"Promote cholesterol-free Goa's traditional Veg food among tourists"
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 11 March 2015 22:53 IST
Goa’s restaurants need to promote most nutritious and cholesterol-free traditional Goan food to the tourists coming from all over the world as it would help them keeping in good health in tune with Goa’s environment, feel the experts.
The occasion was the release in Panaji of a second edition of ‘Potpooja’, a recipe book in Konkani by Usha Vaman Bale, which created record of going for reprint within 18 days.
Goa’s traditional cuisine is the most balanced food from nutritional point of view and its vegetarian food is fully cholesterol-free, opined the experts at a panel discussion held on ‘Nutrition in Goan Cuisine.’
She was applauded by the experts in catering as well as dieting for providing a unique time table of breakfast and food with perfect nutritional balance.
“The food items in the time table have all the necessary contents like proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, fats and fibre”, said Trupti Neurekar, a dietician of New District Hospital of Mapusa.
The issue of promoting Goa’s traditional vegetarian food was raised by Sanjeev Sardesai while retired IAS officer Arvind Bhatikar also strongly supported the viewpoint.
According to Sanjeev Kadkade, head of the department of Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology, the Goan food needs to be promoted also among the younger generation, without adding outside ingredients for flavour.
Sanjay Talwadker, a foodie and writer, said with conviction that the authentic Goan cuisine created by our ancestors is perfectly healthy and should be enjoyed without taking any tension.
“Healthy eating also requires healthy state of mind. Enjoy it simply, nothing will happen to you”, he said, narrating several experiences of how we should enjoy seasonal recipes.
Snehalata Bhatikar, a counsellor, fully supported this viewpoint, narrating her own experiences.
During a heated debate on whether coconut oil and coconut milk leads to cholesterol, Mrs Neurekar said coconut oil scientifically falls into the category of saturated fats and should be thus avoided.
Kadkade however opined that virgin coconut oil is healthy and Kerala has proved it with deaths reported in the Southern state after crossing 90 years of age.
Lourdes Bravo da Costa, a writer and researcher, sitting in the audience pointed out that any extra virgin oil is cholesterol-free while Ketan Bhat, a foodie, said the research is proved that coconut oil made in a traditional manner in Goa is extra-virgin.
Neurekar however cautioned not to overuse coconut milk in all kind of food in traditional manner since changing Goa is not involved in physical activity as in the past and daily walk for a healthy diet is a must.
Prof Varsha Naik of Goa College of Home Science said we should realise richness of Goa’s nutritious cuisine while foreign agencies have already approached the college for a research on the issue.
The whole discussion was moderated by journalist Sandesh Prabhudesai. Dinesh Manerkar of Sanjana Publications welcomed the gathering.
I am seriously in favour of promoting Goa in our traditional culture be it in the way of cusine or lifestyle... I did it years ago and it works.... can we therefore ( beside non veg food) get rid of casinos, drugs, prostitution, beachbeds, illegal constructions for boarding and lodging, touts that double up as guides/pimps, fly by night tour operator from abroad, intensive junkets to study tourism abroad, and commulalism too....