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Nutritious ingredients for healthy food |
With people becoming more health conscious, several
restaurants have started introducing dishes with healthy ingredients like kale,
beetroot and quinoa. These dishes offer wholesome goodness as it is not just
good on nutrient value but also on taste, say experts.
Rajesh Sawhney, Co-founder of Healthie.in and Rajiv Kumar, CEO of Culinate, have
listed some of the healthy ingredients that restaurants and cafes have started
using in their dishes:
* Quinoa is a seed that belongs to the spinach/chard family,
which is why it is called a pseudo-cereal or pseudo-grain. Quinoa is rich in
protein and a lot of other vital nutrients such as magnesium, dietary fiber and
vitamin B. It is also a good source of antioxidants called flavonoids and it's a
healthy alternative to rice.
* Kale is high in fiber, low on calorie and has zero fat. It is
one of the most common ingredients in the healthy dishes prepared by
restaurants. Apart from being highly nutritious, kale is also high in
antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory properties. It can be added to pasta,
green smoothies or can be simply tossed in a salad.
*
Chia seeds are a good source of Omega-3 fatty acids, fiber,
antioxidants, iron, and calcium. A 28 gram, or 1ounce, serving of chia seeds
also contains 5.6 grams of protein. Hence, they make it on the menu of most
healthy food restaurants. These seeds can be added to smoothies, oatmeal or
yogurt.
*
Nuts are often counted as good fats and are also rich in
fiber and Omega-3. Plant sterols are a substance present in nuts that helps in
lowering the cholesterol level in the body.
Nuts are a great source of L-arginine, which make the artery walls more flexible
and less prone to blood clots that can block blood flow. You can make a nutty
trail mix and simply munch on nuts in between meals or add them to your
stir-fry.
*
Activated charcoal is a natural ingredient that helps in
flushing out toxins from the body. It not only helps in the detoxification of
the body but also helps in digestive cleansing by alleviating problems like gas
and bloating.
Activated charcoal also helps in fighting the signs of ageing.
Healthy restaurants incorporate activated charcoal in their healthy drinks and
also in the breads and buns used for their special sandwiches and burgers.
*
Beetroots contain valuable nutrients that may help lower your
blood pressure, fight cancer and inflammation, boost your stamina, and support
detoxification. It is an amazing source of iron but is often ignored due to its
peculiar taste. Beetroots can be added to salads, smoothies or you could even
add beetroot to your chapati dough to get that much-needed iron intake.
TAGS:
beetroot,
Kale,
Quinoa,
nuts,
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