If you’re someone who lives abroad, you’ll know how difficult it can get. From running household chores to meeting work deadlines, you have to manage everything by yourself. If you’re living with friends and family, then that’s great. But if you’re living alone, some days can indeed get quite challenging. As a result, you may end up neglecting your health and the type of food you eat on a daily basis. Of course, there are several ready-made options that you can find in the market, but not all of them are best for your health. You may also crave traditional Indian food and not be able to find all the ingredients. So, how can you eat healthy while saving time and satisfying these cravings? Let’s solve this dilemma as we share five healthy food picks that you can prepare with limited resources on your busy days. These were shared by celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar on her Instagram handle.
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Here Are 5 Healthy Indian Food Options Abroad – Suggested By Nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar:
1. Rajgira Ladoos
The health expert suggests that rajgira ladoos are good for your bones and for rebuilding the diversity of gut bacteria. They make for an excellent mid-meal and are ideal for times when you feel like munching on something. When mixed with milk, it makes for a delightful and wholesome breakfast option. For people living in places with harsh winters, she suggests making bajra ladoos and mixing them with milk as well.
2. Rice + Chutneys
Rice is something that most of us eat on a daily basis. Whenever you make them next, make sure to prepare a little extra. This way, you can enjoy it on different days during the week. The nutritionist recommends pairing rice with dal chutneys to enhance its nutritional content. She suggests pairing rice with gunpowder and a bit of ghee, or metkut. This Maharashtian spice mix is ideal to have on long flights as well. Apart from this, you can even turn rice into vagharelo bhaat, phodnicha bhaat, and curd rice.
3. Khichdi
Khichdi is one of the most wholesome and comforting Indian meals out there. However, if you’re short on time, you can even pre-make it. Now, how can you do this? Rujuta Diwekar suggests soaking the rice and dal as you normally would and then sauteing them until completely dry. Once done, transfer this mixture to a glass container and refrigerate it. When you wish to have it, simply add some water to it and then cook it for a few minutes. And your khichdi is ready to be relished.
4. Pulao
You can also pre-make pulao in a similar manner. All you have to do is saute the rice and vegetables until they are completely dry. You can pressure-cook the dal over the weekend so that you can consume it any time of the week. One day you can give it a tadka with garlic, another day with jeera and adrak, and on the third day, you can give it a tadka with kadi patta and ghee. Diwekar suggests that this way, you can enjoy the same dal with three different types of tadkas!
Also Read: High-Protein Diet: How To Make Chana Dal Pulao For A Quick Weekday Lunch
5. Til and Peanut Chutney
Feeling confused about what to have after coming back from work in the evening? Simply prepare til and peanut chutney. She says that this chutney doesn’t contain any additional sweeteners or emulsifiers, making it quite healthy. It tastes just like peanut butter, and you can spread it over toasted bread. Apart from this, you can also prepare kulith pithla. To make it, put tadka in a pan, add water to it, and let it boil. Add a teaspoon of kulith powder and keep stirring it till you reach the desired consistency.
Now that you are aware of these quick and healthy foods, incorporate them into your diet to stay fit and healthy!