Below is a quick detailing of what we eat in a day compared to how much nutrition is required by the body on a daily basis. This attempt is a gentle reminder on what more we can include in our daily diet to meet the deficiencies and manage the recommended daily intake.
All the recipes in the GFF blog will support inclusions of these nutrients as much as possible, without hindering much with the taste.
A usual Indian meal keeps us aligned with our Calories, Carbs, Sugar, Fibre, Sodium, Phosphorous, and Vitamin A. Due to our portion of dairy, pulses and vegetables we fair remarkably well in Protein, Fat, Calcium and Vitamin C. However, our intake of cholesterol drives high because of consumption of eggs. For vegetarians, this too should be within prescribed limits.
There are some other vitamins and minerals where we are deficient:
- Iron consumption for females
- Magnesium consumption for males
- B Vitamins which primarily convert food into energy:
- Vitamin B1 for brain and nervous system
- Vitamin B2 for overall health and growth
- Vitamin B3 for good skin, digestion and nervous system
- Vitamin B6 for making hemoglobin
In addition to the above deficiencies, there are some in which we severely lack:
- Potassium for healthy heart and kidney
- Copper for forming red blood cells and absorbing iron
- Selenium for immunity and antioxidant properties (protecting cells of the body from damage)
- Zinc for metabolism and immunity
- Choline for memory and cognition
- B Vitamins which primarily convert food into energy:
- Vitamin B5 for metabolism, heart, skin and eyes
- Vitamin B7 for stronger hair and nails
- Vitamin B9 for tissue growth and forming red blood cells
- Vitamin B12 for keeping blood cells healthy and forming DNA
- Vitamin D for absorbing calcium for bones and teeth
- Vitamin E for regenerating cells (for skin and appearance)
- Vitamin K for bone health and wound healing
