Whether its winter or summer, the souvenirs of each season spread their colors and taste every year in the form of fruits and vegetables. In most of the countries of the world there are four seasons but the region in which we live, it does not progress farther then hot and cold, it does not rain very often and if it rains, it’s not confined to any season. We do not get to know when the spring and autumn falls. Instead of complaining about heat and cold if you look at your food, you will come to know that how much useful is the change of weather for your health. Our physical system is also created under the subjection of these changes that is why in every season our physical needs transform according to the new change. These are the ways of nature which are moments of ponder for us that how beautifully the nutrition required by our body is fulfilled by seasonal variations.
Everywhere in the world, the seasonal fruits and vegetables are sold at low prices by the end of the season. If you find mango at some store or market in the month of November, its taste will not be guaranteed, the mangoes ripened in the card board boxes will not taste the same as the mangoes in their season. All the seasonal foods are abundant in flavor and nutrition in their production period and their benefits can be obtained by eating them in that period, that is why it is said that the fruits and vegetables of the season should be eaten because the performance of different parts of the body is affected by weather variations.
Following are some tips for the menu planning in the summer season and especially for the rainy and humid weather in the month of August so that you can provide your family with a complete and healthy diet. In this season the chances of dehydration in the body increase that’s why the body requires such foods which contain water and their support and efficacy is preserved. So it is very important to add anti-oxidant fruits and vegetables in the diet for example tomato, corn, brinjal, melon, water melon, keeves, nectarine, grapes, sapodilla, grewia, black berry and pumpkin etc……
In this humid weather give the large pans and ovens a break and do not make yourself get tired of making such dishes which take hours for cooking. Green leafy vegetables and root vegetables such as red onion, carrot, turnip, potato, sugar beet, radish, beans and pulses help the body to store energy to combat the sharpness of hot weather.
Instead of eating parathas and eggs in the breakfast take porridge, fruits, juice and slice of bread with butter, margarine, jam or jelly.
In the hot days drink fresh fruit juice or milk shake instead of tea, sikanjbin (a drink made with lime juice and sugar) and sattu (parched and ground barley drink) are special drinks of this season, these drinks remove heat from the body and maintain moderate temperature in addition sugar cane juice extracted from neat and clean machine is also very cold. For lunch lay upon your table with daal chaawal (plain rice and cooked pulses), tehaari (vegetable cooked with rice), mutter pulao (peas cooked with rice), khichri (cooked with rice and pulses) and vegetable curry, add sauces and yogurt salad (pumpkin, brinjal or potato pickled in yogurt) as accessories as due to heat in day time we incline to eat something light. For dinner you can make chicken or mutton broth curry, chapatti, pulao made with broth, shami kebab, some Chinese dish or grilled chicken, with salad or vegetable in any other form. Must eat a small quantity of fruits at least three or maximum five times throughout the day; drink eight to ten glass of water and avoid eating market food products. Neither our body naturally requires hot and spicy foods in hot days nor do we wish to eat such food. This is the reason why stomach and liver diseases spread in hot weather because of eating fried and low quality market food. Sweets cooked in desi (pure) ghee can be enjoyed only in winter, in summer give preference to trifle made with custard and fruits. If the children are in the habit of eating snacks, make some fruit chat and vegetable cutlets and put in the fridge. For some days avoid eating Nehari, Paaye, Quorma, Biryani and other spicy and fried foods, is better for your body machinery. Consider the region, weather and environment and remember that nature has designed our body machinery according to the seasonal variations so, listen to the body and eat what your body requires.
Before this, if you never did your menu planning according to the season, start working on this important nutritional factor from today, you will feel more healthy and active. Cooking seasonal foods helps attain those nutritional needs which are required for the whole year and this is how energy storage is possible. If it is hard to suddenly change the menus then do it gradually for example some day at lunch, serve Daal chawal with roasted curry, then after one or two days serve tehaari with yogurt salad and other accessories. In the same way if you cannot have pulses and vegetables in the dinner, cook the vegetable with meat and in the breakfast move seamlessly from parathas to bread slices. This food investment is in the benefit of your whole family’s health and for the coming generations so do not only think, just do it!!!
