Ask Amma

Posts Tagged ‘food’

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Truth and Lies in Baby Food Advertising

In Call to Action on 4 September 2012 at 3:21 pm

Dear friends, we have talked about food security, food traditions and the rise of industrial food, packaged food, food-substitutes.  Often these are based on false advertising, unverified health claims, pseudo-science or violation of advertising standards.  This is true not only in India but around the world – but in countries where regulations are regularly updated and enforced, these ads are challenged and in some cases banned.  

Readers, now is the time to collect every specimen you can find of advertisements and promotions for “baby food.”  This includes 

  • breastmilk substitutes – infant formula
  • complementary food substitutes  – other powders and edible food-like substances that are marketed for young children in lieu of breastmilk and solid food.

What you need to do:  Find these ads in any language and submit them to Nupur Bidla at nupur@bpni.org

who will present on this issue at the World Breastfeeding Conference taking place in Delhi this December.   Deadline is Sept 20.

While we will try to collect as many as we can from India, but please note that this is a GLOBAL conference – the ads may be from ANY COUNTRY.  

You may use the attached Submission Form to indicate where the ad appeared and what inappropriate content was included.

Just in case you are curious:

Marketing of infant milk substitutes is governed by the IMS Act 2003
Infant Milk Substitutes, Feeding Bottles and Infant Foods.  Its points are summarised by the infant milk industry here.

Advertisements for the edible-food-like substitute, Horlicks, was banned from airing in the UK because of its unverified claims to increase children’s height, strength and brain power.    
 Ban for Horlicks and noodle ads
TV ads banned for being ‘too strong’  

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) of UK commented:

“The health and nutritional claims made by GSK and Nestle may be allowed in other parts of the world, but they breach the strict rules in the UK and we have seen no evidence to substantiate them,” he said. 

Yet these ads continue to air unchallenged in India today.  

I hope that this effort to document the appearance of these ads will encourage more fact-checking and will compel the government to enforce standards for advertising in India.

Deadline is 20 Sept 2012.  Please use the attached form to send in the copies of ads that you find.  A sample ad with the inappropriate claims highlighted is included in the form. 

Many of you have asked me how we can fight false advertising of the packaged food and food-substitute industry.  Please let us make use of this invitation from the World Breastfeeding Conference. 

enclosed:  Letter from Breastfeeding Promotion Network of India Member (cover letter to submission form)

Dear Friends,

Greetings from BPNI!

There is good news for you!!

Deadline for Submitting your entry for the “ATLAS of Baby Food Promotion” has been extended.

Now you can submit /report your contribution by 20th of September 2012.

To send  your entry  please click here to see the guidelines.

We wish you could be a part of this historical Atlas, we would be happy to hear from you through a confirmation mail.

Warm Regards,

Dr. Arun Gupta MD FIAP
Regional Coordinator IBFAN Asia,
Member, Prime Minister’s Council on India’s Nutrition Challenges,
Phone 91-9899676306

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Downside to whole grains?

In Yes / No on 23 August 2012 at 3:42 am
Seeing how difficult it is to move to whole grains after being used to everything white from rice to bread to semya, nan, pasta, etc, I wanted to make it easier for my children by serving whole grains from the start.  Recently a friend told me that giving brown rice cereal as first food is not as good as giving white rice cereal, because of the phytic acid issue (the brown rice contains more phytic acid than white).  Now I am confused, what should I do? 
– Mother of 4-year and 4-month old in Mysore
 
Several issues are bundled up in this question.  First food, digestion and nutrient absorption, and food preparation.  And brown rice.  Amma is ready 🙂
 
First, first food.  Obviously the “first” in question is not breastmilk, which is normally the first and only food for babies for at least the first six months of life.  Six months is not a fixed target for the entrance into solid foods.  These days when deadlines and schedules seem to hover over everything people often forget that a baby’s readiness for solid foods depends on maturity of the digestive system, and there is no benefit to introducing solids before a baby is ready for them. Read the rest of this entry »

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Art of Fermentation

In Books, Recipes on 18 August 2012 at 1:55 pm
The art of fermentation : an in-depth exploration of essential concepts and processes from around the world
As any toddler will tell you, fermented food, when made at home, gives rise to fundamental questions, like who made the first yogurt?  It also brings us in touch with our neighbours, like when we need to borrow a spoon of yogurt because somehow we forgot to make our next bowl of yougurt before finishing our last one.  It also takes us down to the microbial level, and keep our forces of friendly bacteria strong.Can anyone offer a plan for peace?  It seems that among its many other roles, Sandor Katz’ “The Art of Fermentation” may be that as well as inspiration to make new discoveries in the kitchen and on our taste buds, and reconnect with the “hand taste” that goes into food made with love.  And, because fermented food begs to be shared, it may carry us away from the grid of the cash economy.

Michael Pollan says that “Katz would have us renegotiate the terms of our relationship with the microcosmos, and The Art of Fermentation is an eloquent and practical manifesto showing us exactly how to do that…”
An idea whose time has come!   I am typing with this book in my lap, struggling between the urge to share the good news about this book with you and the urge to read more and actually try out some of these fermentations myself, just to see what happens!
     Book
Title: The art of fermentation : an in-depth exploration of essential concepts and processes from around the world
Author:  Katz, Sandor Ellix, 1962-
Publisher, Date:  White River Junction, Vt. : Chelsea Green Pub., c2012.

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Breastfeeding – done yet?

In When on 3 July 2012 at 8:09 pm

My family and friends don’t get why my son needs to nurse so often. I am an older mom and my friends with kids don’t seem to have breastfed much or don’t remember – it was all so long ago. It doesn’t help that I am not getting much else done … I am a type A personality who till last month hardly spent a waking hour at home. No one is asking me to use formula, but they don’t seem to understand why breastfeeding takes so much time! Isn’t he done? they will ask, and I get tense, as if I have to know the answer. I am hoping to continue nursing for years (not just months) and I need positive responses and positive images to keep up my spirits! – new mom in Chicago Read the rest of this entry »

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Is it true that you are still …

In When on 1 July 2012 at 3:29 pm

This article originally appeared in 2006.

Is it true that you are still …
May 2006 / Mumbai

A woman interrupted me last night as I was taking printouts of the petitions we were planning to send to the Prime Minster to stop the Sardar Sarovar project from going up to 121 m. Urging me aside, she told me, “As early as possible you should stop breastfeeding her.”

Nursing my daughter while attending a meeting.

Nursing my daughter while attending a meeting.

She was probably not the only one who noticed when my daughter nursed during the meeting, but she was the only one to state her views so directly.  Unprepared for such a confrontation, I simply said, “I am very busy, and I am not going to stop breastfeeding now.” Seconds later, more crisp responses filled my head … Read the rest of this entry »

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Play or Eat? Why not Both?

In What on 26 May 2012 at 1:16 am

Our son turned-over more than a month and a half back and is extremely active – it has become challenging for us to feed him. He wants to play and eat at the same time – any thoughts on how to approach this phase? Also, any ideas on activities for him?
– Appa of a 5 month-old in Maryland

Since he is, as you say, extremely active, I am wondering why you think he is not getting enough food?

Keep in mind that play is a way of feeding the mind, which hungers just as the body does. A baby who knows where the milk comes from and how to get to it, will nurse. Do you think he is playing "too much" and not nursing "enough?" He may think differently. Trust him. Play with him. If you are still concerned that he is not nursing enough, proactively find times & places that are calm and encourage nursing. Use the sling, use skin-to-skin contact, use music. What I found was that taking a walk just around sunset time, with baby in the sling and able to nurse via nursing kurta was very much conducive to nursing and sleeping. Perhaps it resembled the womb. There were a few months when I did this every evening.

Sometimes babies go through phases where they are so keen to play while awake that they save all their nursing for night and naptime. Lest hunger for play take priority over hunger for food, pack in plenty of play so that he is satisfied and works up a good appetite. Play can take the form of singing songs, clapping, peek-a-boo, dancing, bathing (try all at the same time!). Babies also enjoy listening to conversations and watching others work, and generally being involved in whatever is going on. Soon he will be "helping" you with your work. I would recommend that you get a toy phone, preferably one that looks like a land line, and avoid exposure to the cell phone for as long as humanly possible. Likewise I would keep him away from any screen of any size.

Toys like rattles, cups, balls, socks are fun, but leave some scope for him to discover his own playthings. You will discover the hidden wonders of many ordinary things around the house.

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Gestational Diabetes – what to eat?

In What on 9 May 2012 at 3:52 am

Dear Amma:  My doctor has put me on medication for gestational diabetes.  I have tried to keep my glucose levels down but it is very difficult – the other day I ate just a couple of spoons of potato and the level shot way up.  I get hungry all the time and I am running out of ideas for things to eat that will keep me full.

 – Eating for 2

Dear Eating for 2,
You know the drill:  Eat a variety of foods that are high in fiber, have a low glycemic index and are nutritious.  National Institutes of Health offers these diet recommendations.

To start, consider that whole foods tend to have a lower glycemic index than their refined counterparts.  Or in the words of The World’s Healthiest Foods,  “Foods that are white tend to have a higher glycemic index.”  So make sure whatever you are already eating is whole.  Your rice is brown, your bread is whole-grain or sprouted grain, and your fruits and vegetables, mung dal, urad dal, etc are unpeeled.  Want even more fiber?  Stir some wheat bran or oat bran into the batter you use for dosa or pesarottu.

Next, try to diversify your grain basket, with barley, ragi and other varieties of millets, oats, and quinoa.  Kamut and amaranth (राजगिरा or चौलाई) are available puffed, for easy snacking.

Let’s not forget omega-3 fatty acids, found in a variety of vegetables and notably in flax seeds, walnuts and their oils.  Your entire family will benefit from these improvements, and baby will be used to a healthy, diverse, whole foods diet from the start!  Note that flax seeds are so small that you have to take care to chew them. If you don’t they may pass through undigested.  If you grind your flax seed, you should eat it the same day – or within a few days if you refrigerate it.  Ground flax seed makes a decent dip for idli, dosa, etc.

Though I did not have GD, I too remember hungering for new and different foods in the third trimester.  After eating one dosa I would still be ravenous, but not want another dosa.  Repeat with one hummous sandwich, one plate of vegetables, and so on.

One trick that helped me stay full longer was adding wheat germ to whatever I was eating.  I would add a spoon or two to my rice and sambar, or sprinkle it on bread along with a spread.  Stir some into a bowl of oatmeal or upma.  A tablespoon of wheatgerm contains 2 grams of protein, so a little goes a long way.

Are your idli and dosa whole grain?   You can increase their protein content by using 1 cup dal per 1 cup rice.  A treasure trove of recipes using several varieties of millets includes simple preparations like కొర్ర పెసరోట్టు – see korra pesarottu on the site of Earth360.

Looking for ways to eat oats?  Try Oatmeal Sabzi or steel-cut oats.  How about quinoa?  Here is a simple recipe for delicious quinoa upma.

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Quinoa Upma

In Recipes on 9 May 2012 at 3:51 am

Quinoa Upma
This Recipe comes to us from Meenal Amma in Rockville

Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa
1 1/2 cups water
1 medium onion, chopped
1-2 green chilies, finely chopped
dash of jira (cumin seed)
handful of peanuts
salt to taste
juice of 1 lemon
handful of kothimira (cilantro), chopped

Steps:
Bring Quinoa to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes – it should split up during the boil so you know its done.  You can also cook this in a pressure cooker or the EZ Cooker.
In minimal oil, saute onions, jira and peanuts till peanuts are brown but not burnt.

Add green chillies.  Saute lightly if desired.
Add boiled quinoa and salt.  Mix it up, squeeze in some lemon juice and top with kothmira.

Eat well 😉

Amma suggests:  Try walnuts in place of peanuts. 

 

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Oatmeal Sabzi

In Recipes on 9 May 2012 at 3:49 am

Oatmeal Sabzi

Till I tasted this I had always had my oatmeal with bananas or other fruit and nuts.  The vegetables really do bring out a different side of the oats.  We usually use carrots, peas, and beans, but am curious how it would do with eggplant or okra.  Here is the recipe as told to me by  Somnath Baba in Boston:

Savoury Oatmeal with carrots and peas.
 Photo:  Balaji Narasimhan.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup assorted diced vegetables
1 cup rolled oats
3 cups water
pinch of salt
dash of mustard oil (optional)

Steps:

Bring water, salt and vegetables to a boil.
Add oats and simmer for about 20 minutes or till vegetables are cooked.
Drizzle with mustard oil for added zing!

Amma adds: EZ Cooker is wonderful for cooking oatmeal – never burns, never boils over!

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Birthday party – let them eat cake?

In Yes / No on 11 April 2012 at 4:34 pm

Till now my son’s birthdays have been family affairs but this time we’re inviting his friends to a party in a park, taking a home-made cake without added sugar. My cousin says this is not a “real” birthday party and guests will be disappointed. Of course I want everyone to have fun, but without the junk.  Am I asking too much?

– mother of a soon-to-be 4-year-old in Delhi

Chetana Amma has written about today’s birthday parties and how to fill them with simple pleasures.