Metrolife: A good meal for less than Rs 100

With World Nutrition Day falling today, Metrolife asked food experts to put together a nutritious meal for vegans, vegetarians and non-vegetarians within Rs 100

Sheeba Majmudar

Award-winning nutritionist and author of ‘Edible to Incredible’.

For vegans: Moong sprouts and sprouted ragi and amaranth (millet from Gujarat) are nutritionally dense foods. Include some legumes like red kidney beans or red channa and chickpea. This can make the meal filling. Eating any two seasonal vegetables can all fit into a Rs 100. Root vegetables like carrots or turnip or sweet potato, either baked or boiled and with healthy fats like coconut oil, can balance the meal.

For vegetarians: Include a bowl of yogurt, raita, buttermilk or its counterpart whey water. This adds to the protein content. Using homemade fresh paneer with jowar or bajra rotis and seasonal vegetables make the meal affordable.

Non-vegetarians: Fish is a viable and reasonable protein option: choose higher fat varieties like cod. They are healthier poached or steamed. Add brown rice (which can be cheaper than white rice) and a mixed vegetarian soup or curry. Eggs can be a daily cheap source or protein that can fit into any budget. Two vegetables, one protein with some whole grains is a good balance and well within the budget of Rs 100.

Mihira

Sports and clinical nutritionist, works with athletes, sports clubs and individuals with lifestyle ailments. She says eating five or six small meals a day could provide long-lasting health.

Vegetarians could begin their day with a traditional breakfast of poha, upma, idli, dosa, thepla, or paratha with a small portion of curd or milk. Lunch and dinner is a home-made thali with veggies, parathas, rice, dal, sabji and curd.

For vegans: Soy parathas, dal chillas, or boiled sprouts with a small portion of soy milk. This could be followed by a mid morning snack with any local seasonal fruit. For lunch and dinner include millets and a small portion of unpolished rice with dal, sprouts, and pulses with seasonal veggies.

Non-vegetarians: To your dal, sprouts and pulses, you could add egg curry, chicken, and an inexpensive variety of fish such as Bombay duck. The evening mini meal could be a small portion of nuts, especially peanuts, followed by dinner similar to lunch, with khichdi and curd, buttermilk or kadhi.

Dr Priyanka Rohatgi

Chief clinical dietitian, Apollo Group of Hospitals, says it is not hard to come by a nutritious meal for Rs 100.

For vegans: Two plates of idli with a fruit bowl. Lunch could be a mini meal along with a glass of buttermilk or yogurt. This combination builds protein. You could also have a sprout salad or plain sprouts.

Vegetarians: Paneer-based salad, bisi bele bath, upma and kesari bath or pongal. These have half rice and half dal which is good. You could also try a vegetable paratha with curd or dal. Another meal could be four rotis, dal, salad and any sabji.

Non-vegetarians: Egg pulao, omelette with toast are good breakfast options. You could also have soya in curry, and eat it with roti. Chicken is cheaper than fish. Chicken wraps are a good option. Go in for whole wheat rather than maida.