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Health Foods have become the buzzword at high society parties and the new urban Indian is now talking, breathing and eating healthy. It is time you keep yourself updated with the new health foods on the shelf and evaluate what works for you.

Do these new health foods sound Greek and Latin to you ? Having trouble deciphering strange food names like quinoa and chia seeds? Don’t get how normal oats are different from the overnight soaked variety? Here’s putting a stop to all your confusions about these latest trends that have entered the health food market.

1) Oats

While oats have become the new instant snack for health conscious Indians, the new trend creeping in, is the concept of overnight soaked oats, which not a lot of people get. Overnight soaked oats are exactly what they sound like – pour some oats into a bowl, top it with greek yogurt/hung curd or milk or soya milk – almost any liquid you fancy (even fruit juice will do!). Add nuts, chia seeds, cut fruit, chocolate and get creative with the toppings and leave this mixture in fridge overnight. By morning, your breakfast will taste like a super healthy dessert! Having said that, this is an acquired taste and not everyone will like them.

2) Chia seeds

You must have heard about these tiny black seeds that the Westerners seem to be adding on top of almost everything they eat – chia seeds pudding, chia seed curry – they’re everywhere! Chia seeds grow on a plant that is native to South America and has been one of the most trusted superfood for people belonging to the Mayan and Aztec races. This little seed is known to aide weightloss and is packed with fiber, protein, alcium, magnesium, phosphorous, manganese and good fats! All this is a tiny seed – no wonder people are going crazy over it.

3) Quinoa

To be honest, quinoa is basically birdfeed and is often fed to pet birds owing to its excellent protein content. It was later found to be equally nutritious for humans and has grown to become the world’s favourite health food since! From desserts to salads, quinoa is used in almost everything! Its anti-inflammatory and antioxidants properties make it great for daily consumption as well. Best eaten as a salad with lots of veggies, quinoa is a no-nonsense, simple to make healthy snack.

4) Kale

This green leafy vegetable became a trend in 2015 when everyone was going gaga over the health benefits of kale. From kale chips to curries and salads and smoothies, people just could not get enough of this. It is found to lower cholesterol and the risk if cancer and is known to flush toxins out from your body, apart from bettering cardiovascular strength and aiding weight loss. These beautifully green, curly leaves will leave you asking for more!

With refined carbs dominating the modern Indian diet, more and more people are falling prey to lifestyle diseases such as diabetes and metabolic abnormalities. Looking at how healthy our grandparents are, it is time we take a second look at the foods that our ancestors put their trust in, all those years ago.

When you look up the word refined on the web, you come across words like elegant, polished and sophisticated – however when you think of it, foods like oil, rice and flour come to mind, don’t they? The modern Asian diet, which thrives on good carbohydrate sources has now come down to getting its quota of carbs from unhealthy food sources such as refined flour and white rice. The same was earlier procured from healthy, wholesome and nutritious dishes such as sorghum and barley – so here’s a list of all those ancient superfoods that our forefathers relied on, for their daily share of nutrition.

1) Amaranth

An excellent source of iron, amaranth seed flour is used as an additive to wheat flour to fortify it, because by itself, it is too heavy and dense to be used as flour. It is also used to thicken soups and stews and is a much healthier alternative as compared to chickpea flour or cornflour.

However, amaranth seeds when boiled can be great additions to salads. Sold in fancy packaging by a lot of organic food companies, amaranth is now making a comeback and is being incorporated into the diets of many young Indians these days. The reason – the ample health benefits associated with it. Apart from iron, phosphorous and cartenoids, amaranth has a remarkable amount of protein too. Amaranth is also rich is soluble and digestible fiber making it light on the stomach – complimenting our sedentary lifestyles well. The red flowers of the amaranth tree are also edible and equally nutritious.

2) Ragi

Nachni, ragi or finger millet flour – call it what you want, but this absolute wonder of a food grain is incredibly versatile and healthy at the same time. Known to have been introduced in India about 4000 years ago, ragi has been the secret of saints for many years. High in protein and minerals, ragi is also loved by youngsters too owing to its versatility. You can use it in place of wheat flour to make bright red rotis and can also make it into a halwa or chips even! Ragi also helps in controlling diabetes and is known to have cancer preventing properties. Making them into chips with a dip or into a dosa with chutney or even bread – this is one superfood you can play around with.

3) Kodri

A grain indigenous to Gujarat, kodri was known to be the poor man’s rice owing to its texture and taste. This traditional and ancient food was a great source of energy to those who toiled hard everyday and needed a lot of food to sustain. Kodri is a great source of carbs, proteins and fats making it a wholesome one-pot meal. It has good amounts of calcium too ensuring bone strength. Once the food of labourers, kodri is fast gaining popularity amongst the Indian youth – who have finally realized its worth, and are fast replacing their favourite rice dishes with kodri.

Kodri biryani anyone?

4) Jowar

Our ancestors have been relishing dishes made from this nutritious food source, long before the word gluten free was invented. Jowar or sorghum is again an extremely versatile grain that can be made into everything from chips and chaklis to rotis and even cakes and desserts! Don’t believe us – make time someday to make a delectable jowar apple crumble or even a jowar taco! It also helps that jowar has extremely high calcium and protein content but very low fat content.

5) Daliya/Faada

Call it the Mediterranean influence or whatever, but daliya made a huge comeback in the staple diets of young Indians in the form of cous-cous or broken wheat. Earlier eaten either as a halwa or in khichdi, this nutritious food item has become a style statement in the form of a quick go-to snack. Basically made with wholewheat or gehun, broken down into little bits, this ancient food grain is a one-pot meal when made with lots of veggies and lentils.