I recently took a work-trip to Chandigarh from New Delhi via train. This train journey brought back memories from childhood where we took trains to visit my grandparents during summer breaks. However, the landscape of Indian railways has evolved significantly since then, transforming train journeys into an entirely different experience. As a child, my mother would rarely allow me to drink tea, but during train rides, I eagerly seized every opportunity to savor a cup of tea from the vendors. It may have been an imperfect blend of little milk, lots of water, and sugar, but to me, that tea tasted like heaven!
This time, as I bought a cup of tea from the train vendor, it struck me how our world has changed. The vendor wasn't carrying a kettle filled with handmade tea; instead, it was just boiling water. "Elaichi or Adrak," he asked me. After a brief contemplation, I chose "Elaichi." To my surprise, he opened a packet of dehydrated Wagh Bakri Chai and mixed it with hot water to create instant tea. When I inquired why he didn't sell freshly brewed tea, he smiled and said, "Madam, this is easier, and it offers variety." There was so much depth in that simple response!
They say technology has entered our lives, from smartphones to smart food, everything is available! Enough of the buzz around smartphones as Apple launched its iPhone 15 series this week, let’s delve into the realm of smart foods.
Indians have an inherent love for crispy fried snacks, from samosas to pakoras to bhujias. In the 2010s, the fitness and wellness revolution prompted the rise of air fryers in India. Living in the best parts of the country, we had easy access to healthier food options like organic spices and extra virgin oils. The junk food lovers within us began opting for low-fat milk cheeseburgers over their regular counterparts. But did we truly understand what was happening behind the labels? Did we inquire about the reasons behind the higher prices? Regrettably, not.
Food marketing went into a frenzy, with gimmicks like "low-fat," "zero-cholesterol," and "good fats" leading to the launch of gimmicky variants of popular products. Brown bread was marketed as "made from wheat" and priced double that of white bread. Diet soda emerged, and people willingly paid a premium for Coca-Cola's "healthy" invention.
Over time, studies revealed that brown bread was actually unhealthier than white bread, and diet soda was worse than its regular counterpart. How was this possible? In the process of adopting new items, we forgot to read the ingredients. The common thread between these "healthier" alternatives was synthetic preservation agents and harmful chemicals capable of gene modification.
India is a land of extremes, where pure food items coexist with gimmicks. Being a small company committed to supplying clean, conscious, and sustainable food, we often struggle to compete with the giants in the industry. Price sensitivity prevails in India, with the motto being, "Jo dikhta hai wo bikta hai!" When we asked an upper-middle-class individual about our wood-pressed oil, they responded, "Your oil is good and pure, but it's too expensive. Refined oil from 'Brand X' is much cheaper."
Our not-so-subtle response screamed the following points:
Refined food items have a lot of chemicals, preservatives, colorants and additives working at the atom level of the product. The Pure counterparts are expensive because they are dense, have low shelf life and do not have the “standard” color.
Every inch/drop of refined food items look the exact same as they are chemically treated. Pure food items on the other hand are raw and unaltered.
Refined food items are cheap, because they have adulterants. Pure food items are expensive because they don’t have adulterants and are an easy health-care insurance for your body.
Final comeback- Did you ever hear anecdotes of people getting high cholesterol, B.P in the 1950s-70s? No! That was because people made their own food from scratch with all pure and natural raw materials available.
Our journey toward real health and wellness begins when we distinguish between "HEALTHY" and "healthy." While people may debate that healthy foods aren't easy to cook or consume, we're here to bring health closer to you with every initiative.
In 2020, Poddar Farms started cultivating superfoods like Kale, Celery, Wheatgrass, and Basil. Since then, we've been supplying to Delhi NCR. To expand the reach of families and individuals who can benefit from our offerings, we launched superfood powders. These powders have even higher nutritional density than their fresh counterparts. For instance, you can add two teaspoons of Kale Powder to your atta while making rotis for dinner, ensuring you meet your daily nutritional requirements effortlessly. Now that’s smart!
Why change your daily routine for healthy eating when you can incorporate it seamlessly? With SMART foods like Poddar Farms' Kale Powder, you can eat clean, conscious, and sustainable food without compromising your routine. The key is to prioritize essentials over aspirations.
Keep learning about nutrition and make SMART food choices with your SMART food partner - Poddar Farms!
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