Are raw salads safe in the coronavirus flu season?

Bengaluru nutritionists talk about how to eat clean during allergy season

For many, eating healthy and salads are synonymous. However, many others tend to be apprehensive about eating raw produce, especially during allergy or flu season.

With the outbreak of Covid-19 many are finding themselves turning to comfort food (mostly junk items) instead of reaching out for a bowl of salad. Dieticians and nutritionists in the city say there’s no reason to abandon the dish.

Dietician Sheela Krishnaswamy says it depends on how one handles and prepares the food. “Covid-19 cannot be transmitted through food,” she says. “As far as safety is concerned, it depends on whether the food is prepared in a hygienic environment or not.”

She adds that one must try to eat fresh produce as much as possible since storing them for a long period can lead to a loss of nutrients. “This be avoided by storing them at an appropriate temperature.”

Owing to the current change in temperature, eating cold salads might aggravate throat or sinusitis. “We usually encourage people with sinusitis or a sore throat to eat hot, cooked food,” she explains.

Ryan Fernando, chief nutritionist at Qua Nutrition, prefers cooking certain foods and eating others raw.

“I would suggest that people cook salad leaves. Items such as cucumbers, carrots and onions are safe to eat raw as they have skins that can be peeled off. Tomatoes have polished skins, which allow them to be washed thoroughly.”

According to him, cooking does not lead to a drastic nutrient loss.

“Unless the food is over-washed or over-cooked, one should not worry about losing the nutrient value.”

This nutrient deficit, he adds, can be compensated by balancing your diet with fruits, vegetables, and pulses.

Thanks to Bengaluru weather, fresh produce can be stored outside for up to three days; green leafy vegetables must be refrigerated.

Storing produce for more than seven days can lead to a gradual loss of vitamins in the food.

“We do not encourage frequently re-heating cooked food, although this is more to do with the taste and mouth-feel of the food than the nutrition value,” says Ryan.

There is no harm in eating cold or room-temperature salads, he adds.

However, if one has a cold, mixing dairy in your salads can lead to further congestion.

“A cut salad works really well for this weather. One should include onions in their diet since they are anti-inflammatory and rich in antioxidants. Add some pepper as it has anti-viral properties and some lime for vitamin C.”

RYAN FERNANDO’S LOCKDOWN SALAD

This healthy, easy-to-make salad, is perfect for quarantine days when you do not feel like whipping up something elaborate.

Ingredients

1 Cucumber

1 Tomato

1 Carrot

1 Green capsicum

1 grated gooseberry

Grated ginger

Pepper

Salt

Lime for taste

Method

Chop all the ingredients and mix together in a bowl.

Squeeze lime and season with salt and pepper.