Promote kitchen garden under 'POSHAN KE LIYE PAUDHE'

Ritumoni Saha

(The writer is a dietitian. She can be reached at ritusaha50@gmail.com)

The month of September is celebrated entirely as "Poshan Maah", where 'Poshan' means 'Nutrition' and 'Maah' means 'month' with an aim to spread awareness in various aspects of nutrition and wellness of human health with different themes every year. In view of COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of India issued several guidelines to celebrate POSHAN MAAH-2020 and came up with two major themes- 1) Identify and arrest Severely Acute Malnutrition (SAM).

2) Plantation drives for promotion of kitchen garden under "POSHAN KE LIYE PAUDHE".

Malnutrition in children is a major health issue in the country since ages. On the latest offering of "Maan Ki Baat", PM Modi too stressed the need of adequate nutrition. The first theme is very crucial regarding the nutrition of a mother & child. Here, the mother and the child are considered as the targeted group. While the second theme is focused upon all gender and age groups. So let's talk a little more in detail about "Poshan Ke Liye Paudhe"- which means nutrition from plants. Plants which can be grown in kitchen gardens, backyard of our own houses, balconies or terraces with little effort and great interest can be a great source of nutrition. By regular consumption of these organic plants which are homegrown and free from any kind of pesticide & herbicide, we can eradicate many. Vitamin and Mineral deficiencies like Vitamin C, Iron which can lead to scurvy, anaemia etc.

What are the health benefits of growing foods in our kitchen gardens?

Foods like fresh vegetables, fruits, spices and herbs are always a central part of our healthy diet. Nowadays it is quite difficult to find such fresh and organically grown vegetables in the market as most of them are loaded with chemicals and pesticides which decreases the quality of the food. It then eventually hampers the nutritional status of a person. So, we should practice and encourage the growing of vegetables in our own kitchen garden as it ensures the quality of food having optimum nutrients. By regular consumption of such organic and healthy food we can surely have a good nutritional value and prevent many vitamins and mineral deficiencies. One of the healthiest benefits of gardening is also that it is a natural stress buster. Stress is one of the major risk factor of having a disease nowadays and so when we connect our food from the primary stage of its growth to preparations and eating, it has a psychological effect to keep us happy and stress-free. Other health benefits also includes that growing our own food make us fit as it is an enjoyable workout.

What plants can we grow with little space and their health benefits?

In this world of limited space, where we have restricted ourselves to apartments, we may think it is not possible to grow anything but many creative and innovative ways out there by which we can transform the tiniest slice of space into a thriving garden, all we need is a little interest and some creativity which can lead to significant difference in our lives in term of physical as well as mental health. Let me give you some examples of some plants which hardly need much space, care and time.

1) Curry Plant-Curry leaves (Norosingho) have numerous health benefits. It is rich in fibre and low in glycemic index so it is excellent for diabetic patient and it helps to lose extra fat from our body. It is also rich in Vitamin A which keeps improve our eyesight, promote healthy skin etc. These leaves can turn to delicious recipes like chutney, pakodas. It can also be used in seasonings.

2) Mint plants – mint is commonly known as 'Pudina'. Mint leaves are cooling herb that helps soothe an upset stomach or indigestion. It has anti-bacterial properties which work wonder on acne prone skin. It is used as a remedy to treat nausea. It also goes beautifully as garnishing, in making drinks, chutneys etc.

3) Colocasia/Taro plants - In Assam, Colocasia (Kosu) is widely available at the road sides. It is uncultivated vegetable here, though people who have limited space can plant it at the terrace or balconies. The entire plant is edible which include the leaves, stem and the roots. The nutritional values include that it is low in calories and high in fibre and micronutrients like vitamin A, Vitamin C, folate which helps to prevent anaemia.

4) Tomatoes: Tomatoes are the commonly consumed fruit (it is a fruit not vegetable) which is loaded with vitamins and other nutrients. It has lycopene which is an antioxidant helps fight against many diseases. Organically grown tomatoes have the better quality and availability of nutrients to be absorbed by our body. Freshly picked tomatoes can be used to make fresh salad, in curries etc.

5) Chilies: Chili is a good source of vitamin C, and has beta-carotene. Red chili powder sold in packets should be replaced with green chilies for a healthy option to avoid gastritis or inflammation.

6) Limes/lemon- Lemon is one of the popular sources of vitamin C. It is also rich in potassium which helps to lower blood pressure. It enhances the flavour and taste of a food.

Besides all these if we can manage our kitchen garden space smartly then vegetables like bottle gourd, ridge gourd, lady finger, cucumber leafy vegetables like spinach etc., herbs like turmeric, ginger, garlic, ajwain etc., can be also be grown in our kitchen gardens.

Building a kitchen garden needs hard work and commitment but the results are worthy of satisfaction. Growing our own food not only has positive effects on our health, it also protects the Mother Nature. Organically grown plants create less havoc on the earth, as it causes less pollution and waste. It also helps to save money on the packet and processed food which not even worthy to spend our money upon.