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khichdi

HOW TO IMPROVE THE NUTRITIVE VALUE OF FOOD

When the value of food increases and economical income does not increase, then we should use the food correctly to improve the nutritive value of those foods. There are many methods-



i) Combination of foods.

ii) Substitutes.

iii) Supplement.

iv) Soaking.

v) Germination.

vi) Fermentation.

vii) Parching of puffing.

viii) Parboiling.
ix) Liming.

i) combination of foods:

We can improve the nutritive value of our food by combination of foods and by this way we can make the food delicious. Vegetarians get some amount of proteins from cereals but there is a lack of amino acid named lysine in every cereal. Dhal contains enough amount of protein but there is lack of methionine amino acid. So, we can eat rice, roti and dhal. Otherwise khichdi can be eaten when we cannot buy fish, meat etc. In this way nutritive value is improved. In Indian foods dhal - roti and dhal - rice are the main foods.

By the combination of cereals, pulses and vegetables we can get protein, carbohydrate, vitamins and minerals. Green leafy vegetables are the rich source of carotene. Vegetarians can get calcium, iron and riboflavin from green leafy vegetables. If there is available of milk, curd, fish or meat and some salads with green leafy vegetables, these foods improve the nutritive value of food.

ii) Substitutes:

If any food is not got easily or the cost of the food is very high, in this case we can improve the nutritive value of food by substitutes. For example- soya bean can be eaten instead of fish, meat milk powder or soya milk can be eaten instead of milk.

Soya Chunks Curry

iii) Supplement

We can improve the nutritive value of food by adding extra food with available food. For example we can eat rice, dhal with some vegetables. Oil and milk powder will be provided with that food, these will be the supplement food and supplement food is nutritious.

Rice with milk and cooked vegetables

iv) Soaking:

Before germination we soak the pulses. If pulse is soaked the small amount of oligosaccharide reduces. It is the family of Raffinose. Besides this, pulse has low amount of phytic acid. Thus, improve the nutritive value of food by soaking.

Bengal gram

v) Germination:
Germination grains are very nutritious and also delicious. Germinated grains can be eaten as raw by adding small amount of salt and lime juice. You can fry the seeds after steaming. Usually Bengal gram, black gram, wheat, soya bean and seem are germinated. Ascorbic acid is got by the process of germination. There is no ascorbic acid in dry grains. From many years ago, scurvy is prevented by germinated pulse. Germinated pulse is rich in proteins.

During sprouting ascorbic acid is converted into Dihydro ascorbic acid. Its biological value is much. It contains many others nutritive value. For example-

•  Many enzymes are activated. The result is food is easily digestible and increases the nutritive value.
•  There is occurred the change of carbohydrate. At the first phase some starches are converted into sucrose, fructose and glucose. Then increase the amount of maltose. For these changes increase the digestion power of the raw grains.
•  Increase the amount of essential amino acids.
•  If sprouting takes time for 48 to 72 hours, increase the amount of niacin 60 – 100 %.
•  Sprouting reduces the trypsin inhibiting factors.
•  Cells walls are broken down and increase the availability of nutrients.
•  Calcium, zink, iron are released from bound form. The amount of phytic acid is reduced.
•  Riboflavin, niacin, folic acid, choline and biotin content are increased.
•  There is occur metabolises of oligosaccharides and so flatulence is not produced.
•  Increase the taste and texture of the food.

Germinated pulse

So, you can add variety and get nutrients food by the process of germination which out spend the extra money.

vi) Fermentation:
Food contains microorganisms which help to ferment the food. Curd is produced from milk by fermentation. Milk contains lactobacillus that helps to convert lactose into lactic acid and so milk is converted into curd and the taste of curd is sour for lactic acid. There are occurred many physical and chemical structural changes of starch for the activation of enzyme and fermentation.

Fermented foods are like bubbles and with many holes. Foods are also light and spongy because of carbon dioxide. Fermented foods are soft, digestible and it has different structure.

There are many recipes with rice and legumes in India. At first these are soaked separately. Then these are grounded. There after these are kept overnight. Next day they are fermented by microorganism. Idly, dhosa, dhokla etc are prepared by fermentation. Beside these, atta is also fermented and made roti.

Idly

Vitamin ‘B’, Thiamine, Riboflavin and Niacin content are increased by fermentation. Vitamin ‘C’, Methionine and folic acid content are also increased. Iron is released from bound form.

vii) Parching or puffing:
Maize, Bengal gram, nuts peas etc are eaten by parching or puffing. The result is starch is easy to digest.

Popped sorghum and popped corn

viii) Parboiling:

•  By this method at first, paddy is steeped in cold water for 2 – 3 days in large cement tanks.
•  Then soaked paddy is steamed for 5 – 10 minutes.
•  Then drying in the Sun.  During steaming of paddy, nutritious ingredients with bran specially water soluble vitamins are entered into paddy. These vitamins are not wasted by breaking of paddy.