Why Is It Important For Kids To Follow A Healthy Diet

International Chef Day is celebrated on the 20th of October every year. The day is observed every year to help all of us know about the integral role of chefs in our society. Additionally, International Chef Day greatly focuses on educating children on eating healthy. In fact, the theme of International Chef Day 2020 is “Healthy Food For The Future.”

How your kid eats today is sure to have a significant impact on his/her health throughout adulthood and adolescence. Eating food that is rich in nutrients is essential for the mental and physical development of children. So, let us discuss on healthy eating for kids and why it is really important.

Why Kids Should Follow A Healthy Diet

Nutrition and diet are two important factors that can have a huge impact on the growth & health of kids. Children need plenty of nutrients to develop necessary tissues and functions. The absence of these nutrients may have a big impact on the health of kids. The behavioral patterns, basic brain function, & more are often influenced by a child’s diet.

Benefits Of Eating Healthy

Studies have revealed that poor nutrition and diet can restrict the brain development of children. An unhealthy eating habit or diet may also result in issues with behavior and attention span in some children. Also, the body requires an adequate amount of nutrients and energy to build bones.

One of the major perks of kids following a healthy diet is that the risk of obesity will be considerably lower for them. The good news is that sticking to a proper and healthy diet will help your kid to stay away from all above listed issues.

What Does Balanced Diet For Kids Really Mean

Ensuring that your children are eating fruits, vegetables, and other food items rich in nutrients is not just enough. You will need to make sure that your children have a healthy relationship with food. For instance, they should not eat just for the sake of it and they should also be aware that binging on junk food is unhealthy.

Eating homemade food is the best way that will help you to ensure that your kids are getting enough nutrition. It can be quite hard to get your kids to follow a healthy diet when you don’t have time to cook. If that’s the case, we can help you get healthy and delicious home cooked meals for your family.

Golden Rules To Follow During Navratri Fasting

Navratri is just around the corner and the festival actually marks the onset of several other celebrations like Eid and Diwali. This year, Navratri celebrations will begin on 17th October and end by 25th October. Devotees consider these 9 nine days of Navratri to be very auspicious. In fact, everyone tries to please Goddess Durga through prayers, special pujas, and even fasting.

Several devotees observe Navratri fasting believing that the Goddess will shower blessing on them & bring success and prosperity. There is also a scientific logic behind fasting during Navratri apart from religious reasons. Navratri usually starts during the change of a season ( beginning of winter season this year).

The immune system of our body tends to be on a lower side at this time of the year. So, following a light diet with nutrient-rich food will keep you healthy and away from diseases. In short, Navratri fasting will help you to detox your body and it will also boost digestion.

How To Fast Properly During Navratri

There are numerous benefits you can enjoy by fasting during Navratri. However, you won’t be able to enjoy any of these benefits if you fast incorrectly. Incorrect fasting may disturb your body’s balance and you may get tired, sick, and exhausted. So, here are a few golden rules on how to fast properly during Navratri.

Do Not Starve Yourself

Some people starve themselves to death when they are fasting. Be sure to avoid fasting for longer durations and make sure to eat fresh nuts or fruits at regular intervals. This will detoxify your body and help you avoid issues like fatigue, weakness, and headaches that may happen due to fasting.

Stay Hydrated

One of the golden rules of Navratri fasting is to stay hydrated. Make sure to drink lots of water, fruit & vegetable juices, or even low-fat milk. This will give adequate amounts of body fluid. You should also try not to eat too much sugar when you are fasting for Navratri. For instance, replace refined sugar with honey or jaggery.

Eat Foods That Are Rich In Fiber

Be sure to include green vegetables and other food items that are rich in fiber. Fiber-rich food takes more to digest, which will keep you full so that you don’t feel hungry. Another added advantage of including fiber-rich food in your diet is that they will reduce the risk of diabetes. The key is to stick to healthy homemade food and follow a balanced diet that will help improve digestion.

Protein Rich Foods You Should Include In Your Diet

Most of us often try to stick to a healthy and balanced diet while trying to lose weight or to stay healthy. However, some people feel that watching their daily calorie intake and cutting down sugar and salt from their diet is enough. The reality is that you also need to ingest enough proteins if you are looking to switch to a healthy eating habit. So, it is important to include protein rich Indian foods in your diet.

If you do not have enough protein in your diet, you are not on a healthy or balanced diet. Insufficient amounts of protein in your daily diet will result in weakness, muscle cramps, and other serious health issues. So, make sure you are eating an adequate amount of foods that are high in proteins.

Why You Should Eat Protein Rich Foods

There are plenty of reasons why you should eat protein rich foods on a daily basis. For instance, protein rich foods will not just increase muscle mass, but they will also boost metabolism. In addition, protein rich foods can even help in improving brain health.

Another added advantage of eating food that is rich in proteins is that it will considerably reduce your craving for sugary food items. When there is not enough protein in our body, we develop a tendency to eat sweets and other sugary items. Some of the best and easy to find protein rich foods that you can start including in your diet are listed below.

Protein rich Indian foods — Egg Biriyani

Eggs

Eggs can be usually found on the top of most lists of protein-rich food. This is because eggs are an excellent source of healthy fats, minerals, vitamins, and protein. The protein content in one boiled egg that includes a yolk is about 6 percent.

Oats

Oats is one of the healthiest and nutritious grains available to us. It contains plenty of magnesium, healthy fibers, and several other useful nutrients.

Almonds

Almonds is another rich source of protein, which is also high in magnesium, Vitamin E, fiber, and more.

Soybeans

Soybeans are rich when it comes to folate, protein, and vitamin C, and they also have low quantities of saturated fat. You can get at least 28 grams of protein in a single bowl of soybean that is cooked.

Chicken Breast

Another common source of protein that non-vegetarians can include in their diet is chicken breast. In fact, the protein content in chicken breast is about 75 percent.

You will be able to have control on your daily protein intake if you switch to home cooked meals. This way, you will be able to guarantee that you are eating the necessary amount of protein every day.

5 Homemade Rice Recipes You Can Easily Prepare At Home

Rice is an important food crop in our country and it provides food to at least half of the Indian population. Even though Rice is an integral part in different Indian cuisines, we do not know a lot about Rice. It might come as a surprise to many readers when they hear that over 40,000 rice varieties are available out there. In some countries or in some cultures, rice is considered as a symbol of fertility and life.

Rice would probably be consumed in one form or another by most of us on a daily basis. In South India, rice is often used to prepare breakfast, lunch, and dinner. In fact, rice is one of the main carbohydrate sources for South Indians. It is certain that most of us would have experimented or tried to prepare recipes with rice. If you have not, here are a few homemade rice recipes to help you get started.

Homemade Jeera Rice

Jeera rice is an easy to prepare rice recipe, whose main ingredients are rice and cumin (also called jeera)seeds. Cumin seeds not just add taste, texture, and flavor to the dish, but it also improves the nutritional values. In fact, cumin seeds are an excellent source of copper, zinc, iron, and several other nutrients.

Homemade Lemon Rice

The popular South Indian rice recipe. Lemon rice can be easily and quickly prepared at your home with a few ingredients. The rice recipe can be prepared with both leftover rice or freshly prepared rice. Lemon rice is usually served with vegetable salad, coconut chutney, or pappadams.

Homemade Coconut Rice

Are you craving for a delicious and unique rice recipe? If so, you will surely love coconut rice. Coconut rice, which is made with freshly grated coconut and rice is an absolute delight for the ones who love rice recipes.

Homemade Coriander Rice

Here is a tasty rice recipe that is rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Coriander rice is prepared with rice, spices, and several vegetables. You can add more vegetables like green peas, broccoli, tendli, and more to the rice recipe to make it more nutritious.

Homemade Mutter Pulao

Mutter Pulao, which is prepared with herbs, spices, green peas, and rice is another common Indian rice recipe. It can be easily prepared at your home within 30 or less than 30 minutes. It can be served with pickle, chicken curry, vegetable curry, and more.

Are you looking for more easy to prepare homemade recipes? If so, we have a few suggestions for you.

Reasons Why Should You Start Eating Healthy?

Most people will advise you to start eating healthy and exercise regularly if you ask them how to stay healthy. However, the reality is that most of us do not know what healthy eating really means. So, you will probably be wondering what it means. In simple words, healthy eating refers to following a healthy eating pattern, which includes consuming nutritious drinks and foods.

There is no denying the fact that nutrition is integral for each and every one of us. When you eat healthily, your body will receive adequate amounts of nutrients that include proteins, fat, minerals, vitamins, carbohydrates, and more. A healthy eating habit which is combined with regular exercise is sure to keep you healthy and high on energy.

How To Eat Healthily

The simple and best way to eat healthily is to include different types of fruits and vegetables in your daily diet. In addition, you should also opt for low-fat or fat-free dairy products instead of eating food items with higher fat content. It would also be best to include protein-rich foods in your diet like eggs, nuts, soy products, peas, beans, and more.

Obviously, you will also need to cut down the intake of salt and sugar along with saturated food items to a certain extent. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to keep track of these things when you are eating restaurant food. So, it is best to switch to healthy home cooked meals that will help you to follow a healthy diet.

Benefits Of Eating Healthy

One of the major advantages of developing a healthy eating habit is that it will help you to lose weight. Most processed food items usually contain higher amounts of calories than vegetables and fruits. Eating fruits and vegetables instead of processed foods will considerably reduce your daily calorie intake, which will result in weight loss.

People who follow an unhealthy diet are more likely to become obese, which increases the chances of developing cancer, diabetes, and several other dieases. Fortunately, you will be able to avoid the chance of such diseases by sticking to a healthy diet. Lastly, several studies have also revealed that sticking to a healthy diet will also improve your memory.

One of the simplest and easiest ways to eat healthy is to choose homemade food instead of restaurant food. So, if you are really looking forward to following a healthy eating habit, it would be best to avoid restaurant food and choose home cooked meals. If you do not have the time to prepare meals at your home, get in touch with us, as we can provide you healthy and delicious home cooked meals every day.

Why Is Homemade Food Healthier

Eating home made food instead of dining out at a restaurant is a healthy habit everyone should try to build. Most of us may have probably heard it at least a dozen times from our parents, fitness coaches, and others. However, we are all guilty of eating from restaurants regularly because of our tight work schedules and other reasons.

If you are someone who loves restaurant food, you may be probably wondering why you should switch to homemade food. There are plenty of reasons why you should eat home cooked food. For starters, several studies have identified that people who eat homemade meals have a healthier diet than the ones who eat restaurant food. Here are a few more reasons that will give you a clear idea on why home-cooked food is healthy.

Restaurant Food Has Higher Amounts Of Sodium And Fat

It is no secret that most restaurants use different techniques and ingredients to add flavor to their meals. They use cream, butter, sodium, and salt to improve the taste and enhance the flavor of different dishes. The addition of these ingredients is sure to add extra calories to the food items.

Likewise, several restaurants also use low-quality oils and other ingredients while preparing meals. This is usually done to reduce the food costs, but these low-quality ingredients may not be good for your health. You don’t have to worry about consuming additional calories and eating food prepared with low-quality oils when eating homemade food.

Home Cooked Food Has Natural & Fresh Ingredients

Home cooked meals are prepared with natural and fresh ingredients without making any compromises on quality and health. Most of us use fresh vegetables and other ingredients that are bought from local markets.

We always try to avoid using vegetables and other ingredients that do not seem suitable for preparing a meal. Unfortunately, you will not be able to ensure that restaurants are using fresh ingredients while cooking meals.

Home Cooked Food Will Keep You Healthy & Safe

The chances of catching a foodborne illness are very high when you are dining out. Most commercial restaurants prepare 1000 or more meals in a day based on customer requirements.

As a result, there is a chance of falling prey to foodborne diseases. Fortunately, you will be able to prevent the occurrence of such diseases by eating homemade meals.

We understand that not everyone has the time and luxury to prepare home cooked food. This is why we have a group of skilled home chefs who prepare healthy and delicious home cooked meals to help you continue eating homemade food.

Health Benefits Of Home Cooked Meals

There is no denying that several prefer to dine out instead of preparing home-cooked food. They claim that they do not have the time to prepare food at home and some say that they do it to save time. However, the reality is that most of these are not aware of the health benefits of home cooked meals.

The present situation has encouraged many of us to cook and eat homemade meals, which surely is a great thing. Do you know that researches have revealed that eating home-cooked foods leads to a healthier and happier life along with several other benefits? Here are some more benefits you can enjoy by eating home-cooked meals.

You Have A Control Over What You Eat

We all have days, where we go on a binge-eating spree while watching Netflix. A while later, you end up regretting the binge-eating sessions when you realized that you have put on weight. This rarely happens when preparing and eating home cooked meals because you will be cooking food by using the right portions.

If you are watching your weight or if you are on a diet, switching to homemade foods is the right way to go. Even if there is leftover food, you can keep them in your refrigerator for the next day.

You Will Be Able To Maintain Nutrition

Eating homemade dishes will not just help you to stop overeating, it will also help you to maintain nutrition. You may need to compromise on quality and nutrition while dining out. However, this will not happen when you are eating food cooked at home.

It is evident that you will have better control over including nutrients in your diet this way. Food prepared at home in safe and neat kitchens will also keep you away from diseases.

You Will Be Able To Avoid Sugar And Processed Food

One of the major issues with dining out or eating restaurant food is that you will have no control over the intake of sugar and processed food. It is important to realize that soda, wine, and other drinks contain a significant amount of processed sugar.

The good news is that you will be able to considerably avoid sugar and processed food by eating home made dishes. You will be able to eat unprocessed and organic food this way, which will also keep you healthy.

Five Ganesh Chaturthi Recipes You Do Not Want To Miss

The season of festivals is finally here. The month of August was filled with several joyous and festive events including Raksha Bhanthan, Janmashtami, Eid & more. While the essence of these festivals is still in the air, we are just a few days away from another joyous festival, Ganesh Chaturthi. The festival celebrations are all set to begin from August, 22.

Just like any other Indian festival, food plays an integral part in Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations. An array of mouth-watering sweets and delicious dishes are prepared by devotees as prasad or bhog to please Lord Ganesha. Here are some of the best and famous Ganesh Chaturthi recipes that you do not want to miss out on. Some of the food items included in the list are also known to be the favorite of Lord Ganesha.

Modak

Ganesh Chaturti celebrations are incomplete without a plate of Modaks or sweet dumplings. Modak is known as the most favorite food of Lord Ganesh. The sweet dumplings that are stuffed with jaggery and grated coconut is offered to Lord Ganesha. Different varieties of Modak like fried moduk, chocolate modak, & more are prepared by devotees during Ganesh Chaturthi.

Motichoor Ladoo

It is no secret that Lord Ganesha is known for his love for sweet foods. Motichoor Ladoo is also among one of Lord Ganesha’s favorite foods. The Lord enjoys these sweet delights. In fact, in most of his paintings or idols, you can see a Ladoo on one of his four hands. The saffron-hued and delicious Motichoor Ladoo can be easily prepared at home.

Puran Poli

Puran Poli is a delicious festive treat that commonly Maharashtrians prepare during most auspicious occasions. Several Maharashtrian households can be seen offering Puran Poli to the Lord. In fact, the sweet Indian flat bread is among one of the common bhog offered to Lord Ganesha.

Shrikhand

Shrikhand, which is a sweet Indian dish, is very popular in states like Gujarat and Maharashtra. It is made with strained yogurt and topped with raisins and chunky nuts. Shrikhand is also offered by several devotees to Lord Ganesha to please the Lord.

Coconut Rice

Lord Ganesha devotees in South Indian states also offer coconut rice to the deity. Coconut rice can be prepared either by cooking white rice in coconut flakes or by soaking it in coconut milk. You can easily prepare the dish in just a few minutes if you have cooked rice and grated coconut at home.

So why are you waiting? start preparing these delicious Ganesh Chaturthi recipes at home.

Where can I order the best Biryani in Bangalore?

To hunt for best biryani in Bangalore is definitely not difficult. But before we start our search let’s just bow to the greatness of a bowl of biryani!

The culinary world is always in flux. Sometimes the trend leans towards the flavor, sometimes texture, sometimes spices, sometimes technique, and sometimes convenience!

If we bring these five points together, there is something so traditional in our Indian repertoire that it can challenge any dish of international repute. Yes, it is the one-pot wonder of Biryani.

Built on layers of flavor constructed with cooked yogurt, fried onions, and ghee, a plate of Biryani boasts of perfectly cooked rice lending it a texture of pure pleasure. The subtle aroma that wafts out when you break open the top layer of rice and reveal the juicy and tender pieces of meat beneath lends it a royal experience. The magic of not turning a pot of Biryani into mush is to apply proper heat with a technique called ‘dum’ which should keep the rice moist and the meat succulent. Sign of the best biryani is when both rice and the meat have a depth of flavor and not dried out or stringy.

There are many kinds of Biryanis with varied regional origins and types of meat or other proteins it has. The popular regional choices are – Mughlai Biryani, Lucknowi Biryani, Andhra-style Biryani, Hyderabadi Biryani, Calcutta Biryani, Afghani Biryani, Bangalore’s own Donne Style Biryani, Homestyle Biryani, Ambur Biryani, Bhatkali Biryani, Muslim Biryani etc. The various choices of protein that you can find in Biryani are – Chicken, Mutton, Prawn, Paneer, Fish, etc.

Bangalore & Biryani

The popularity of Biryani in Bangalore is legendary. The city is in deep love with this dish, so much so that it has city-based online groups dedicated solely to find hidden Biryani joints in the city and swap heirloom recipes from their own families!

The wild popularity of Biryani has also inspired Masalabox to showcase the family recipes of its home chef and create Home Chef Specials solely dedicated to popular flavours of Biryani. But before we reveal the exciting world of Biryani of Masalabox, let us find out about other city-based popular places that serve the best Biryani in Bangalore.

Five Popular Bangalore Joints Dishing Out Best Biryani in Bangalore

Nagarjuna

For a bowl of rustic, home-style, fiery and earthy flavor of coastal Andhra, make a beeline to Nagarjuna. The biryani here is spot on, cooked with whole spices with a hit of chilies. With multiple outlets peppered around the city, you are never far away from a spicy and delicious dish of Andhra-style biryani. And now with online ordering, you don’t have to wait in the lines for a seat at the always-crowded restaurant.
Can you order online? Yes.

Shivaji Military Hotel

Served in a bowl of dried and sewn areca palm leaf, the donne-style biryani is Namma Bengaluru’s very own. If you think biryani means basmati rice, donne biryani will spring a surprise at you. Shivaji Military Hotel, known for its brilliant balance of rice and meat content, is a legendary place to hog your share of donne biryani in the city.

Can you order online? Yes.

Meghana Foods

Another joint that serves Andhra-style biryani, but with a difference! If you prefer your rice spiced subtly, bearing a mellow flavor and your chicken boneless and spicy, then this is your biryani mecca. Their boneless chicken biryani is coated with a spicy batter and the gravy on the sides lends right moisture to the rice. For a bigger and bolder, and robust flavor, check this joint out! The basic difference between Nagarjuna & Meghana is the latter is more refined in flavoring the rice and doesn’t use whole spices.

Can you order online? Yes.

Hyderabad Biryaani House

A consistent performer in the authentic Hyderabadi Biryani circuit, this outlet on Richmond Road doesn’t need any introduction to the city’s Biryani fanatics. Humble biryani served on a banana leaf is well-spiced and tasty. The side dishes are also mouthwatering. For people who are both quality and quantity conscious, this is the best place to order the rice dish from!

Can you order online? Yes.

Shareif Bhai

Craving for some Muslim-styled biryani right in the morning? Yes, biryani breakfast is a thing and Shareif Bhai delivers on that promise! His Gosht Biryani from the Kormangala joint is hugely popular for its fragrant and non-greasy rice and meaty mutton bites. A bowl from here will remind you of the flavors of street food that you are missing during this home-bound phase. During Eid and other Islamic festivals, you can also call for haleem, kebabs, and meat-filled samosas.
Can you order online? Yes.

Masalabox Home Chef Specials Biryani

If you prefer homemade biryani over homely tasting biryani from any of the above joints, don’t forget to check out the Home Chef Specials Biryani range from Masalabox.

We have curated the best selection of biryanis which our talented homemakers have perfected over the years. The range includes simple yet sensational ingredients like basmati rice, Jeera kashala rice, and freshly procured meat, poultry, and vegetables. From classic biryanis to regional favorites, we have hand-selected the range with care for every taste and flavor.

The biryanis are prepared in small individual batches by our home chefs in their traditional vessels. This gives a humble result as compared to bulk produced restaurant biryanis. The preparations have no additives and food colors which would harm your natural immune system.

Can you order online? Yes.

So what’s stopping you now? Let the biryani binge begin!

5 Reasons why homebaked goodies are better than store-bought baked products?

The battle between homebaked goodies and store-bought baked junks is an old one now but just as relevant today.

Due to lack of time and choices, we oftentimes pick up whatever is available to us from the supermarket shelves.

But where there is a whisk, there is a way!

Challenged by this compulsion, we at Masalabox thought that ‘enough is enough’! This is a problem we need to address and the urgency is immediate.

Our home chefs put on their toques, punched some dough, turned on their home ovens and whipped some butter, and voila, they came up with a fresh, mouth-watering, and decadent range of homebaked goodies.

But before you learn about our premium range of homebaked goodies that is Daily Essentials, there are few baking essentials that you should be aware of. And that’s why we chose to put all of that together in this blog.

Why homebaked goodies triumph over their store-bought versions?

Use of Best Ingredients

Needless to say, a mass-produced bakery item is an artificial imitation of the highest order. Unlike our home chefs who are driven by a passion for cooking, factory-produced bulk bread won’t even use real ingredients. This is the reason why supermarket shelf bread never smells as wholesome as home-baked one. Isn’t it?

Oodles of Personal Touch

At home, baking recipes are handed down, tweaked over time, learned at gourmet baking schools, and perfected by a baker with a passion that creates a taste palette over and above mass-produced ones. So when you are taking a bite of home-baked bread or a homemade cookie, you actually taste their experiences and expertise gathered over a while. No machine can do that!

Keeping it Healthy & Preservative Free

Industrial products will be always packed with preservatives to extend their shelf life. With homebaked goodies, we use small batch baking techniques and especially the made to order baked items are done fresh every day. That’s why the products remain chemical-free. Home bakers generally bake only one item at one time (because typically their home ovens will only accommodate single baking items over industrial equipment which bake in huge numbers), thereby preserving its taste and aroma. No need to add any life enhancer because it is meant to be consumed immediately or in two-three days! Home-baked goods have no added chemicals, emulsifiers, artificial flavors, etc.

And dang the weird taste of preservatives left behind in a store-bought baked product!

The cycle of Freshness

At bakeries and supermarkets, even fresh loaves of bread are made hours before and you might consume them a few hours after. If you calculate the typical time of a store-bought baked product, the cycle from the factory to the plate will go anywhere past one month. Whereas home-baked items are prepared fresh (in fact at Daily Essentials, we start making it after we have received the order) and consumed within a week.

Made with Love

Baking is an emotional stress buster – for the baker as well as one who is relishing the end product. Many cooks compare baking with mindfulness and we all know cooking itself increases happiness. So homebaked goodies are a perfect vessel to carry that love and happiness and spread smiles around. This human connection will be completely lost on a machine because happiness is homemade!

Did we ‘bake’ you happy?

We sincerely hope that we could successfully throw some light on the benefits of homebaked goodies over the store-bought ones. Now armed with these new pieces of information, you will make a better choice – to improve the health of your family, to taste the best, and consume a more natural diet!

Check out Daily Essentials by Masalabox here, a premium range of homebaked goodies.