Functional Food Fad

Concept Cues

Functional foods are a type of foods that offer numerous health benefits apart from just giving you energy or basic nutrition. “These foods are naturally rich in essential nutrients and have added healthy compounds. Functional foods like yogurt help improve digestion as they contain probiotics, oats lower the cholesterol levels, and a variety of colourful vegetables and fruits are jam-packed with important vitamins and antioxidants that strengthen your immune system. These foods are good for your gut health, heart health, and lead to stronger bones,” says DT. Nisha, Consultant, Dietitian, Nutri-tionist and Lactation expert, Mother-hood Hospitals, Gurgaon. Examples include cereals with added vitamins, yoghurt with probiotics for gut health, or foods with omega-3s that support heart health.

Making it Matter

Some fortified foods may contain added sugars or artificial ingredients, so label reading is important. Suresh Arya, Corporate Chef, Stone Wood Hotels & Resorts, says, “Functional foods are not a substitute for a balanced diet but can complement it. They contain bioactive compounds, such as antioxidants, probiotics, fibre, or omega-3 fatty acids — that may improve health, prevent disease. The idea is to make smart choices. Instead of orange juice try whole oranges. Instead of white bread try whole grain seeded bread and replace flavoured yogurt with plain Greek yogurt, fresh fruit, and honey.”

Add it Right

Functional foods can be easily incorporated into your daily lifestyle and do not require fancy recipes. One can add functional foods like oats to their daily breakfast in the form of soaked oats in milk and topped with fruits and seeds. Curd or probiotic-rich yogurt can be used as a side dish in your meals. Instead of tortilla or refined flour roti, opt for roti made from wheat. Add more vegetables and fruits to your daily meals. Dr. Manoj Kutteri, Medical Director & CEO, Atmantan Wellness Centre, says, “Functional foods are natural or fortified foods that provide health benefits beyond basic nutritional functions. These benefits may include reducing the risk of disease, promoting optimal physiological functions, and contributing to mental and emotional well-being. Functional foods contain bioactive compounds, such as antioxidants, phytochemicals, probiotics, prebiotics, fibre, vitamins, and minerals that influence our body's biological pro-cesses positively.”

Health Factor

Functional foods are innovative foods that have been created to contain chemicals or living microorganisms with potential health-enhancing or disease-preventing properties, at a concentration that is both safe and sufficient to produce the desired benefit. “Nutrients, dietary fibre, phytochemicals, other compounds, and probiotics are all possible additions. Simply said, these are meals that offer health benefits beyond basic nourishment. They are commonplace foods that contain bioactive components such as antioxidants, vitamins, and omega-3 fatty acids, which can improve health or prevent certain diseases. Fortified foods, such as cereals supplemented with vitamins and minerals, are also considered functional foods because they provide more than simply calories, contributing to general well-being,” says Tamoghna Chakraborty, Executive Chef, DoubleTree Hilton Whitefield. When adding functional foods to your diet, balance is key. “Eat a variety of functional foods for a wide range of nutrients. Choose options with minimal additives and added sugars. Enjoy functional foods in reasonable portions and talk to a healthcare professional if you have health concerns. Sleep, hydration, and exercise are just as important and pick high-quality, nutrient-rich options to make the most of functional food,” says Hitesh Keswani, Managing Director, Aspect Hospitality.

Gut-Healing Golden Smoothie Bowl

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsweetened coconut yogurt (probiotics)

• ½ banana (prebiotic fibre)

• ½ cup frozen mango (vitamin C)

• 1 tsp turmeric (anti-inflammatory)

• 1 tsp chia seeds (omega-3s)

• 1 tsp honey (optional)

• Toppings: kiwi slices, granola, coconut flakes

Method

1. Blend yogurt, banana, mango, turmeric, and honey until smooth.

2.Pour into a bowl and top with chia seeds, kiwi, granola, and coconut.

Raw Banana Loaf

(Courtesy chefs at Atmantan Wellness Centre)

Ingredients

• Banana flour 50 grams

• Coconut flour 50 grams

• Cassava flour 50 grams

• Banana 150 grams

• Jaggery 150 grams

• Coconut oil 31 ml