Elders at home often advise that home-cooked food is best for health, and this is also true. Special care is taken of freshness, cleanliness and nutrition in home food, due to which the balance of both taste and health is maintained. However, some people may still have digestive problems despite eating only home-cooked food. The main reason for this is the quality of food and the way it is prepared.
Benefits of home food:
- Freshness: Home cooked food is fresh, which is better for digestion.
- Free from chemical elements: Preservatives are used in outside food, whereas home food does not contain these, making it more nutritious.
- Guaranteed purity: While preparing food at home, complete care is taken of cleanliness and quality, which reduces the risk of diseases.
Things to keep in mind while preparing food:
- Use of external material: Ginger-garlic paste, cream, puree etc. brought from outside may contain preservatives. To avoid these, prepare them at home.
- Cooking Methods: Overcooking food can destroy nutrients. The best food is boiled, then roasted, and finally fried in less oil. Avoid deep frying.
- Selection of utensils: Iron, brass and clay utensils are considered best for cooking food, while aluminum and non-stick utensils should be avoided.
From Ayurvedic point of view:
- Meal time: Ayurveda states that food should always be fresh and hot. Stale or packaged food should be avoided. Meal times should be fixed, but care should also be taken to ensure that one is hungry and that the previous meal has been digested.
- Meal order: Breakfast should be the heaviest, lunch should be moderate, and dinner should be light. Fruits or milk should not be consumed with food; These should be taken separately.
- Avoid opposite diets: Combination of some food items can be harmful for health, like consumption of curd, salt, radish, tamarind etc. with milk is prohibited. Similarly, kheer, paneer, cucumber etc. should not be taken with curd.
Balance of taste and health:
In an attempt to cook food at home like outside, we sometimes use excess oil, salt, sugar or flour, which can be harmful to health. Limit the use of fried food, added butter, ghee, sugar and salt to maintain a balance of health with taste. Consuming lukewarm water or green tea after meals can be helpful in digestion.
In summary, home cooked food is beneficial for health, provided we consider its nutritional value, method of preparation and follow Ayurvedic principles. With a balanced diet and correct eating methods, we can avoid digestive problems and live a healthy life.
