Price-less.................!Price-less!

Is what you eat wholesome? It need not leave a hole in your pocket, say nutritionists

Are the skyrocketing food prices bothering you? Relax. Wholesome nutrition need not be expensive. You don't need to spend a huge sum on almonds or exotic cereals such as quinoa. However, nutrition depends not just on what you eat, but also how you cook the food and how you eat it.

Try variations

“Unless you are pregnant or have some specific health issue, you don't need food supplements; it's enough if you eat a balanced diet,” says Nirmala Jesudason, consultant dietician, Frontier Lifeline. Among vegetables, greens happen to be rich in fibre, calcium and iron, and make an economical buy. In fact, many greens can be easily grown at home.

About 100 gm of carrot every other day will supply you with all the vitamin A you need. “But this doesn't mean a person's vitamin A requirement will be met if he eats three big carrots daily. Vitamin A is also present in egg yolk, milk, greens, all of which have other nutrients too. Likewise, Vitamin K is found in greens, mint, coriander, cauliflower, cabbage and tomato. Drumstick leaves are rich in iron and vitamin E. So, rather than depending on specific foods for specific vitamins, try to eat a variety of foods,” recommends Nirmala.

Dals are now very expensive, but one can't do without them. “Soya bean, chick pea and groundnut are high-protein foods; incorporate them in modest quantities more often into your diet,” advises Dr. Bhuvaneshwari Shankar, Group Chief Dietician, Apollo Hospitals Group. Millets such as ragi and thinai cost a pittance compared to rice and wheat, and are also rich in calcium and iron. Moreover, ragi has a nutrient-rich outer covering, unlike milled rice.

“Corn, in the form of cornflour, is as nutritious as cornflakes, and costs only a fraction of what cornflakes does. So cornflour dosa and roti can be a pocket-friendly alternative,” says Shankar.

Among fruits, potassium-rich banana, guava, papaya and water melon provide amazing nutrition at a modest price. In fact, you can safely skip a meal occasionally, and substitute it with a banana or two. Banana also happens to be an instant energiser. Again, you don't need an orange to get your requirement of vitamin C. Try lime, which has more vitamin C than strawberries. Then, there is gooseberry. Freshly chopped gooseberry, sprinkled with salt and chilli powder, not only makes a tasty pickle, but is also one that is nutritious. Sprouts, rich in vitamin C and other nutrients are a must on one's menu, and must be made part of a meal at least two or three times a week.

“But there is no substitute for milk, which has calcium in an easily absorbable form. You need about 500ml of milk every day, in some form —milk, paneer or curd. If 500ml is not possible, at least ensure 200ml of milk a day, and supplement it with greens,” says Shanthi Kumar, consultant dietician. And step out into the glare of the sun for a little while every day, to allow your body to make its own vitamin D.

The bottom line is wholesome nutrition need not be expensive. But it's also important to remember that there is really no effort-free lunch.

Food Facts

* Avoid coffee or tea just after a meal because it prevents absorption of minerals such as iron.

* Switch to boiled rice which is rich in vitamin B. The nutrition in raw rice is lost in the milling process.

* Eat more of wholegrain

* Never throw away the water that has been used to boil vegetables, dal, or cereals in, because it contains a lot of micro nutrients.

* Don't wash vegetables after chopping them; the nutrients get washed away.

* Eat fruits rather than drinking fruit juices.

* Buy your veggies often, rather than hoarding up supplies for a week.

* Fresh vegetables and fruits contain health promoting factors called phytochemicals.

* Eat fruits and vegetables with their skins, which is where nutrients get stored.