We are living in a fast paced world wherein both - husband and wife goes to work. What does it leave with?
A very little time to take care of household chores.
Do we bother about it?
No. As long as the income is good and is supporting our lifestyle, we do not care much about it.
This in turn leads to lot of compromises(I would rather say seeking convenience). So, we invariably end up spending a lot on food, outside. While this is not bad, always, due care/diligence should be taken while ordering your food - be it online or offline.
What are the three important questions one should ask prior to ordering the food?
1. What oil do you use?
2. What water do you use?
3. Do you use preservatives/additives/artificial colors?
These three questions are really important. Let us see in detail.
Oil is one of the most important ingredient in our cuisine. There are various types of oil available out there. Some are priced as low as Rs.50 which goes up to Rs.500 per litre. In case,if you are wondering what these were, let me make it simpler for you. The cheapest oil you get it in the market is palm oil or palmolin. Which oil do you think the road side dhaba/eateries are using it? I wouldn't be surprised, if this is used in many small eateries too since this is cheap and can help them have good margin/profit in their sales. This is not healthy when it comes to consumption. Prolonged usage may bring ailments to your body. Hence the first question you need to ask before ordering is What oil do you use? Vanaspati is also used liberally and this is also not good for health.
Refined oil is good when it comes to cooking and for consumption. You may find expensive hotel/restaurants using Olive oil since their food is priced on a higher side.
Water is another major ingredient. Majority of the diseases caused were mostly because of water. Hence it is imperative that you need to know as to what kind of water is used in cooking. Most of the roadside dhaba/eateries use water which they procure from unknown sources. These may not have been filtered or treated under UV/RO. This would invariably lead to various health complications like diarrhea, indigestion, food poisoning to name a few. Hence ask this question without fail. Ensure that the food you are having is cooked by using mineral/treated water and not just some randomnly sourced one.
Preservatives/Additives - As long as they are the approved ones by FSSAI or other competitive body, you need not have to worry. In reality, the usage is at an all time high. The colors are used liberally in all the food. Preservatives/Additives may help in increasing the shelf life of the food but at what cost? Most probably our health.
Hence, try to eat fresh food. Eat them as soon as they are prepared. Do not blindly order the food. It is your right to know about the information (about quality) of the food you are having.
Credit/Inputs - Mr Krishnan Subramanian Kolazhy
EmoticonEmoticon