During this difficult COVID 19 period, it is important to keep up with our personal hygiene, social distancing and equal importance is to eat foods that will increase the immunity in our body systems.
It is alright to eat out and fast foods once in a while but it is also important to add the right foods in our daily diet.
It is not necessary to eat exotic or foods that are expensive. Simple ingredients can be added in our daily diet to help us along.
I am writing here about some simple foods that can be eaten daily or at least as many times as possible per week.
You can add YOGHURT in your daily diet. You can buy them plain or better still if you can make a cup daily. It is easy to make and which I do every night.
Simply bring a cup of milk to boil and cool to room temperature. Add 1 tbsp of yoghurt. Whisk and keep aside. In our warm weather the milk becomes yoghurt in about 4 hours or so. And you get a cup of yoghurt for next day’s breakfast.
Another simple method is using milk powder. Make a glass of milk with 4 tbsp of milk powder with room temperature water. Add 1 tbsp of yoghurt and whisk. Keep aside for about 4 hours. You should get 1 cup of thick yoghurt.
Yoghurt is so versatile; you can use for cakes, curries, and soups, make overnight oats or simply eat it plain.
The next food that is good for our body system is MISO, you may make soups, there are many recipes that uses miso. One example is to spread some on vegetables to bake.
SWEET POTATO is so versatile too. Simply steam and eat for breakfast or use it to make curries, fritters and many other dishes. It is so easily available all year round.
Use GINGER and GARLIC in your stir-fry, and any other dishes that you cook on a daily basis. Good idea to have ginger tea instead of just plain tea too.
Speaking of TEA, this is a beverage that you can sip daily. Also provides the antioxidants needed to our body systems.
Vegetables like SPINACH is excellent for daily intake. It is green, available and it is so inexpensive.
WATER MELON is a fruit mostly forgotten, but it is one of the most valuable fruit for our body systems. Lots of water content with Vitamins A and C. This fruit helps to strengthen our immune system too.
Eating food with SPICES such as turmeric etc helps our body to detox and cleanse. You don’t need to eat loads of it, simply add a little to whatever dishes you are making and feed your whole family. Definitely helps.
In olden times, great grandmothers made use of what was available in the pantry or garden to bring down fever, body aches and pain.
In my home, whoever has a fever will get to drink a spiced soup of peppercorn, cumin seeds, fennel seeds and turmeric with garlic on regular basis till the fever goes off.
During my growing years my mum made dishes out of simple vegetables daily. We ate boiled rice and lots of lentils for snacks. We ate oats porridge with yoghurt or milk daily as breakfast.
Probably that’s why my Father lived to a good age of 88 and without any ailments. He was so disciplined in his food diet. He ate at regular times and his food was always cooked fresh and hot when served to him. If I can remember correctly, he ate lamb and fish twice a week and the other 3 days will be vegetables, lentils and rice only. He ate bananas and 2 sweet desserts daily.
In Singapore we are very fortunate to get fresh vegetables from the markets and supermarkets daily. Choose your vegetables and fruits wisely. Make sure they are pesticide free if possible.
I have noticed a growing trend whereby many people are growing their own vegetables now which is so welcomed. I grow some vegetables too such as spinach and lettuce. I get sufficient green vegetables for my small family daily. Below is a picture of pink and green lettuce at my backyard.
Lets take care of our bodies and our families. Lets inculcate good food habits in our children. We have only ourselves to care for us, so lets work on it in a way since we have the choice and the right.
Happy eating.
Chef Renga
