dipped in lighter sugar syrup. Rasgulla is made up of ball shaped dumplings of Chenna( Indian cottage cheese) and semolina dough. Rasgulla is eaten cold and is refreshing and has an unbridling effect on its consumers. That is, its consumers will never be satisfied with just one. The Rasgulla originated in the present day Odisha as Khirmohana. Traditionally it is offered as a special offering to Goddess Lakshmi a day after the famous Rath Yatra at Jagannath Temple at Puri. The most popular variety of the Rasgulla is the lighter, spongy white variety. Roshogulla is a less perishable item and can often be found in canned tetra boxes. This availability of the canned variety led to this sweet dish’s popularity outside of Kolkata where it was born. A quirky fact about Roshogullas fame is that the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is developing dehydrated roshogullas for Indian astronauts in its planned mission in 2016.

Laddoo:

Laddoo also brings in delightful memories with itself as there is seldom a person in this country who was not treated laddoos to, while in his/her childhood. Laddoo again are ball-shaped sweets popular in India. These are made of flour, minced dough and loads of sugar with other ingredients that vary by recipe. They are often served at festive or religious occasions. There are a variety of laddoos available in India and all of them use a different flours like Besan ke Laddoos use chickpea flour as the base and coconut as the garnish. These are combined with sugar and ghee and molded in ball shapes. These delicacies are often decorated with silver foil and almond chips. Laddoo is often given at temples as a Prasad especially at Tirupati Venkateshwar Temple, Andhra Pradesh. Quirky fact: A Laddoo weighing 6,300 kg was made for the Indian God Ganesh in Andhra Pradesh in September 2012.

Thus these were quite a few of the exemplary unique dessert’s that India as a cultural hub enjoys. While the list is never ending these are the ones which are the most famous or the most loved.

January 8, 2015
A Reason to Eat Guilt Free !!!

I am running 2 km a day , going to gym and exercising for two hours daily, literally eating bland food and still find my self fat in the mirror . Am I self obsessed ? Am I suffering from depression ? Am I loosing out faith in God ?, Am I a obese ?

Do you get worried too with such questions in your mind? Its useless worrying about this situation it will worsen the matter. So gear up , take a deep breath , stop sulking (A mental note to myself ), and hurry towards your kitchen. Hunger is a basic necessity and you cant afford to starve for a long time so eat full heartedly and wear your smile back on your face. There are few magic recipes which can reduce your weight and you don’t even feel like dieting ….practically you are dieting though .

A Guilt-free-Hakka Noodle :

Ingredients : 2 cup boiled egg noodles, 1 cup sliced onions, 1 tablespoon celery chopped. 1 tablespoon garlic finely chopped, 1 tablespoon ginger finely chopped, 1 cup boiled and chopped soya nuggets, 1/2 cup spring onions, 1/2 cup cabbage finely sliced, 1 teaspoon green chilly chopped, 1 cup red and green bell peppers sliced, 1/2 cup boiled and sliced baby corns , 1 cup diagonally sliced carrots and French beans ., 1 teaspoon pepper freshly crushed, pinch of turmeric, 3 tablespoon hot and sweet tomato ketchup, 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce, 1 teaspoon vinegar, 2 boiled eggs without egg yolk and roughly diced, salt to taste and oil for cooking.

Servings : 4

Method : Heat a pan add a bit of oil to it on a high flame and add garlic, celery, ginger , green chilly chopped and onion slices. Sauté it for 2 to 3 minutes until its light brown then add beans , carrots, bell peppers, soya nuggets, spring onions cabbage, baby corns, salt , pepper and pinch of turmeric powder. Sauté it for another 3 to 4 minutes and them add soy sauce ,vinegar, hot and sweet tomato ketchup and stir it evenly through all the sautéed veggies. Finally add boiled noodles a bit of salt and stir fry on high flame for 5 minutes . While serving garnish it with spring onion greens and roughly diced boiled egg .

Sautéed Veggies :

Ingredients : 1 large yellow bell pepper cut into cubes, 1 large red bell pepper cut into cubes, 1 small broccoli cut into separate kernels, 12 baby corns sliced from middle , 2 cups of mushrooms , 2 large onions cut into cubes, 250 g of fat free paneer, 2 tablespoon ready made salsa dip easily available in market , 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon black pepper freshly crushed, 1 tablespoon butter, Salt to taste.

Servings : 4

Method : Firstly we need to strain the mushrooms in hot water so that all its impurities are drained out and we get exact freshness of the veggie, Now rinse all the cut and cubed veggies in Luke warm water so that impurities are drained out. Heat butter , Sauté the Mushrooms, baby corn and broccoli with salt seasoning for about 4 to 5 minutes, add bell peppers and onions with pinch of salt and sauté it for another 4 to 5 minutes, Add low fat paneer,pepper powder, salsa sauce and oregano stir it for another 2 to 3 minutes Serve it Hot. You can also team it with steamed rice or simply eat it solo.

Sev Puri Look-Alike :

Ingredients : 20 thick slices of cucumber slices, 1 cup boiled green moong sprouts, 1/2 cup , finely chopped Onions, 1/2 cup de-seeded and finely chopped tomatoes, 1 cup of fresh yoghurt made of toned milk, 1 teaspoon chaat masala, 1 teaspoon roasted cumin powder, 1 teaspoon black salt, 1 teaspoon red chilly powder, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper powder,1 teaspoon green chilly (optional ), 1 tablespoon finely chopped coriander,1 tablespoon tamarind Chutney available ready made in market .

Serving : 4

Method : Mix all the ingredients except cucumber and tamarind chutney in a bowl and set aside. Now top this mixture on each of cucumber slices ( Papri substituted for cucumber slices), sprinkle coriander powder, a bit of chaat masala and tamarind chutney . Serve it and feel the street food in your mouth guilt free.

Paav Bhaji – A Healthier Version :

Ingredients : 1 1/2 cup green moong sprouts , 2 medium Potatoes, 1 cup green peas, 1 cup cauliflower chopped roughly, 1 cup French beans chopped very finely, 1/2 cup carrots chopped finely, 4 medium finely chopped tomatoes, 2 Medium Capsicum finely chopped, dozen of large garlic cloves, 2 to 3 kashmiri dried red chillies, 1 teaspoon sugar, 4 teaspoon paav bhaji masala, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, Salt to taste.

Servings : 5 to 6

Method : Soak the kashmiri red chillies in hot water for three to four hours and later drain the water off. Pressure cook the potatoes, peel and roughly mash it, Pressure moong sprouts and peas till they are hard but cooked and then coarsely mash them, pressure cook french beans, carrots and cauliflowers and mash them coarsely. Take a blender and grind Garlic , a bit of onion chopped, salt , drained off Kashmiri red chillies and 1/2 cup of water .Make a fine paste out of it.Heat the oil , sauté remaining onions for 3 to 4 minutes , add capsicum and sauté for another 5 minutes.Stir in the freshly grounded chilly garlic and onion paste sauté till the mixture separates oil in the pan.Add tomatoes , paav bhaji masala, salt, Saute for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the boiled and mashed potatoes, french beans , carrots, cauliflower, peas in the pan along with 2 cups of water and cook for 10 minutes. Add lemon juice and a teaspoon of red chilly powder. The paav bhaji’s healthy bhaji is ready now instead of regular paav eat it with dry toasted whole wheat brown bread and enjoy the goodness of health and taste together.

Its so simple to sulk and weep on petty issues like weight gain , pimples, double chin. But to come out of all this undesired self beings you just need to think wisely adapt a healthy lifestyle and keep eating non-stop but in limited portions. You will never loose hope in life and you can be a Shilpa shetty or Madonna or Hrithik Roshan too. To look like them you have to behave like them and eat like them.

January 8, 2015
Hostel Bites !!!

Do you remember the old Bollywood number “Ande ka Funda“ ? the song shows us the true value of a egg. Those who have stayed in hostels or PG’s you will definitely agree with me. Without Egg and Maggie we cannot survive hostel days. They are the only source of maternal love we get outside our homes. To cook Egg Bhurji on a slow flame electric heater without hostel wardens permission is super duper fun.Gone are those days of anticipation, friendship, fun, notorious activities, late night addas, smoking for the first time with roomies, having a pajama party organised to tease the boys , going on dates and getting decked up for fresher party in college. We all miss those fun reckless carefree days where we could achieve world in a snap. Today there is Old boring meetings, Hitting deadlines, Getting KRA’s listed, appraisals, promotions, pink slips, recession …..every evil on this planet. Are we done with life ? Are we done with all those carefree fun reckless days spend in hostels ? Are we done with the bunking? Are we too old to fool around with friends ? For me answer is NO!

Yes we can dress up like teens , full around , date, go out on midnight binge on , Can plan a late night bike ride with friends .We can do that its just the way we plan stuff. If you feel like 40 you will behave like 50. So stop cribbing about today and missing old days ….we can create memories today as well. Go and make those tasty recipes which you guys use to make with your hostel mates and invite them and grab a bite in memory of those days to re create that magic again and make fresh super fun memories again.

Anda Bhurji With Paav :

Ingredients : 10 eggs , 2 large onions finely chopped, 2 to 3 green chillies finely chopped, 2 to 3 tomatoes finely chopped, 2 teaspoon cumin seeds, 1 tablespoon paav bhaji masala, 1 /2 cup chopped coriander, 1 tablespoon tomato ketchup, salt to taste, 1 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon red chilly powder, Oil for cooking, 10 Paav’s cut into two halves, 1 Tablespoon butter for grilling the paav.

Serving : 5

Method : Its the easiest recipe in the world ….the only reason of being popular in hostels.Heat a pan after adding oil and once the oil heats up add Cumin seeds,green chillies, onions, Sauté it for 2 minutes and then add tomatoes and all the dry spices along with salt. Cook it for good odd 5 minutes .Once the tomatoes separate oil add ketchup and chopped coriander and Bhurji is ready. Now take a neat shallow pan, heat it and grease all the Paav’s and grill it on the heated pan. Eat generously and carefree.

Sabji Wali Masala maggie:

Ingredients : 5 packs of Maggie instant noodle, 2 Large onions roughly chopped, 3 to 4 green chillies , `two large tomatoes chopped finely, 1 cup boiled green peas, 1 cup French beans roughly chopped, 1/2 cup capsicum finely chopped, Oil to cook, Salt to taste, a pinch of turmeric powder,1 teaspoon of red chilly powder, 1 teaspoon black peppercorns freshly crushed.

Servings : 5

Method : Heat a deep pan and add oil in it. Once the oil gets hot stir in green chillies, onions and French beans, sauté it for 2 minutes, Now tomatoes, salt dry spices green peas, capsicum, and Maggie masala (all the five pouches). Cook it till tomatoes separate oil and add all the Maggie noodles simply by breaking into two halves. Add 5 cups of water and cook it till maggie soaks up all the water and becomes dry. Sprinkle crushed black peppercorns and tomato ketchup and eat it before someone else comes ….:).

Kheera Sandwich :

I survived bad hostel lunch days all because of kheera sandwich made by my roomie. I hope many relate to me as they must have compromised some day without a good food day in hostel and someone came as a saviour and brought you out of the suffering.

Ingredients : 2 large cucumbers cut into thin slices, ten pieces of brown /white breads (Whichever you prefer but host-elites use to get plain white bread only), two tablespoon butter, 5 Cheese slices, 1 teaspoon black salt, two tablespoon tomato ketchup.

Servings : 5

Method : Spread butter on five slices and spread ketchup in rest of the five. Now place cucumber/ kheera slices on the breads having butter, sprinkle a pinch of black salt on each slice of butter and kheera and then top it up with cheese slice. Sandwich it with the ketchup slice ,cut the edges of the bread from all the four corners and diagonally make two pieces out of each sandwich. You are ready to eat heavenly food.

Teekhe Murmure / Jhal Muri :

Ingredients : One large bowl full of puffed Rice/ Murmure/ Muri, 1 large onion finely chopped, 2 to 3 green chillies, 1 teaspoon roasted cumin powder, 1 teaspoon black salt, 1 tespoon red chilly powder, 1 cup bhujia , 1 cup Green moong Sprouts, a bit of mustard oil, 1 teaspoon chaat masala, 1 large cucumber very finely chopped, 1 tablespoon chopped coriander.

Servings : 4

Method : Mix all the ingredients very evenly and check the amount of chaat masala and salt and adjust the taste accordingly. Make a paper cone can serve it immediately.

Masala Papad:

Ingredients : 5 papads, 1 cup finely chopped cucumber, 1/2 cup finely chopped onions, 1 cup coriander chopped, 1/2 cup tomatoes de-seeded and chopped finely, 1 teaspoon green chilly powder, 1 teaspoon chaat masala, 1 taespoon black salt, 1 teaspoon red chilly powder, 1 Fresh lemon .

Servings : 5

Method : Deep fry the papad(optional) or you can simply roast the papad. Spread evenly onions , green chillies, coriander, cucumber and tomatoes. Then sprinkle chaat masala, black salt and squeeze in few drops of lemon juice on it. Dont keep it for long as it might soggy the roasted papad.

A sheer dedication to my four Roomies whom I have lived happy two years outside home. They were my friends , my sisters my only source of entertainment. We were the famous five in our Hostel.

January 8, 2015
Chickpea Bonanza !!!

Vegetarian dishes are always under rated . People believe we do not have variety in vegetarian cuisine. Which is so not true as a single kind of pulse or lentil can be prepared in 100 different ways and all taste different. Are you surprised ? Don’t be its a the fact by changing few combination of ingredients and spices we can create variety in vegetarian dished. The Plain Jane Potato can be eaten in different forms and all very different from each other in taste. India is a country for vegetarian cuisine. The variety of veg food we get here is in no comparison with other parts of world . Each state ion India has its variety of vegetarian food and all are so different in look, taste , texture , colour and surprisingly the key ingredients remain the same. We truly are land of diversity not only in language , costumes but also in food. Today I will discuss a very popular key ingredient pulse which can be recreated in different varieties and all taste just yum . That key ingredient is none other than our very dear Chole / Chickpea. Chole sounds like a north Indian dish and it is a very popular dish in North India but widely eaten in all parts on India . You will get Chole in all forms , curry, salad, fried balls, falafel, in sandwiches, etc etc.

To raise your craving a bit more lets have some awesome popular Chickpeas recipe.

Kadai Chole :

Ingredients : 2 cups of chickpeas soaked overnight, 2 tea bags , 1 cup of onion paste freshly blended, 1 tablespoon of ginger and garlic paste, few ginger juliennes,1 cup of tomato puree, 1 tablespoon Chole masala, salt to taste, 1 teaspoon green cardamom, 1 stick of cinnamon, 2 teaspoon red chilly powder, 2 to 3 red dried chillies, 1 tablespoon Ghee, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, few sprigs of coriander leaves finely chopped.

Servings : 4

Method : Firstly we need to pressure cook chickpeas by adding two teabags (You may make a muslin pouch of 2 teaspoon tea), cinnamon stick and few green cardamom, salt to taste. Once the the chickpea is boiled you will get blackish tinge in chickpeas not throw away the cardamom, tea bags , and cinnamon stick as they have done their job . Do not throw the boiled water in the pressure cooker. We will need that to make a bit of gravy as it has all the protein of the chickpeas intact. Now its time to heat a pan with a lid add ghee , cumin seeds wait fr few seconds till it splutter then add dry red chillies , onion paste, ginger and garlic paste with a bit of salt. Sauté it till the onion looses out its poacity and becomes transparent . Now add ginger juliennes, Tomato purée, and chole masala . Cook this mixture until tomato separates oil. Now add boiled chickpeas , boiled water that we kept aside, red chilly powder. Close the lid and cook for 5 minutes. Now higher the flame make dry up a bit of gravy. Serve it hot with coriander garnish on top. Its teamed with Indian flat breads, or simply eat it with steamed rice or Pulao.

Chickpeas Falafel Patties :

Ingredients: 2 cups of chickpeas soaked overnight , 1 cup of finely chopped onions, 1 tablespoon of chopped coriander leaves, 1 teaspoon of dry mango powder, 1 teaspoon of green chilly chopped, 1 teaspoon of cumin powder, 1 teaspoon of coriander powder, 1 teaspoon of red chilly powder, 1 tablespoon of refined flour, 1 teaspoon of black pepper powder, 1/2 cup of water of required, Salt to taste, Oil for deep frying.

Servings : 4

Method : Firstly blend soaked and dried chickpeas along with onion, green chillies. Now add into the blended mixture , chopped coriander leaves,dry mango powder, cumin powder, coriander powder,red chilly powder,black pepper,Salt,refined flour and make into a smooth dry dough . Now oil your palms and make equal size balls out of the dough and flatten it in the center to give it a patty shape. Dab these patties on refined flour and deep fry them until golden brown, Now take burger buns spread a bit of ketchup and stuff in the falafel patties on each bun and eat it as a burger or simply eat them with your favourite dip.

Chickpeas in spinach Gravy :

Ingredients : 500 g of spinach leaves cleaned thoroughly and dried, 1 cup uncooked chickpeas (soaked overnight and then dried, 2 large tomatoes, cut roughly into quarters, Two large onions chopped finely, Garlic cloves chopped finely approx 5 to 6 , green chillies approx 3 to 4, 1 teaspoon red chilly powder, 2 teaspoon cumin powder, Salt to taste, Oil for cooking.

Servings : 5

Method : Pressure cook chickpeas by adding salt to it. Discard the spinach stems and chop the spinach coarsely. Now comes the real trick , place the spinach , tomatoes a bit of salt in a pan cover the lid and cook for 10 minutes without adding water.Once cooked separate spinach and tomatoes after cooling and grind tomatoes and green chillies in a blender.Making a smooth paste. Grind spinach leaves too but coarsely. Heat oil in a pan , sauté chopped garlic cloves, add onions and cook until light browned. Add the tomato paste and cook for 6 to 7 minutes. Stir in cumin powder and red chilly powder. Cook until tomato paste separates oil in the pan , add spinach purée and cook for few more minutes .Do not cook more than 2 to 3 minutes as it will discolour the spinach and spoil its texture. Add the boiled chickpeas stir well and slow the flame cook for 1 minutes and switch of the flame immediately. Serve it hot with steamed Rice or plain parathas. They are a delight to have in winter season and very nutritious too.

So, here is a bag full of vegetarian recipes breaking the myth that variety is not found in veg cuisine. Why don’t you surprise the meat lovers with these recipes and click tee expressions once they enjoy eating these yummy dishes and want a second serving.

January 8, 2015
Whey Protein for Fat Loss

You have tried it all. You have made sure to get adequate sleep, rigorously followed your training routine, obsessed over your calories and your stress levels are astonishingly low. Even after all this discipline, you cannot seem to lose those last few pounds of body fat. The solution however might be found in a different approach to the use of whey protein as a supplement.

Whey protein is a form of milk protein emerging as a by-product during the production of cheese. Whey protein has been manufactured into three forms for diet supplement purposes.

~ Whey Protein Concentrate

~ Whey Protein Isolates

~ Whey Protein Hydrolysates

These forms vary according to their composition and consequently their protein content.

What makes Whey Protein preferred is its high digestible protein and amino acid content. Whey Protein serves as a great example of optimum protein digestion. It also delivers adequate amounts of amino acid content essential to the body. Containing more BCAAs than other protein sources, Whey protein is being widely recognized as an essential health supplement to your regular diet.

Studies proclaim Whey protein as a strong promoter of muscle growth owing to its role in increasing protein synthesis. Whey protein is generally consumed before or after a workout when it is needed most. Whey protein accounts for strength gains too aiding all the effort you put into your workouts. Aside from the health benefits, Whey Protein also helps you lose the fat you put on during the forced binge eating sessions.

Now, eating more protein may go against conventional wisdom of dieting, but there is some truth behind it. Eating less does not necessarily help you lose fat. A large part of your focus must be emphasized on eating the right amount of calories and the sources from which you get these calories. We all know that the calories you ingest from a banana is different from a doughnut so instead of focusing on the amount of calories, it makes sense to focus on eating the right food. Whey protein plays an important role in fat loss in various ways. Rich in Leucine, Whey protein facilitates protein synthesis which requires quite an amount of calories. Leucine also aids fatty acid oxidation. Whey protein keeps you feeling full, satiates your hunger and prevents you from binge eating.

A study originating in the University of Oklahoma indicates that simply adding a Whey protein supplement aids your fat loss goals. In the ten week study, two groups of participants were instructed not to change their diets. On the other hand one group was instructed to ingest a Whey protein supplement once per day for two weeks and twice a day for the remaining eight weeks of the study. Both groups were then introduced into a resistance training program for ten weeks. The results of the study indicated that both groups decreased body fat but the supplement group showed a much more significant decrease in fat mass. Other than fat loss, the supplement group had significantly increased muscle mass composition and decreased cholesterol levels. Another study conducted in 2006 indicated that adding Whey protein had a greater carry over into body fat reduction when compared to other protein sources.

This article will also innumerate the different hacks you can make in your life to optimize your fat loss goals. Using a journal and keeping track of your food consumption helps you stay in check. By simply writing down what you eat, you remain conscious of your food habits and inevitably curb your desire for junk food. The truly dedicated would find the consultancy of a nutritionist a great idea. Fat loss is all about motivation and seeing the transformations undertaken by others really helps fuel the fire within you. When seeking fat loss, it becomes important to exercise the right way as well. The hamster wheel approach of long boring jogging sessions is the most frequently adopted weapon against fat loss. This is a myth strengthened by generations of ill use. The problem with low intensity training is the more you do it, the better you get at it. Eventually the returns you get from that workout begin to diminish over time. Therefore to burn more calories, you need to run for an even longer time. Even though you burn many calories during the workout, the low intensity nature of the workout does not help your body to burn calories after the workout. A better approach would be short sprints of a higher intensity which will ramp up your metabolism throughout the day instead of just the length of your workout.

In conclusion, Whey protein has always been attributed to weight gain. Even though this is true to some extent, Whey protein has been misunderstood. Consuming more calories than you burn does amount to adding body mass but the right nutrition does matter. Nobody would want to squander their efforts in the gym with improper nutrition. Like the saying goes, good health is an attribute to your efforts in the kitchen. Now Whey protein is obviously not the answer to fat loss. Fat loss is a daunting task and will require you to adopt a healthier lifestyle. The proper food choices and regular exercise will account for much of your efforts. Proper amounts of sleep and adequate rest also plays an important part in giving you the edge to perform better in all spheres life demands of you. Whey protein in truth is a powerful supplement to your quest for better health no matter what your specific goals may be.

January 1, 2015
Snack-Time : Part 2

As the largest continent, Asia is home to a variety of cultures, religions, castes and races. Asian cuisine is one of the most diverse amalgamation of spices, flavours and a variety of ingredients owing to the large number of countries the continent is home to. Besides the huge number of ingredients being used in the Asian style of cooking, the multitude of techniques used add to quality, thus making it a characteristic style of traditions and components. Asian cuisine can be broadly categorized into several major regional families viz. East Asian, Southeast Asian, South Asian, Central Asian, and Middle Eastern cuisines, each easily identifiable by a distict feature or a characteristic common ingredient used in most dishes. For instance, curries are a regular in the Eastern and Southern regions. This being the second in the series ‘Snack-Time’ covers a few facts about a few Asian snacks.

Samosa

An entree originally from Middle East Asia, South Asia, or even Central Asia is also known as samsa, sambosak, somasi or somaas depending on the region it it found in. To be described, it is a pastry that is stuffed with spiced ingredients like boiled and mashed potatoes, peas, onions, lentils or even cottage cheese and then either fried or baked. The non vegetarian version may have ground beef, ground chicken or any other form of meat as the stuffing.

The snack is said to originate in the Middle East where it was originally called as Sambosa before the 10th century. It was then made familiar to South Asian cooking when cooks from the Middle East and Central regions of the continent began migrating to South Asia in search of work in the kitchens of the nobility. Reports have records of the dish being served as a part of royal meals. Amir Khusrao who was a royal poet in the Delhi Sultanate, wrote that the nobles relished the “samosa prepared from meat, ghee, onion and so on”. Other records by the traveller Ibn Batuta, dating back to the 14th century also support the fact. The Indian Samosa is mainly vegetarian and is said to originate in the state of Uttar Pradesh. It is a popular appetizer through out the country and even though the size and the filling may vary from region to region, the basic shape, which is a tetrahedron, stays the same.

In India, the samosa mainly consists of a deep-fried refined-flour shell with a spiced potato and peas filling seasoned with chillies and fried onions. It is served with a mint-chutney and can also be plated with a variety of other sauces, like sweet tamarind sauce, tomato ketchup etc. Known as ‘Shingaras’ in West Bengal, it is a slightly different version of the samosa found in the other parts of the country. Howsoever you prepare it, it is still one of the most delectable snacks found in India and in the other parts of Asia.

Shawarma

A favourite among almost all the non-vegetarians, this Arabian fast food is popular in almost all Eastern and Mediterranean countries as well as in countries like Argentina, Brazil, Australia, Canada, UK, West Africa and the United States. As its’ history suggests, Shawarma or Shawurma is originally a Levantine Arab meat preparation, which means it belongs to the Levant, or the Turkish-Ottoman Empire. It involves marinating whole-muscle meat in a savory blend of spices which is then hand-layered into the shape of a cone which is gradually cooked on a spit.

The marinade that is used for the meat mainly contains lots of garlic, ginger, lemon, yogurt and other Asian spices like bay leaves, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, nutmeg, dried lime, spicy paprika and vinegar primarily. At times, orange zest or slices of orange are also used. Chefs all over the world claim that the secret of making the perfect shawarma lies in perfecting the marinade. The shawarma’s origin is said to have happened in Turkey. Here it was known as “çevirme”, which directly translates to ‘turning’. This makes more sense when we see how the meat-cone is cooked by the heat by slowly rotating the cone so as to cook the meat from all sides. After the meat is roasted from all sides for a few hours at a stretch, it is shaved off from the cone and the shredded meat is tossed and mixed with a spicy sesame sauce called Tahini and is wrapped in a pita bread or any other bread for serving.

The other sauces used to serve a Shawarma include hummus, amba sauce consisting of pickled mango spiced with chilli or even mayonnaise. Though the most common meat used is chicken, some places even use goat meat or beef as well. This delicious snack is one of the most filling and wholesome snacks you can get hold of easily in almost all cities in India as well.

Dumplings

Call them dim sums, dumplings or momos, they shall be one of our forever favourites when it comes to snacking. These little balls of joy are like like surprise parcels that burst into delectable flavours when bit into. Dumplings are basically a style of Cantonese cooking and are originally prepared as small bite-sized portions of food which are then served in small steamer baskets or on small dishes. Yum cha or tea tasting is an older Chinese tradition and Dim sums are often linked to this practise. It is said that travellers while travelling on the Silk Road would halt at tea houses set up by the side of the road for rest. They would then add snacks with their tea.

Dim sums are often served with tea and hence eating dim sums at an eatery is usually termed in Cantonese as going to “drink tea”. The unique culinary art of dim sum originated in southern China. It can be prepared either by steaming or frying among other methods.

Though there are a variety of dim sums the most popular ones are the translucent ones with a filling of well seasoned shrimp, meat or vegetables packed in rice flour or wheat starch skin. It is found all over the world and is relished by people of all regions.

These are some of the popular Asian snacks that suit almost all palates around the world. For yet another region, check out the next and the final article in the series.

January 1, 2015
The Best Veggie… BROCCOLI

The luscious, green cruciferous veggie called Broccoli is well-known and liked by all. When it comes to health benefits, it has almost every benefit to offer and people love it for its qualities. This vegetable can increase the attractiveness of almost anything be it salad, in raw form or cooked with peas exclusively. The reason for the fan following of broccoli is due to its nutritional profile which is unbeatingly impressive. When one is eating broccoli, he is sure to get dozens, no actually hundreds of nutrients that support optimal body functioning. If you want to know about the origin of word ‘Broccoli’, it comes from Italian word, basically which means ‘flowering crest of the cabbage’ and is generally characterised by large flower head, green in colour. This large green or purple flower head is the reason that it is known to contain Phyto-nutrients that are found to have disease prevention and health maintenance properties. Broccoli is rich in Vitamin A, K, C, iron, zinc, B-complex vitamins phosphorus and dietary fiber. Also, it contains a very important compound, called glucoraphanin. Infact, just a 100gm serving of broccoli will provide you with 150% of daily recommended intake of vitamin C and regarding calories, it just contains 32 calories per 100 gm. Due to the presence of Vitamin C in such high quantities, it has gained so much popularity, as alongwith this, it is also a very good source of Omega-3 fatty acids.

To prepare Broccoli, it is recommended to cook only the amount one is going to eat for dinner or lunch and better not to keep extra with the purpose of consuming it later, when given fresh broccoli will be cooked in few minutes. Also, it is best to not overcook your broccoli as it will turn to mush and will take a very unappealing green colour and then you wont feel like eating it. Before Preparing, wash the broccoli in running water and don’t soak it in water. To cook it quickly, cut lengthwise slits in the stems, also, leaves are perfectly edible and contain the concentrated amounts of beneficial nutrients. Also, while cooking take care of the temperature by sticking to a low temperature to support your nourishment. It is good to eat freshly raw or half baked or cooked to get all the nutrients and to enjoy the benefits. As, the broccoli is available the year round in the market , it is preferred to choose bright, compact firm textured florets of broccoli seemingly rich in flavour and avoid the overmature flower heads with yellow buds, hollow stem and excessive branches.

Here are some enlisted benefits of broccoli and trust me there are many;

It prevents or at least reduces Cancer risk: This is the number 1 benefit of broccoli. Researches say that just eat broccoli three times each month and one could potentially reduce the risk of bladder cancer by 40 percent. The reason being that Sulforaphane in broccoli has been known to kill cancer stem cells, thereby striking the root of tumor growth. Even it was found in a study that men who ate broccoli showed a number of beneficial changes in genes that are known to fighting cancer.

Prevents Diabetes and improves heart health: Eating it promotes the production of enzymes that helps in protecting heart blood vessels and reduce the molecules that damages them. It is this Sulforaphane that reduces the number of molecules that reduces cell damage. As, people with diabetes are more likely to develop cardiovascular disease such as heart attacks and strokes and Eating broccoli might help in reversing these effects.

Prevents Arthritis: The sulphur rich broccoli compound blocks a key destructive enzymes that contributes in damaging cartilage. So, increasing broccoli in your diet can slow down and prevent arthritis. So, older people should start eating more broccoli and even the younger ones should develop taste of this wonderful veggie.

Improves the eyes and skin health: Yes, the added benefit of broccoli is that it improves the skin health not by eating it though but by directly applying it. It prevents the skin cancer and improves the skin when damage is caused by UV rays of sun. Also, due to stimulation of variety of antioxidant defense pathways in your body, it slows down the ageing process. Moreover, broccoli also maintains eyesight as it contains Vitamin A in the form of cartenoids.

Broccoli, overloaded with so many benefits for health, really makes it a wonder food. The range of benefits it offers like it alkalizes the body, helps in reducing cholesterol, maintains the right blood pressure and yes, is an excellent diet aid as it curbs overeating. This veggie, broccoli is powerful antioxidant and boosts immune health and prevents cold. The working of broccoli for cancer prevention goes like this; The combination of antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and detoxification components in broccoli make it a unique food in terms of cancer prevention. Connections between cancer development and oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, and inadequate detoxification are so well-documented in the research that any food improving all three of these metabolic problems is meant to be highly likely to lower the risk of cancer. The broccoli is the one, that is showing strong signs of decreased risk of prostate cancer, colon cancer, breast cancer and ovarian cancer. Recent studies have also provided us with a much better idea about the amount of broccoli that we need to lower our cancer risk and it is found like 1/2 cup of broccoli which is 22 calories per day can be enough. Though, some people are reluctant to have broccoli, the reason can be any many be they don’t like the taste or whatever, but even, a 2-cup serving twice a week would meet this minimum average amount, and this shows that it is a very little minimal amount in context of week’s food. You know, broccoli can provide you with some special cholesterol-lowering benefits, if cooked by steaming. Well, the benefits are innumerable and that’s the reason it has been counted as one of the world’s healthiest foods. Broccoli is like super pack of health food. The nutritional punch, that broccoli has, is irreplaceable from any vegetable. For diet conscious people, this is something perfect being high in fiber. So, keep eating this rich green food, Broccoli.

Healthy Eating. Happy Life.

January 1, 2015
Go Nuts about Nuts! (Part 1)

With high nutritive value and a deliciously sweet taste, dried fruit is fruit from which the majority of the original water content has been removed either naturally, through sun drying, or through the use of specialized dryers or dehydrators. Nuts are edible fruits as well, anatomically different from the rest because of their soft internal kernels enclosed within a hard shell. Both dried fruits and nuts possess high shelf life, and have been in use throughout centuries in every part of the world. Today, they form an integral part of our culture and cuisine, and have an irreplaceable importance in our daily lives.

1. Khajoor

Khajoor, or the rather generic term, dates are the fruits of palm trees. Named Phoenix dactylifera in the binomial classification system of living organisms, both these names are derived from the Greek word for “finger”, dáktulos, because of the fruit’s elongated shape. What is interesting about the date palm, which produces this particular fruit, is that the male and female plants are separate and independent of each other, and only the female is capable of bearing fruit. The male plants only produce pollen, which is vital for the fertilization of the female and the subsequent production of dates. In most cities in India, dried dates are available easily at every fruit seller’s and vendor’s, and you can find those yellowish, deep red fruits packaged in small cylindrical plastic casings. Dates are extremely high in their carbohydrate content, and a hundred grams of dates will provide you with over three hundred calories. Dates contain minimal protein content, and an abundance of simple sugars which get easily absorbed in the bloodstream, and hence should be mostly avoided by obese and overweight people.

2. Dried figs

Figs (Ficus carica) are native to the countries of the Middle East and western Asia, and have been used for both ornamental and consumption purposes over the course of many centuries. One of the first edible plants cultivated by humankind, figs are mentioned in many historical accounts and incidents, one of the most famous being the suicide of the Egyptian queen Cleopatra, who apparently got herself bit to death by an asp smuggled in a basket of figs instead of surrendering to the erstwhile Roman Empire. The small, green-skinned fruit contains many smaller drupelets, or one-seeded fleshy fruit components, and can be eaten fresh, after drying, and in numerous other preparations ranging from jam to ice cream. Known by the vernacular term anjeer in most of the Indian subcontinent, figs are extremely high in their carbohydrate content as well. Dried figs contain rich amounts of sugar, and hence have high calorific content, making it an unhealthy dietary component for obese, overweight people with cardiac risks.

3. Almonds

Almonds, popularly known by their Hindi name badam in the northern states of India, are the seeds of a tree (Prunus dulcis) originally found in the Middle East and South Asia. Closely related to the peach family, the almond fruit also look rather like small green peaches, and are available in both sweet and bitter varieties. Etymologically speaking, the word is derived from countless variations and modifications of the Latin amandula, the Greek word amygdala, and the Old French almande or allemande over the ages. Apart from being eaten in its raw, roasted, and blanched forms, almonds are also used in your daily breakfast muesli as well as while making many delicacies such as cakes, nougat, marzipan, and macaroons in Europe and America, and badam halwa, barfi, biscuits, and flavoured milk in India. Extremely nourishing in nature, almonds are valued as a good muscle and body building substance, in addition to boosting the brain’s grey matter. Used for making oil, almonds also have high calorific value, with every hundred grams of almonds giving over six hundred and fifty calories, and sixty grams of almond fat giving nearly twelve teaspoons of oil.

4. Peanuts

Peanuts, or groundnuts (Arachis hypogaea) as they are mostly called in India, belong to the leguminous beans family, and was first cultivated in the red soils of Paraguay. The species name as according to taxonomist Carl Linnaeus hypogaea has Latin roots and literally means “under the earth”. Apart from being eaten in their raw, salted, roasted, and even boiled forms, peanuts are used to make countless basic cooking ingredients such as flour and oil, as well as many complex delicacies. They also have many applications outside the realm of the kitchen, such as their usage in the manufacture of solvents, industrial non-edible oil, textile materials, and both allopathic as well as herbal medicines. American botanist George Washington Carver is credited with hundreds of peanut recipes and related products, peanut butter being one of his most famous patents of all time. In India, groundnuts alone make a wonderful evening snack in winters, and you can find them being sold at very cheap prices at any roadside vendor. Groundnut oil is very healthy and is used in many households as a cooking medium. They are also a major component of chikki, a popular north Indian snack made by boiling and solidifying jaggery, sugar, peanuts, and til (sesame seeds) in long sheets. Though groundnut resembles other pulses in general nutritive value, they are very rich in fat, with a hundred grams of groundnut will yield almost forty grams of oil worth more than five hundred calories.

5. Cashews

Cashewnuts are derived from the cashew tree (Anacardium occidentale) which also bears the cashew apple. White, sweet, kidney-shaped, and extremely versatile as far as their culinary uses are concerned, cashews can be salted, roasted, creamed into gravies, made into liquor and oil, and are also used in the preparation of many sweet dishes. The word cashew has been derived from the Portuguese word caju which has been in turn derived from acajú of the indigenous Tupi language, and literally translates to the “nut that produces itself”. Cashews are used for making many Indian curries, such as korma and shahi dishes, and sweetmeats such as kaju katli. Because of their high starch content, cashews serve as good emulsifying agents and are used for thickening soups, syrups, curries, and the works. Boiling them in oil or salting them makes them harder to digest so they are best eaten in their natural, raw state. They go best with acidic fruit and non-starchy vegetables rather than sweet fruit and heavy starch. They are good body builders and easily digested when raw, and hence, help in cases of emaciation and in building good teeth. Like all nuts, cashews contain a great deal of unsaturated fatty acids, mostly in the form of oleic acid. On consuming a hundred grams of cashew nuts, you gain nearly fifty grams of fat, and a hundred grams of cashew oil, which amounts to around ten teaspoons, yields 600 calories.

January 1, 2015
Stuffed Parathas from North India !!!

When I talk about stuffed parathas I might tickle your memory of Old Delhi’s famous “Parathe wali gali” if you have been there any time. If not then do not waste your time and plan a trip to the capital city of India and do visit this awesome place with narrow and bust lanes full of colours and amusing personalities. And if you have little time to spare with me then read this article and make few at your home itself and enjoy the parathas of heavenly taste. Do oil your jammed tread mill as you are going to need that badly after having these heavy loaded stuffed parathas . You have unique range and varieties and each of them is standing out on its own in taste. You just cannot ignore a single variety. Not only Delhi the whole of North India just eats it on a day to day basis. Its yummy taste to compel you to cook more and more for your loved ones and you will be there master chef for sure.

Gobi Paratha :

For filling : 2 cups of grated cauliflower, 2 tablespoon of coriander chopped, 1 teaspoon of red chilly powder, 1 teaspoon of cumin powder, salt to taste, 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon of coriander powder, 1 tablespoon of roasted gram flour (besan). 1 teaspoon of finely chopped green chillies, oil for cooking and shallow frying.

For the dough : 3 cups of whole wheat flour, 1 teaspoon of carom seeds, 1 teaspoon of oil , Luke warm water for kneading the dough.

Servings : 4 parathas

Method : Firstly kneed the dough mixing all the ingredients for the dough. Kneed it with gradual addition of Luke warm water making a soft dough. Keep it for half an hour so that dough absorbs moisture for soft texture.

For filling heat a pan and add oil and all other ingredients together and cook it until grated cauliflower looses all the moisture and all the spices get cooked well, lastly add chopped coriander and mix well and keep it aside till its cold as hot mixture wont stuff well for neat looking parathas. Now make equal portions of dough and take one portion and flatten it with the help of the rolling pin. grease the upper layer with oil and put in the stuffing at the top . Seal the edges of the round shaped chapati holding the stuffing carefully and make a ball shape out of it. Now flatten it to a certain limit with hands with light pressure and then slowly make a bigger round with the help of rolling pin. Be careful about the edges as the loads of pressure might rupture it from corners and stuffing may come out. Once its made shallow fry it in a flat pan and serve with butter topping and curd .

Muli/Radish paratha :

Ingredients :

For filling:2 cups of grated Radish, 1 teaspoon of crushed pomegranate seeds, 1 teaspoon of dry mango powder, 1 teaspoon asafoetida , salt to taste, 1 teaspoon red chilly powder, 1 teaspoon of cumin powder, 2 tablespoon of coriander chopped, 1 teaspoon of finely chopped green chillies, oil for cooking and shallow frying.

For the dough : 3 cups of whole wheat flour, 1 teaspoon of carom seeds, 1 teaspoon of oil , Luke warm water for kneading the dough.

Servings : 4 parathas

Method : Firstly kneed the dough mixing all the ingredients for the dough. Kneed it with gradual addition of Luke warm water making a soft dough. Keep it for half an hour so that dough absorbs moisture for soft texture.

Heat a pan heat oil and add all thee spices along with green chillies and grated muli . Sauté it till dries out completely and then stir in chopped coriander and mix well. Keep it aside to cool of in room temperature and then its ready for stuffing into the dough prepared earlier.Make equal portions of dough and take one portion and flatten it with the help of the rolling pin. grease the upper layer with oil and put in the stuffing at the top . Seal the edges of the round shaped chapati holding the stuffing carefully and make a ball shape out of it. Now flatten it to a certain limit with hands with light pressure and then slowly make a bigger round with the help of rolling pin. Be careful about the edges as the loads of pressure might rupture it from corners and stuffing may come out. Once its done shallow fry it crust gets crispy and serve it with coriander chutney.

Green Peas Paratha / hare matar ke parathe :

For filling : 2 cups of boiled and mashed green peas, 1 teaspoon red chilly powder, salt to taste, 1 teaspoon green chilly paste, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon asafoetida, 1 teaspoon of cumin powder, 1 teaspoon of coriander powder , Oil for shallow frying.

For the dough : 3 cups of whole wheat flour, 1 teaspoon of carom seeds, 1 teaspoon of oil , Luke warm water for kneading the dough.

Servings : 4 parathas

Method : The process is same for dough making .Firstly kneed the dough mixing all the ingredients for the dough. Kneed it with gradual addition of Luke warm water making a soft dough. Keep it for half an hour so that dough absorbs moisture for soft texture.

Heat a pan and saute all the filling ingredients till the green peas are totally dry and become darker in colour. Cool it off for a while until it is ready for stuffing else it will d- shape the parathas.Make equal portions of dough and take one portion and flatten it with the help of the rolling pin. grease the upper layer with oil and put in the stuffing at the top . Seal the edges of the round shaped chapati holding the stuffing carefully and make a ball shape out of it. Now flatten it to a certain limit with hands with light pressure and then slowly make a bigger round with the help of rolling pin. Be careful about the edges as the loads of pressure might rupture it from corners and stuffing may come out. Once its done shallow fry it crust gets crispy and serve it with sweet mango chutney Or Mango pickle.

January 1, 2015
Delicious Smoothies…!

The lovely, fruity, refreshingly cool smoothies are almost everyone’s favorite. Available in all varieties, be it fruity or veggie contained green smoothies, served with straw. So popular now, are found in all restaurants, grocery stores and even coffee shops, there’s nothing not to love about smoothies. They may sound like healthy option above all which they are undoubtedly but yes, there are some aspects to it which make not so good. They are considered healthy and come under this umbrella term because most of the time they are made of soy milk, yoghurt, frozen fruit or skim milk. They make a really good options for meal or snack when made with natural fruits. Well, let’s enumerate the health benefits of smoothies;

Smoothies keep you hydrated: Having smoothie in breakfast helps in keeping you hydrated for the whole day. This is what something like soda, tea or coffee won’t do. The body do gets water from many foods and resources, so one doesn’t need to drink water while having smoothie. As milk and yoghurt are largely water, it will quench your thirst eventually. In hot weather, it is preferable to add some extra ice cubes for extra water and the chillness.

Smoothies are perfect or Breakfast: Breakfast needs to be king size, I know you know that. Smoothies make up an excellent choice for breakfasts because they make you feel fuller and are heavy as fruits and veggies are blended together with milk or yoghurt. The classic breakfast of bread, peanut butter, jam and any fruit smoothie is easy-to-make and perfect for any day. Sipping smoothie in the morning prevents you from indulging in unhealthy urges like donuts or drive through. Also, if you have problem taking in those cod liver oil directly, you can add some drops in your smoothie and this will make it all the more nutritious.

Smoothies are Easy, Portable and Custom-made: Smoothies are really easy to make and are really good on-the-go choice. Just pick some fruits, throw them in the blender, put some milk and drink the mixture. If you own a blender, it will be ready in no time. Also, they can be stored and will stay fresh for 24 hours if kept cool and sealed in a right container and you can carry it anywhere in the car or train or gym to have it anytime you like. A vacuum flask is a right choice if you want to keep your smoothie cool and fresh on the move. Moreover, the fun part is you can add all types of ingredients you like in your smoothie and make it as per your taste and mood.

Smoothies are blend of Vitamins and Minerals: They are way better than Multi-vitamins. Drinking fruit smoothie every day is more healthful than taking those multivitamins, even recommended by nutritionists. As just a glass full provide us with enough fiber and loads of all the required vitamins and minerals. Smoothies are a true blend of nutrition. This in turn helps in digestion and may help in control blood sugar and lower cholesterol.

Smoothies are Nutrient-dense and source of calcium: Smoothies are best when they are all natural made with real fruits and veggies. The nutrient –dense ingredients provides vitamins and oils necessary for complete nutrition. A truly healthy smoothie is the one that has dietary fats in the form of cream for the body to use in assimilating the vitamins and minerals. Just simply blend bananas with skim milk or yoghurt or soy milk and get a great deal of benefits and nutrients. And yes, the milk or any base you use is a rich source of calcium, giving it all the more richness.

With all the pros of smoothies, let’s have a look on the ingredients that probably you shouldn’t be using but are preferable to put into your smoothie to make it really rich, which are like,

Aloe Vera, Pomengranate juice, Kefir, Coconut Milk, Chia seeds, Moringa powder, Milled flax seed, Spirulina etc. Well, the great news if you want to know is that if you want to lose weight, smoothies can be used as a meal replacement not an addition to it, so just take it this way and enjoy the results. Like, sip a dairy based smoothie for breakfast or water-based smoothie as a snack. All the fruit or veggie smoothie can be a healthy additional meal plan as long as you maintain proper meal portion. Its better to incorporate smoothies in your diet plan by consulting your dietician or doctor.

Some Awesome smoothie recipes:

Coconut Water-Mango smoothie:

2 cups unsweetened coconut water

Pinch of cayenne powder

2 tablespoons lime juice

2 cups ripe mango chunks

Blend all the ingredients in blender till smooth. Gulp them and enjoy the delicious smoothie.

Now, Here’s is what a really healthy green smoothie will contain, just perfect for your body;

¼ cup water

1 banana

¼ cup orange juice

1 cup spinach

¾ cup strawberries

½ cup blueberries

Blend till smooth and enjoy the green richness of the drink.

All these less calories, full of refreshment and deliciousness smoothies make up really good combination in breakfast or as a evening snack. Basically, smoothie is perfect for a busy life like present time, counts as an ideal on the go drink and is really easy to make, ready in no time. Smoothies are now-a days everywhere, people are talking about it a lot on the internet or in general. Why? Because it is Healthy. Yes, It definitely is healthy. There’s more to green smoothies but smoothies or protein shakes in any form is healthy. Though, taking fruits and veggies straightforward form is also healthy, but sipping on smoothie gives a new refreshing touch to them.

Healthy Eating. Happy Life.

January 1, 2015