Nutrition has gained utmost important over the years. Everywhere and anywhere you go, you”ll hear lot many things about Nutrition. Perceptions coming from different peoples will make you confuse about what foods to have and what to avoid. One such major confusion involves “The Confusion of firangi foods” .You might be thinking just because foods are exported they might be having high nutritional value. Well I am not denying the facts those foods might be high on nutrition. But are those expensive FIRANGI FOODS really needed by us? Let’s find out whether we can swap this FIRANGI FOODS with our TRADITIONAL SUPERFOODS?
FIRANGI FOODS
As the words say itself “FIRANGI” means they are not local to us. They are exported from different countries.
Can you think of any Firangi foods? Ok I’ll do it for you. Here are few firangi foods. Just to name a few firangi foods Quinoa, Avocado, Kale, Blueberries.
QUINOA
quiona-seeds
When we speak about firangi foods, the first thing which comes in our mind is “Quinoa”. Yes this name is known to many of us after all it’s one of the most popular firangi foods. Quinoa which is rightly pronounced as “Keen-wa” is a  tiny grain like food with many nutritional benefits. Quinoa can be taken in form of pulao, salads, upma. Quinoa is high in protein with essential amino acids. Quinoa contains about 8 gms of protein and 5 gm of fiber. Often quinoa is used as replacement for starchy foods like rice or cereals. But is this replacement necessary? Isn’t there any local food which we can opt for?
Well I guess yes.
AMARANTH / RAJGIRA
amaranth-rajgira
Amaranth, another super food which is trending. A tiny grain cultivated since 8000 years.
Amaranth can be taken in the form of salads, laddo, pancakes, porridges, patties. The nutritional benefit of amaranth is almost similar to that of “QUINOA” . Don’t believe me check out on your own.

Nutritional properties QUINOA AMARANTH
Gluten free
High in protein √ (more protein than quinoa)
Essential amino acids
High in fiber √ (more fiber than quinoa)
Antioxidants
High in Vitamins and Minerals
Iron √ (more iron than quinoa)

We just saw the similarities between Quinoa and Amaranth now let’s find out which is better.
Amaranth is little pocket friendly than quinoa and also contains more protein than Quinoa. To get rid of the coating on top quinoa has to be washed several times while amaranth doesn’t needs to be washed so many times. The lysine protein and the protein content in amaranth is higher than quinoa.  As compared to quinoa the fiber content of amaranth is very high. Quinoa also lacks phytosterols which are present in large amount in amaranth. Also Quinoa has a bitter taste as compared to Amaranth.
Not only amaranth but there are also other flours like buckwheat ( known as kuttu) also giving a tough competition to Quinoa.
 
BUCKWHEAT
buckwheat-paleo
Buckwheat benefits are also similar to those of amaranth and Quinoa. It is easily available .

Buckwheat is not a form of wheat. In fact, it is not even a grain. Buckwheat is actually a fruit seed related to rhubarb. It is a gluten-free, high fibre, high protein alternative to wheat flour. Buckwheat flour has been consumed in Asian countries for ages and now the world is waking up to it.
One of the main reasons for its popularity is that buckwheat is gluten-free. With the rise in gluten intolerance around the world, people are looking at gluten-free alternatives and buckwheat flour fits the bill perfectly.
Buckwheat flour is known as Kuttu ka atta in India and is predominantly eaten during fast. But it can be eaten as a regular flour too due to it innumerable benefits.
The Next Firangi food is KALE by now it’s a quite common name.
ubbed an ultra nutrient-dense super food, with many even calling it the most nutritious plant in the world, it’s no wonder that the leafy vegetable has gained so much attention. Don’t ignore the hype, because kale really is extremely nutrient dense with a vast array of vitamins, minerals, and even protein.
But the question remains: How does the lesser-known super food moringa stack up against nutritional heavyweight kale?
 
KALE

Kale-in-rustic-basket
Kale is a leafy green vegetable closely related to brussel sprouts, broccoli, and cauliflower. It is found in a wide variety of places around the world and is especially prevalent in Europe and the United States. Kale is also widely available in most grocery stores. A versatile food, Kale can be served steamed, boiled, or raw.
Nutritionally, kale is known for its high levels of iron, calcium, beta carotene, and vitamin C.  It’s also a good source of plant protein. Furthermore, the carotenoids and phytochemicals in kale may protect against certain diseases, including cancer.
 
MORINGA
moringa
In the world of superfoods, kale’s established role as the go-to green superfood often overshadows moringa. However, moringa is becoming more and more popular and deserves much more attention. If you aren’t familiar, moringa is a slender tree with nutrient dense leaves. Moringa leaves can be added to soups, curries, pasta sauces, used to make tea, or tossed in a salad. These leaves are highly nutritious contains about 18 amino acids and 30 antioxidants that promote healthy skin. Also it helps in detoxification of your body so that it can function at an optimal level.
MORINGA VS KALE
Moringa_vs_KaleAs we can see, Overall, Moringa is more nutritious than kale. It has higher nutritional content in most categories compared to other foods (making it ‘super’). So can’t we just opt for Moringa over kale?
And here comes the highly anticipated food “Blue berries” When blueberry is already termed as SUPER FOODS it’s also important for us to know some facts about blueberries and can we swap JAMUN  with Blueberries. Let’s Check out.
 
BLUEBERRY
Blackberry-with-leaves
Blueberry is a “SUPER FOOD” coz of it’s super health benefits. Bluberries contains iron, phosphorous, calcium, magnesium, manganese, zinc, and vitamin K. Each of these is a component of bone. Adequate intake of these minerals and vitamins contributes to building and maintaining bone structure and strength. Further One cup of blueberries provides 24 percent of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin C. The other benefits of Bluberry includes Managing diabetes, lowering blood pressure, protecting against heart disease, healthy digestion, weight loss and gives a feeling of satiety.
 
JAMUN
jamun
JAMUN also known as “BLACK PLUM” has adequate amount of iron and vitamin C.If blueberry is super food even jamun can be termed as same.Jamun contains nutrients like calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus,Vit C, Vit B6,Folic acid, Thiamine, Riboflavin, Niacin.The presence of iron in the black plum is good to increase the haemoglobin count.  The fruit’s iron content acts as blood purifying agent. Apart from it jamun is used to treat digestive disorders. It’s really effective against cancer, heart diseases, diabetes, asthma and arthritis .Besides it also enhances your immune system protects you from cold and acts as anti-aging agent.
BLUEBERRY VS JAMUN
So here we go with our conclusion that if we our very own local food “JAMUN” which is easily available and not so expensive than why to opt for BLUBERRIES which is difficult to access as well is really expensive. If we see the nutritional comparison both are almost similar. Make a wise choice that’s it. JAMUN is our “SUPER FOOD”.
 
Bottom-line: The world is going gaga over super foods but somewhere between trying to find superfoods which are not local to us we forget that our traditional foods are also equally nutritious. Don’t you think moringa is more nutritious than kale? Jamuns are not less than berries? Even amaranth and buckwheat gives a tough competition to quinoa There’s no reason to skip these foods and try “FIRANGI FOODS”. Healthier local options are always better than exported ones.

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