Download does indian food mean unhealthy food

DOES INDIAN FOOD MEAN UNHEALTHY FOOD?
Indian food is one of the healthiest cuisines in the world but owners of takeaways and
restaurants need to prove it. Curry Life investigates.
A recent survey undertaken by the consumer magazine,Which has revealed some
disturbing statistics about the nutritional content of takeaway food.
Researchers who tested dishes from Indian, Chinese and pizza food outlets discovered
that many of them contained worryingly high levels of salt, fat and sugar, with an
average portion of curry being found to contain 23.6g of saturated fat. As the
recommended daily intake is only 20g for a woman and 30g for a man, associated
health risks linked to eating this kind of food on a long-term basis are dangerously
high.
As far as calorific content goes, a typical Indian takeaway was found to contain 1,338,
just over 100 less than a similar sized Chinese with the latter also being found to have
the equivalent of 17 teaspoons of sugar. Pizzas included fewer calories (836-929), but
had 60% of the recommended daily salt allowance.
The results have led some campaigners to call for more effective labeling of takeaway
food. However, many Indian restaurateurs are outraged at the findings. Saleem Akhtar
of the Jinah group says; “I have been preparing Indian food and eating Indian food for
over 18 years and think I know whether the food I prepare and eat is bad for me. I just
cannot see how it is apparently so unhealthy.”
Neil Fowler, editor of Which magazine is unrepentant; “We would like people to be
aware of just how much of the daily food intake comes in one meal,” he explains, “A
day’s worth of fat and sugar shouldn’t be ignored. Unlike at supermarkets, it is almost
impossible to work out the nutritional content of a takeaway. Ultimately we want
consumers to have much clearer information about fat, sugar and salt levels.”
Considering the amount of ghee and cream used in dishes such as Kormas and
Massallas, it’s not surprising that Indian food is perceived as being unhealthy. In
contrast to Pan-Asian cuisine with its emphasis on fresh, quickly cooked vegetables
and lean meat, an oily Balti or Biryani dish, often washed down with copious pints of
lager, is a far more indulgent and delicious option.
South Asian immigrants are themselves paying the price of a high fat diet with a
greater risk of developing cardio-vascular disease than the rest of the UK population.
Metabolic Syndrome, a combination of conditions that increase the likelihood of a
heart attack or diabetes, is becoming more and more prevalent within the Asian
community.
Ironically there is no cultural or traditional reason as to why Indian food should be
bad for you. There are more vegetarians in India than anywhere else in the world. Fish
figures widely on most menus and has been promoted in Asian restaurants and by
chefs including Aldo Zilli, proprietor of Zilli Fish in Soho, across the country.
Healthy pulses like lentils and beans form the basis of many dishes. India is also the
home of Ayuverda – a 5,000-year-old Eastern lifestyle based on the philosophy of
‘You Are What You Eat’ and a belief that different combinations of foods and spices
can maintain the body’s natural balance, easing medical conditions and even warding
off ill health.
The principle is gaining momentum in Indian restaurants across the UK. Rasa
restaurant in Newcastle was recently voted one of the top healthy curry houses in the
UK, alongside London’s Cinammon and Amaya restaurant, by judges including Mark
Sargeant, executive chef at Gordon Ramsays at Claridges and Atul Kochhar, chef
patron of Berkley Square’s Benares.
The restaurant specializes in Keralan food from Southern India with the emphasis on
lean meat cuisine and plentiful vegetarian options.
Das Sreedharan who opened the Rasa two years ago, says he was mystified by what
passed as Indian food when he first came to Britain as it bore no resemblance to what
he had left behind. He decided to recreate a menu comprising of naturally healthy
food. “Keralan dishes use a lot of vegetables and pulses and have a good balance of
qualities and flavours;” he says.
Others have taken up the crusade across the UK. Kuldip Singh and Ravi Bajaj’s
Altincham-based restaurant is firmly based on Ayuverdic principles. Many dishes on
the menu contain specific health-giving properties – Methi (Fenugreek chicken) is
said to be good for anyone with heart disease or diabetes and the restaurant’s pigeon
dishes are effective against impotency.
It’s not only restaurants based on Ayuverdic principles that are playing the health
card. Gulu Anand of The Brilliant restaurant in Southwell has long pioneered the
concept of healthy Indian food. Eight years ago Gulu suffered a heart attack because
of high cholesterol levels, a bi-product of eating meals full of saturated fats at his
restaurant.
Ever since, he has revolutionized staple Indian dishes to produce healthier options. He
believes that low cholesterol dishes can still taste as good as the high fat alternative.
“With ingredients we use, like the spices, you can still have the same taste and the
same flavours without adding excessive fats,” he explains.
Gulu’s daughter Dipna has inherited her father’s passion for healthy food and along
with her brother Shankar, has added an innovative, healthy dimension into The
Brilliant’s menu where existing dishes have been refined to suit a health conscious
palate.
“Indian restaurants should balance the impetus towards satisfying changing customer
food habits just as we have done at The Brilliant,” says Dipna on the restaurant’s
website, “The answer to satisfying consumer demand of healthy food is not to
completely re-invent or change the menu but adapt some of the ingredients in certain
dishes.”
It’s a concept that restaurateurs could easily take on board. The feel good factor is
already there – consumers just need to be reminded. For example, dishes cooked in
the Tandoor are a healthy option already as no fat is used and natural fats drip off the
meat. Boiled rice and chappatis are more beneficial than nans or paratha. Olive or
vegetable oil can be used instead of ghee and yoghurt in place of cream.
Healthy menus should be offered as an option however. Asmin Govindhi, a leading
dietician and nutritionist, agrees that healthy eating attracts more customers but
restaurateurs should ensure there is a choice available; “It’s not about denying people
their favourite foods, it’s about giving them the choice,” she says.
Owners of food establishments hold the health of the nation in their hands; Indian
food and curry can be the basis of a healthy diet. If we can adapt and prove that
principle, the overall diagnosis, for the nation and for restaurateurs, can only be good.