Home made vs off-the-shelf food

I wrote this last year during Maggie row....

Let us see following criteria to understand the difference.

Preservatives: It is an open secrete that most of the processed and fast food has some amount of chemicals to preserve the food longer or increase it's shelf life...Some of them are GMO with or without labeling. This includes the regular flour (atta) we buy at store. Do you want to check the quality of flour which is used to make burger or noodles or pizza base or many more items...why it remains unaffected whereas the homemade flour at home doesn't last more than 2-3 weeks...

Salt: The salt content is very high in ready made that is used for flavor, addiction and preserving the food longer. We usually don't use this amount of salt in freshly cooked food.

Oil: Most of the oil we buy are refined or super refined that is bad for heart. The Indian style unrefined oil is not used by anyone (except in rural area) anymore. 

Are you aware that the oil in fast food resultants...most of them change once in a week. The oil once changed is heated for whole day for entire week, restaurant workers just add additional oil when the quantity is reduced. Do you want to check the quality of oil which is over heated several times on continuous basis???

Meat: Ever though of what kind of meat is used and how it is produced and processed? If you ever see the videos how sausages are made, will you be able to consume them?

Pickles and sauces: Pickles (Indian) or sauces in store are overloaded with oil, salt and preservatives. 

Calories: There is huge difference in the calories you consume when you eat food at home or outside. The home food may have average calaries (400-600) per meal considering moderate diet of lentil (dal), rice, vegetables, and salad. However, the same could be twice if you eat meal in the restaurant and unknowing about hygiene and other criteria.

What we can do?

I remember, my grandma and even my mother did for while....used summer vacations to prepare all those papad, pickles, noodles/simaya and many more items for the entire year.

Now, girls will say - it is outdated and time consuming process...but well, NO. Because there are modern equipments available... There are latest technology based grinder, atta makers and other equipments...one don't have to spend so much time in the kitchen.

I was talking to one of my friends in Mumbai. She mentioned about making atta, besan, masala at home using mini-chakki atta...she is doing it once in a week. 10min work. Masala / bensan once in month...why don't we use the latest technology to ease out daily stress instead of giving-in to outside poor quality food...

I make chivada, namkin, mysor pak, kheer (not using MTR), many sweets and namkin at home whenever I get time. I enjoy doing it too...No matter how much you are busy, you can always spend an hour or two in a week for this.

Indian street snacks made by smaller vendors are better as most of them consume what they cook for the day before closing the shop. Next day they start with new preparation like vada pav, samosa, chat kachori. Most of them do not know how to preserve the food longer using chemicals, so, they are cautious about the quantity. Only part you need to check is - water source.

Eating good food is a part of happiness...so enjoy your life with good food not with disease that will bother you and your finances during old age....

In the article - Nestle, PepsiCo and others 'use public funds to develop harmful snacks' Guardian mentioned Tim Lobstein, director of policy at the World Obesity Federation“While there may be good reasons to encourage companies to improve efficiency and reduce environmental impact, we also urge that the health impact of the products should be the first criterion for giving out public funds,” he said. “Why are we helping multinational corporations to make chocolate and snacks cheaper while obesity and diabetes rates are rocketing?” 

The most shocking part was the article by Dailymail, UK, "As obesity costs Britain £50bn a year and rising companies including Nestle and Pepsi given money to improve products" quoted Professor Philip James, chairman of the charity’s trustees, said: ‘Some of these grants are greater than the amounts spent by local health services tackling overweight in adults and children.’

In the paper - Biased, conflict of interest in Science controversial Industry funding of infant feeding studies by Lorretta Kopelman has alleged that it impacted the research (conducted by Popkin on infant mortality) in way of collecting, interpreting and reporting the work. It was also mentioned that Nestle promoted their baby food-formula during late 80s and early 90s...

Make health at home...with low cost, with less effort and with long lasting one...

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