Enhancing immunity with nuts consumption

This is a known fact that nuts can be an excellent substitute of India’s conventional dietary patterns as they are nutritional powerhouse laced with Vitamin A, B, C, and E, fiber and proteins

In these uncertain times, it’s more important than ever to supercharge your immune system and to be proactive about your health too. Whilst eating a healthy balanced diet, working out, managing stress, and getting adequate sleep remain critical, adding tree nuts like almonds, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts, pecans, pistachios and walnuts to your diet have been trending immensely and definitely the need of the hours these days.

India has always been stressed with food-borne diseases, coupled with malnutrition and high level of micronutrient deficiency, and now with this pandemic, the benefit of access to safe food, healthy and sustainable diet has never been so indispensable.

In light of this, FSSAI under the aegis of Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has launched the ‘Eat Right India’ movement outlining a handbook and eatrightindia.gov.in website to create awareness among the people about safe, healthy, and sustainable dietary habits, with a specific focus on plant-based vitamins and nutrients in nuts and seeds.

The role of FSSAI is critical in the light of this nutrition reality in India. This movement is the collective effort of all key players in the food ecosystem and is aligned with the government’s focus on public health through programmes like Ayushman Bharat Yojana, POSHAN Abhiyaan, Anemia Mukt Bharat and Swachh Bharat Mission. In the wake of the current pandemic, the provision of safe and healthy food has gained greater prominence.

Recently, an e-guidebook on “Eating Right During COVID-19” was released to inform consumers on the additional health and safety precautions to follow for food. With time, this 360-degree approach is expected to usher in a culture of eating right across the country.

This is a known fact that nuts can be an excellent substitute of India’s conventional dietary patterns as they are nutritional powerhouse laced with Vitamin A, B, C, and E, fiber and proteins. A lot of us are staying indoors and are also doing a lot of unhealthy snacking to, one portion of which can be replaced with a handful of raw or dry roasted nuts. Combining nuts like almonds in breakfast, dinners, snacks, and treats for its tremendous health benefits namely, but not limited to reducing cholesterol, improving brain health, lowering risks of diabetes, staying fit and slim, maintaining vital blood pressure, among others.