NUTRIPRISM:HUNTING LOST NUTRITION

                                 CHANGE IN INDIAN KITCHENS

 ADAPTING TO NEW NORMAL AMID CORONA VIRUS PANDEMIC

                    Arvinder Kaur Saini

The pandemic of coronavirus has turned almost everyone into a chef using food wisely and food consumption becoming a prudent habit. People know what they're eating and where it is coming from. Pandemic had helped us to find ways of maintaining food that is easy, nutritious and safe to transport with minimal human handling. This article will talk about the improvements being seen in kitchens in terms of safety precautions, ingredients, collaborative meals, and waste management.

When individuals were made aware of the various health problems associated with a meat-based diet, a rising pattern was seen in pandemic periods of plant-based eating. The food industry has increasingly shown interest and begun to adapt to mock choices for meat, with the leading food chains choosing to be part of their menus. People have started to worry about how they eat food because of the coronavirus outbreak. The 'thinking' includes learning more about how their food is sourced, produced & ultimately delivered. The world has seen a change from industrial animal production for consumption to more sustainable forms of agriculture for the protection of animals, as well as a decline in livestock raised for food. This gave the 'vegan food industry' a big boost and put it at the forefront of the 2019/2020 health trends.

However, is COVID-19 the final nail in the coffin that transforms the planet from meat? With people more mindful of their lifestyle choices, they take more careful decisions about purchases and prefer healthier alternatives. Today, people are becoming more and more aware of how and where everything is made and about its environmental effects.

FOOD TRENDS POST COVID

In the world dealing with the latest coronavirus, everyday activity is and will continue to be reoriented with respect to personal hygiene and public health — public and retail areas, restaurants, educational facilities, and also with each other.

DIETARY PATTERN CHANGES

Food demand, normally inelastic, would most likely have a small impact on total intake, while dietary preferences will shift on a limited basis. Food protein (as a consequence of concerns – not objectively valid – that the virus hosts animals), and other items of higher value such as seafood, fruit and vegetables (which may trigger price drops, etc.) may decrease disproportionately. In developing nations, food consumption is more closely related to wages, which could influence consumerism if the wages prospects are missed. Fear of contagion will lead to fewer trips to food stores, and it is expected that consumers will see a change in the buying and consumption of food – reduced traffic in restaurants, more electronic industry and a rise in home-cooked food. A study by Ruiz Roso et al. showed that the consumption of dairy products, fruits, snacks and sugar foods increased dramatically during the lockout, with both sugar foods and snacks being the most prominent ones. Whenever the planet returns from the current epidemic of coronaviruses, one thing is exact — many things are modified, and one of them is food. The most widely accepted hypotheses by scholars worldwide regarding the coronavirus transmitting the Covid 19 epidemic include that pangolins were used as the "intermediary host" for the virus and were transferred by bats to humans. This hypothesis will affect the way people feed, regardless of whether the virus originated in Wuhan Wet Markets or not. This will improve the treatment of the people and will drive them on a vegetarian diet. Demand for organic, vegetarian and other nutritious foods is expected to rise as a result of the pandemic. For those with already established health problems, such as diabetes and heart failure, as well as overweight and obese, coronavirus presents a severe risk. In the management of these circumstances, it is well known the importance of nutritious foods as fruits and vegetables. While there are many people consuming meat, many

now feel the need to make vegetarians due to health concerns, parental interests, their worries about animals and their rights and our responsibility about them. Although diets focused on plants may reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes and even certain cancer forms, it is important to remember that you may be deficient with certain nutrients, such as protein, iron, and vitamin D if you don't choose the right route.

IMPORTANCE OF INDIAN SPICES IN THE KITCHEN INCREASED IN THESE UNPRECEDENTED TIMES.

The latest coronavirus epidemic has had a huge effect on human behavior. On the demand side, customers are gradually consuming stable foods, including spices and crops. Pepper, cardamom, ginger, turmeric, coriander, cumin, celery, fennel, fenugreek, nutmeg, spice oils etc. were the significant spices whose consumption increased during covid. Turmeric is used for wound healing, rheumatic conditions, stomach problems, deworming, rhinitis and as a topical in conventional Indian medicine systems. Recent studies in India have examined its anti-inflammatory, cholekinetic and antioxidant ability, based on its protective effects on pre-carcinogenic, anti-inflammatory and anti-atherosclerotic effects in biological processes under both in vitro and in vivo conditions in both animals and humans. A peer reviewed research has shown that certain known products from Ayurveda that enhance immunity, especially turmeric (haldi), nimbin (neem), ashwagandha, and black pepper, are capable of restricting ACE2 virus adhesion to the host cell receptor by preventing SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein from entering our bodies. Increasing detoxifying enzymes, preventing DNA destruction, enhancing DNA repair, reducing mutations and tumour development have been identified in both turmeric and curcumin and have antioxidant capacity in animals.

Food-based methods to increase the consumption of spices and phytochemicals can impact the onset and development of chronic illnesses, oxidant stress and ageing. Spices such as turmeric, fenugreek, mustard, ginger, onion and garlic have a wide range of organic roles. The human body is likely to be safe from several diseases. Spices historically influence human well-being as part of diets. Relevant nutrients or nutrient blends are capable of influencing the immune system by stimulating cells, altering the development of signalling molecules, and expressing genes. Besides, dietary additives are essential determinants of the microbial makeup of the gut and can also form the characteristics of the body's immune responses. Power, carbohydrate, and unique micronutrient nutritional deficits are associated with depressed immune function and increased vulnerability to infection. For the maintenance of immune function, a sufficient intake of iron, zinc and vitamins A, E, B6 and B12 is primarily essential. Therefore, preventing nutritional deficiencies that play an essential role in the activation, association, differentiation, or functional expression of immune cells is the cornerstone to sustaining an efficient immune system.

HOME COOKING RENAISSANCE

Consumers prefer food with limited contact points with human beings. A new study confirms that 32% of adults are less likely to eat in restaurants because of COVID-19 questions. Many closed restaurants and store shelf areas have been closed, and home cooking is making a comeback with increased food safety issues. It is likely that this pattern will be sustained for a while after the pandemic due to reluctance in a public meeting, as revealed in the findings of an inquiry carried out by variety in which 47 % of the respondents decided that the thought of attending a large public event "will frighten me for a long time." Ever since the lockdown got going, Mom made 'has been the new standard. Momino's is better than Domino's! Although hesitatingly and reluctantly it might have begun, home cooking is in favour of it. Yeah, there was no option, but the fear of the infection would guarantee that a home sandwich will at least be favoured over a subway for a while in most homes.

Moreover, many people have come to think that food cooked in homes are better. Yeah, more comfortable. Plus, it allows for much stronger family bonding.

The lockdown ensured that even other family members began entering the kitchen and preparing—food as Fathers, Adolescent sons, and Daughters. Most of them had a good experience with the griddle, the skillet and the oven at home over the weeks, testing out and playing with never-before-dishes. The new guru is YouTube. So talented cooks, even though they don't get enough clients in their kitchens, will gradually find more fans on cooking shows and demonstrations! A new demand for 'value-added' goods will be opened up by improved home cooking, especially by the new converts. The removal of the 'jhanjhat' used in home cooking will be the primary concern for these new items as peeling, grating or cutting or chopping or slicing, grinding, sauteing, browning etc. are all complicated, tedious and time-consuming moves. We have more discretionary money to spend on food with the lack of an opportunity to eat out. There is a more substantial need for menu prep, having an eye for healthier options and variety. This tragedy opened our eyes to the advantages of home-cooking. Not only are home-cooked meals less pricey than eating out, but after the ability to plan food to accommodate multiple meals has been mastered, their monthly food expenses will decline significantly. The user of the food may regulate ingredients in the meal. A disciplined approach to food as it applies to portion size and the content will go a long way in reducing these diseases because obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure are three major diseases that affect the people.

LOCAL FOOD SOLUTIONS

There has been a rise in the craze surrounding healthier food, and the Coronavirus outbreak will fuel it further. In reaction to the disease, people will strive to improve their immune system by eating better and taking careful care to pick what goes inside their system. Good eating often comes with the caveat of being clean and hygienic. Covid-19 has contributed to heightened distrust of food safety, which would be the concern of individuals when buying ingredients. There would be a growing preference in the general population for boxed or frozen products. COVID-19, studied about human security and international sustainability, is triggering a sea-change in the food security environment. From a primary emphasis on the global food environment, the interests of decision-makers and populations in rich and developing countries have changed to more specific and everyday interests over having the next square meal in local contexts. A rapid growth in distribution centres and decentralisation tends to be the most successful means of linking the produce of producers to the people in local towns that need it. The emergence of a modern 'direct to home' model, in which farmers become distributors to local households of their goods, is emerging as the modern method of local distribution to ensure households' food security in India. This numerous intervention by corporations and farmers suggest that agricultural projects in local cities and entrepreneurship is developing and discovering new ways of maintaining food sustainability. The priority of all people around the world is on their local food security. Now could be the perfect time to move towards a broader understanding of the links between the supply of food and nutritional effects. Consuming the most healthy foods to ensure improved health and well-being is closely related to the capacity of societies to pursue creative local agroecological activities. The agroecological approach seeks to establish sustainable food structures, and a set of activities focused on 'locally adapted' cultivation is at the heart of this approach. There are two advantages of collaborating with farmers and their knowledge base and connecting farmers of their local customers. Farming practises are being developed, and local consumers are being more aware of the relationship between the practices of food processing and developed diet and well-being. This synergy means that, for both food production and biodiversity, agroecology has advantages.

In this modern strategy, the first step to advancing human protection in communities around the globe is to strengthen the local relations between food production and human nutrition. Rising group

resilience would ensure that agriculture, which continues to be the primary source of subsistence for 86% of the world's rural population, is regarded as a core concern for international development. We started buying, preparing and eating very differently as the pandemic left us housebound. The virus has restricted potentially unsafe market trips. We went shopping for groceries with centred lists rather than playing like kids rampaging around a candy store. Food prices increased. We noticed the burden on our pockets and converted tasty, nutritious meals into affordable pantry staples. Low-cost protein options, which in the past were often ignored, have found a more popular spot on our menus. We have taken to make substantial, belly-filling one-pot meals in the absence of domestic staff. We have learned to tolerate minimalism instead of a luxury. We were masters at rationing, loading up our pantries with supplies. The value of food sovereignty and the building of

sustainability in local food supply chains have been realised. We have come to recognise that protectionism, which limits access to the diversity of the earth, is not the solution. Nevertheless, an immediate overhaul is essential for a paradigm that pollutes the earth and doesn't have a safety net against economic shock.

When more of us took to purchasing directly from farmers and small-scale organic growers, the advantages of local eating became apparent. Television wellness experts waxed eloquent on the need to consume plentiful seasonal foods in nature, and to tap into our native wisdom. Chia seeds, goji berries, American kale and quinoa, so-called superfoods that fly to stores across continents, went out. Instead, with fresh eyes, we looked at Bajra, Gur and Ghee, turmeric, tulsi etc. The current slogan is immunity, as we are advised a lousy diet causes the possibility of increasing illness. Bottles of Chyawanprash flew off shelves, immunity capsules became scarce, and the prices of oranges and mosambis rich in vitamin C rose. We couldn't get enough of our kadha and haldi doodh, geeking out on the food-as-medicine element of Ayurveda. We introduced carbohydrates for energy and warmth. But we tried to wean ourselves off the hyper-palatable foods that, with a mixture of salt, sugar and fat, are built to be irresistible.

LESSONS TO LEARN

The lockdowns in human culture globally promote an accounting moment. As customers, we can no longer believe that healthy, nutritious food will still be available to us. The destruction will continue to generate food crisis without environmental consciousness and intervention. Now more than ever, we realise how vulnerable to the impact of climate change and disease our food supplies are. This time is one of the best images we have as we push the reset button for whether and how we eat. All of us have followed the rules since the lockout, displaying our tremendous ability, given our will. In our lives, let us keep these lessons closer to heart than the cooking-in-lock-down and making frothy Dalgona coffees. Consumers have an essential role to play in the market for different food items as drivers in food production. Sadly, we underestimate the influence of healthy decisions and the shift in attitudes from developing a balanced food environment. As people, for those of us who dream about biodiversity frequently use a different lens when consuming. However, it's what we put in our purses and on our tables. The entire food chain has a rippling impact. The catastrophic effects of this pandemic should act as a stimulus for expanding our taste, experience and understanding and helping to create a more productive and safe food system. If it is a whole year or more after the Covid-19 pandemic-one thing to be sure is that dietary patterns won't be the same. Food preference and food history will potentially see an immense shift in future years. Local eating will make a resurgence if there are more customers who are worried about the origins of food. People would generally choose to consume hyper-locally available food. It is possible that scepticism about unfamiliar, imported foods would decrease with people preferring their locally produced alternatives. Let us remind ourselves of where our food comes and make our decisions more consciously. Let us eat with a consciousness, a spirit and a heart.

And then will we be 'foodies' to real health fans.