Eat Local

Despite all the buzz about superfoods coming at us from the west, we’re better off eating what grows in our backyard, finds Anupama Bijur

- Anupama Bijur

Over the last few years, the term ‘superfoods’ has appeared in almost every health-related article circulating on the internet. Exotic grains and produce like acai berry, kale, chia seeds, and quinoa have all in turn been touted as miracle ingredients that can do everything, from burn fat to prevent cancer. You’ll find your friendly neighbourhood supermarket has also got in on the game with these slickly packaged new foods that are a nice way to relieve the monotony of your monthly grocery run. But once you get them home, these superfoods are not easy to work into your daily diet, and even if they are, they make an unsustainable dent in the household budget. The price is not surprising, given the distances that some of these foods travel. Acai berry is a native of South America and goji berries are from China. Quinoa is an ancient grain that was cultivated about 4,000 years ago in and around Peru, Colombia and Chile.

So why the sudden excitement around superfoods? Bengaluru-based diet, nutrition and wellness consultant Sheela Krishnaswamy, says they are nothing but foods that are deemed superior in order to boost sales. “The foods that are ‘superior’ are simply those rich in one nutrient or the other. Nothing or everything is a superfood depending on how we look at it.” A lot of the superfood literature is coming at us from the west and though there is data to support the benefits of kale, cranberries, quinoa and goji berries, these are not native to India. Even if you eat them sensibly, you will end up notching up food miles and increasing your carbon footprint.

HOMEGROWN HEROES