Being a nutritionist by profession, I am very particular about consuming a balanced diet. It should consist of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals, vitamins and consumable antioxidants in the right quantity. It is very important for people of all age groups to maintain a balanced diet and lead a healthy life.

I had great interest in medicine when I was in school. But unfortunately, I was not lucky enough to get a medical seat and hence, had to choose from other options related to the field. The only options that I had back then was to be a clinical nutritionist, teacher or researcher. And it was the field of nutrition that caught my attention.

I started off as an independent diet nutritionist and handled clinical and corporate sectors. This was around 1978 and the profession was not really popular then. So at the dawn of my career, I faced a number of challenges. Not only were the options in the field less but the people also were unaware of the importance of a nutritionist. Even the doctors never referred the patients to a nutritionist and ended up doing our work. People did not know what a dietitian did.

However, it has all changed now and people care a lot about their health. There is an increased awareness and everyone believes in the proverb — ‘prevention is better than cure’. The corporates too were very reluctant about hiring a nutritionist earlier. But now, they have realised the importance of one and are hiring them to help create a stress-free environment in office. The media too is emphasing more on health. So overall, I have had an interesting journey as a nutritionist.

The advice I have for all is — eat rice, stay active, manage your stress levels, avoid smoking and get abundant sunlight. The recipe that I have shared is that of almond and rice crispy breakfast bars. I love this dish and it is very easy to prepare. These breakfast bars are healthy and ideal for those who do not have enough time to make breakfast.
The recipe is also close to my heart as it has dark chocolate in it. Dark chocolate is rich in anti-oxidants that prevent diseases. The bar has carbohydrates in the form of rice; almonds that are rich in nutrients like proteins and high amount of monosaturated fats that help build the immune system.

The bars are also rich in vitamin E and are a good source of calcium. So they are the perfect breakfast snack. Also, if one is travelling, these are the best breakfast as they are easy to carry around.
 
Sheela Krishnaswamy
(As told to Prajna GR)