Home » Food and Drink »  Go Healthy »  Vegetables and Fruits Usage Even a die-hard meat lover will agree that vegetables are a main source of proteins and vitamins for the body. And even the most kitchen-friendly of us will agree that faulty cooking methods and prolonged careless storage, can destroy these valuable elements. To derive maximum benefits of their nutrients, vegetables should be consumed as fresh as possible. Salads are by far the best way to consume a vegetable, without losing out on its vitamin value, but here are some hints that will help you cook them without losing out on the energy quotient. If you happen to have forgotten one or two hints, well, take a look! If you happen to know them, remember them and yet not use them in your everyday cooking -please read and re-read these tips and practice them too! Wash the vegetables thoroughly and cut them into as large a piece as possible. Put the cut pieces into a vessel with boiling water, with a pinch of salt in it. (this will prevent the loss of vital vitamins like B-complex and Vitamin C) Remember spinach and other greens hardly require any water. Only minimum water that just about covers the vegetables should be used. Cover the cooking pan tightly so that you don't expose the vegetables to the atmospheric air. Cook them only for the stipulated time and stop the heat once you know they are just right for you to chew! As far as possible, serve them hot.Food and health books say that it is essential that leafy vegetables should constitute 40% of our vegetable intake; roots & tubers should be 30% and other vegetables like brinjal, ladies fingers should constitute the remaining 30%. Does it make a difference to you? if they haven't till now, make it a point to make note! Because eating is what we do to live!

Fruit Fundas!

Adam and Eve ate the first fruit -the forbidden apple,
And the sin made their life tumble and topple.
But today, it's a basic fact of humanity -
Fruits are the ones that will help us survive our journey -
From Here to Eternity! Jokes apart, even before man knew how to cook, he knew how to eat. And fruits were his staple diet then! Fresh fruits and dry fruits contain rich minerals, vitamins and enzymes and give the overall cleansing effect to the blood and digestive tract. Studies reveal that dried fruits such as apricots, raisins and dates supply calcium and iron to the body. Regular intake of fruits helps in preventing constipation and digestion.
Fruits are best when taken as a separate meal by themselves, preferably for breakfast and may pair better with milk!

An All Fruit Diet would constitute

Three meals a day that has a combination of the following fruits:Oranges, apples, pears, grapes, grapefruit, pineapple, peaches, melon, or any other fleshy, juicy fruit of the season. Unsweetened lemon water or plain water can be had instead of tea or coffee. Do not include: banana or any other snack item, while you're on a fruit diet, as it would defeat the purpose of going on one!

The Chilli Court

No, this is not the name of the latest restaurant in your town! But it definitely is a small write-up on the most desired (and for those sweet tongued ones, the most feared too!) spice of all -the chilli. Whether green or red, roasted brown, or heated to make oil, chillies are an important ingredient of Indian cooking! And when it's 'Jalapeno', y' know it's the cowboy's favourite too! The hottest part of the chilli is the seed, while the flesh provides the flavour! Fresh chillies are rich in Vitamin C and are used often in the Indian, Thai, Mexican and Indonesian cooking. Chilli flakes are used for garnishing in Italian food and the Tabasco sauce is widely used in all parts of the world. And you know what's the hottest tip (pun intended!) when your mouth becomes sore after you unknowingly bite into the chilli (thinking it was beans, of course!)? No, water will only make it worse. Take a handful of cooked rice or a piece of bread or gulp down half a tumbler of milk to soothe your burning palette!