March 24, 2015

Thanks Wala Nashta

If we were asked to choose just one meal a day, which one would it be?
I am pretty sure most of us would opt for dinner. That is the one meal we think we can thoroughly enjoy. Having wrapped up for the day, we think we can sit back and relax with family and friends over a soulful dinner conversation and enjoy the flavor of the food we are eating until we are satiated and content enough for a good night's sleep. A good dinner and a undisturbed night's rest before we wake up and head for work tomorrow...what more do we 'want', right? Wrong! Have you ever wondered what more we actually need?

Breakfast, the most hurried meal of the day. Most of us would not even be able to recollect what we last had for breakfast. Bites of toast and gulps of coffee consumed between getting ready for work and stepping out of the house? No? Not even that?

Research says 'Breakfast' is the most important meal of the day. It not just  kick starts your day on a happy note, but also provides energy for the brain and keeps you alert. Breakfast helps to improve our metabolism and reduces the body's glucose levels. An ideal breakfast should be packed with energy and vitamins in addition to proteins, fiber, iron that is essential for a healthy growth and development. Milk, fruit and cereal are the three essential components of a nutritious breakfast. It helps to keep the mind fresh and alert, and also assists in problem solving. It is said that breakfast-eaters can think faster and concentrate better than those who skip their morning nashta. Despite all these advantages, breakfast is still the least popular meal of the day. Why, you ask? Well, life, the rat race, the size zero craze, and everything. Different reasons for different people.

I am not exactly a morning person.  By this I mean, I just cannot wake up in the morning and get all geared to prepare an elaborate breakfast, packed with vitamins, minerals, proteins and fiber. Already, I have a tough time getting my eyes open enough to hit the snooze button on my clanging alarm clock. (Yes, mine is the big fat steel alarm that goes on forever and shuts up only when it is flung on the floor by a grumpy me. Modern day cell phone alarms are too decent to wake me up..). So, proceeding into the kitchen to fix a nutritious meal after this early morning rush of madness is out of the question. Hence, when I first came across (Kellogg's wale) Gupta Ji (of the 'sunny disposition' fame) looking all fresh and cheerful early in the morning, I was intrigued beyond doubt. Who in this world could be caught smiling like a sunflower on a grumpy Monday morning?



It was known that everyone in the society kept asking Gupta Ji for a breakfast invite. Much to his children's (Ritu and Rohan) irritation, everybody had just a question to ask them "Nashte pe kab bula rahe ho?"
The reason was Mrs Shalu Gupta's amazing breakfast options. A quick neighborhood research told me that she had a recipe for almost every mood under the sun. The woman was a freaking superwoman, I thought. How could someone be so enthusiastic over making elaborate meals first thing in the morning? That was when curiosity got the better of me, and I decided to check out some recipes she had posted online here .

Voila! As I scrolled down one interesting recipe after another, I noticed a pattern. Most of them had one common ingredient---cereal. Being aware of the health benefits and nutrition quotient of Kellogg's, and enticed by pics of the delicious end product, I was tempted to read further. Kelloggs oats are rich in fibre that help reduce cholesterol. They help one feel fuller longer, and thus help control your weight.  The soluble fibres in oats can help reduce the risk of developing type 2 Diabetes. Corn is rich in antioxidants that help maintain eye health and keeps vision problems at bay. Barley can help reduce blood pressure. Kelloggs Muesli (Nuts delight) makes up for an nutrition  packed breakfast that is needed to set your day in enthusiastic motion by generating the required energy boost. Corn is a star when it comes to overall goodness of whole grain and fibre. Sometimes oats, sometimes cornflakes, sometimes sweet, at other times spicy, Mrs Gupta and her original recipes make every healthy breakfast a treat to eat.

Shalu had posted some family videos on Youtube as well, where she and Chef Ajay Chopra whipped up breathtaking recipes, that were not just quick to fix but also yummy to eat.  Besides as the age old saying goes, always trust the restaurant where the owner dines. Mr Gattu Gupta, one of the leading distributors of Kellogg's cornflakes, unwavering loyalty towards the product stands testimony to its quality and standard, and it being his family's favorite breakfast option is proof of its merit.
Mr Gattu Gupta and his family are aware of the health benefits that come with a nutritious breakfast, and Chef Ajay and Shalu make sure they embark on a magic carpet ride of gastronomic delights every single morning. Be it Kellogg's Tomato-Salsa oats or Power-Up poha, together, the family  savors every flavor.

I thoroughly enjoyed all the recipes (especially the 'Fruity Yogurt Cup' and 'Cheesy Cornflakes', which I am sure is an instant hit with kids, and also the simple yet refreshing  'Peach Cornflakes' and 'Cornflakes Date Shake'). Hats off to Mrs Shalu Gupta for coming up with such spectacularly innovative ideas. I would love to meet her and her family someday, and tell her what a great example they are setting. Besides, it would be an honor to meet Chef Ajay and thank him for converting a healthy choice like Kelogg's into an irresistible one.

Being a general physician and diabetologist, I have a lot of patients coming in with issues like diabetes, hypertension, obesity, most of whom find it impossible to shift to healthy eating. They often come up with excuses not to stick to their diet plan. Most prefer to start their morning with just a cup of coffee, not realizing that they do themselves more harm than good by skipping breakfast. Having very limited choices to choose from, they prefer going hungry. But what they do not realize is skipping a meal causes them to lose essential nutrients as well.  With Mrs Gupta's tasty recipes, I expect them to feel more motivated into eating healthy, eating regular and eating right.
I think I can take a little liberty and modify the age old dictum into 

"A Kellogg's meal a day keeps the doctor away."

Coming back to the Guptas, there is much talk about Shalu's hospitality. I am hoping that meeting with her will manage to make me catch some of her infectious enthusiasm for cooking. (I so desperately need that...sigh!).
They say 'The way to a man's heart is through his stomach'. Who better than good old Kellogg's Wale Gupta Ji can testify this? The chemistry between Shalu and him is really cute. Meeting the prankster Rohan and the rebellious Ritu would be a fun experience. Watching all their videos has made me feel like a part of their family already.

So lets take this seriously. Let us pledge that we are going to wake up and fix ourselves a power packed breakfast every day. It's simple really---milk, fruit and Kellogg's, that is all it takes.

So make the right choice. Believe in the goodness of grain. Have a positive attitude.
Stay healthy. Stay happy!

Toh bataiye Guptaji, nashte  pe kab bula rahe ho?  
Arre bhai, 'Thank you' bolna hai...
:) :) :)

2 comments:

nikhimenon said...

mam,please post the video link also

Pri said...

It's already included there, Nikhil. Click on the highlighted words (Kellogg's wale Guptai Ji' )