Plant milk, millet beer now trending

Move over fashion, food is the go-to place for new fads these days. As healthy eating becomes increasingly common in the millennial vocabulary, Metrolife takes a look at what should be (or not be) on your table in the coming weeks.

Plant milks

Though non-dairy milk has been around for a while, the health benefits of this age-old wisdom are being rediscovered. From nut and seed milks to the more common coconut milk, these alternatives are more nutrient dense and easier to digest.

“One of the biggest reasons for me to switch was the amount of hormones and antibiotics in dairy milk,” says Simrun Chopra, vice president, Equa Real Estate Consulting Pvt Ltd. “When my son developed an asthamatic wheezing issue, I stopped all dairy and switched to plant-based milks. His condition improved drastically,” she adds.

She recommends starting off with the packaged almond milk. “Otherwise the Internet is overflowing with instructions and recipes on how to make fresh plant based milk.”

Fermented tea

Known as the ‘immortal health elixir’ by the Chinese, Kombucha is a variety of fermented, lightly effervescent sweetened black or green tea. It is supposed to have tremendous health benefits like boosting immunity, detoxing quality, cleansing and antibacterial properties.

“We have introduced two variants for now — Rose green tea and the Darjeeling green tea. The refreshing drink has turned out to be a big hit with our diners,” says Mayura Kuttappa, co-founder at ‘Forage’.

“Kombucha is easy to make with some starter culture and kombucha from a brewer. Add this starter culture, known as a SCOBY (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast), into freshly brewed, sweetened and cooled black, green or white tea. Cover it with a cloth to keep insects at bay. It takes upto a week or 10 days to ferment,” says Shishir Sathyan from Forage.

Buddha bowls

These are wholesome meals loaded with nutrients, proteins, fibre and anti-oxidants. These macro bowls are quite colourful and Instagram-worthy since they follow the concept of ‘eat your rainbow’, points out Naazin Husein, president, Indian Dietetic Association (Mumbai chapter).

“A Buddha bowl will typically have rice or cereal, a pulse and vegetables or fruits. We can add nuts like walnuts. A little bit of dressing enhances the taste while some herb-based spices can be used to enhance the flavour and help in digestion,” she says.

Vegan versions of it can be made with substitutes like chick peas and soybeans while non-vegetarians can add egg white or lean pieces of fish or poultry to their bowls, she points out.

This complete meal aids in weight loss and increased concentration and is particularly beneficial for people suffering from diabetes, cardiac problems and hypertension.

Millet beer

You got to love these ingenious people — even alcohol has been given a healthy twist now. Traditionally brewed from barley, beer from millets is the talk of the town now.

“It is cheaper and healthier. However, the main objective was to use locally grown produce,” says Narayan Manepally, founder and CEO, Geist.

He adds that the push to use millets came from Krishna Byre Gowda when he was the agriculture minister. The beer is being offered at places like Geist, Toit, Biere Street and so on. However, Narayan says that it is still a work-in-progress. “There are some issues with taste and smoothness and the variety of millets we can use.”

However, he warns people against going overboard in their excitement of having found a ‘healthy tipple’. “Apart from the fact that it is 100 percent gluten free, it is still alcohol,” he says.

Super coffee

Coffees have got an upgrade. People are mixing protein powders and superfoods like maca (a hormone balancing root) into their morning brew to make it healthier. Combining the two has been shown to help in weight reduction.

Vegan desserts

With the growing number of vegan restaurants in the city, it should be no hard task for a food lover to find his dose of sweetness without dairy in it. For those making it at home, here is a tip- just swap eggs with flax seeds and use coconut oil instead of butter.