Dum biryani from a packet. How does that sound on a tiring train journey? Starting next month, pre-cooked packaged meals will be served to passengers on mail and express trains, the Indian railways has announced.
Ready-to-eat (RTE) branded meals that require you to do little more than empty the contents from a vacuum sealed plastic pack and heat, have already become a mainstay in most urban kitchens. More women are out at work, everyone's spending longer hours in the office and refrigerators come in jumbo sizes. No surprises then that the RTE market in India, predicted Tata Strategic Management Group, will expand to Rs 2,900 crore by 2015.
But with zip-age convenience come health hazards. RTE meals have been dissed by nutritionists for their abysmal nutritive value.
Take this quiz to figure how well you know what you put in your mouth.
Which ingredient, found abundantly in RTE meals, is voted harmful by nutritionists?
A Salt
B MSG
ANSWER A) RTE foods are packed with sodium. It helps enhance flavour, but takes your daily salt intake to way more than the WHO recommended 5 gms a day. Some ready meals contain over twice the daily recommended intake for an adult. Research worldwide has linked excess salt to high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke. Dietician Deepshikha Agarwal explains, "The freezing process necessary in the manufacture of RTE foods robs it of its original taste, hence the need for excess salt."
Packaged food is hygienic.
A True
B False
ANSWER A) RTE meals are hygienic because they are vacuum packed to prolong their shelf life. Yet, it all depends on where you buy it from. "In case of frozen foods, don't pick up anything that has been out of the freezer for more than three hours. Millions of bacteria multiply in the food, making it a recipe for disaster," says Agarwal. Niti Desai, consultant nutritionist, suggests you keep an eye on storage conditions. "Only if you are 100 per cent sure about a small store, pick up meals from there. And always make sure you check the expiry date."
RTE meals are full of:
A Sugar
B Fat
C Both
ANSWER C) It's been established that sugar is an addictive substance. In fact, research has likened its effect on the brain to cocaine and heroin. In some RTE foods, fat is replaced by sugar to keep the taste intact. Sugar can cause damage like tooth decay, break down of collagen in skin, hasten ageing and blood sugar fluctuation.
RTE foods are 'fortified'. Is that a good thing or bad?
A Good
B Bad
ANSWER B) Thanks to processes such foods must go through, they are devoid of all vitamins and minerals. Sometimes, synthetic vitamins and minerals are injected into the foods to 'fortify' them and claim nutritional benefits on the label. These are not half as healthy as the original sources since they are essentially chemicals, says research from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Maryland.
Phosphates, which are present in the additives and preservatives found in RTE meals, are also found in natural foods.
A True
B False
ANSWER A) Phosphate does occur naturally in meat, potatoes and bread, but it's organically bound so only 50 per cent of it is absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract. With additive phosphate, it's easily absorbed by the body, leading to health concerns. Additives, colour and preservatives are known to impair kidney function.
If you must eat it, can you choose a healthy option?
A No
B Yes
ANSWER B) In case you are hard pressed for time and must have a ready-to-eat meal, try and choose one with more whole grains," says Agarwal. "You can also add fresh vegetables to up its nutritional content. Else, have a fruit after the meal to compensate," she says. In case of frozen meals, choose packets with less than 30 per cent fat (calories) and a high protein value.
It's fine to re-store opened RTE foods.
A True
B False
ANSWER B) In case of frozen foods, they must be stored in a well functioning freezer. If you open the pack and are unable to finish it, don't pop it back into the freezer. Erratic changes in temperature alter the chemical composition of foods. Even freshly cooked food is best consumed within two hours of cooking, says Agarwal. After that, bacteria starts to grow and vitamin value drops.
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