The fight against COVID19, self-quarantine has affected a lot in our daily lifestyle. Proper nutrition is very important for the immune system to fight back. Access to fresh food is limited, which is leading to a compromise on your health & diet increase in the consumption of processed food, which is again high in fat & sugar, salt.

We can support our good health even with limited ingredients & one can continue to eat healthily. Along with staying & eating healthy, each individual has to be physically active. Practicing home-based exercise and good sleep plays an important role in functioning our immune system(1) & metabolism.

Quarantine Meal Plan

Wake up Herbal tea- 1 cup water add grated ginger, 3 tulsi leaves, 1 tsp Carom seeds, 2 cardamoms,¼ tsp turmeric powder, ¼ tsp black pepper,3 drop honey & boil for 10 minutes Breakfast 1 bowl Porridge ( oats / ragi ) Mid Morning 1 orange / 1 glass orange juice / 1 cup Indian gooseberry juice /

1 fruit / fistful nuts / 2 each dry fruits Lunch 1 jowar/ nachni roti / 1 cup rice + 1 cup vegetable + 1 cup sprout + curd / buttermilk Post Lunch 1 cup green tea / 1 cup hot water with lemon Evening Herbal tea- 1 cup water add grated ginger, 3 holy basil leaves, 1 tsp carom seeds, 2 cardamom,¼ tsp turmeric, ¼ tsp black pepper,3 drop honey & boil for 10 minutes Dinner 1 bowl vegetable oats Post Dinner 1 cup green tea / 1 cup hot water with lemon

Note: Consume 2 – 3 ltr of water daily

Must-Try Recipes During the Quarantine

1. Banana Apple Smoothie

Ingredients

1 banana

1 apple, 2-3 dates

1 tsp vanilla essence

1 tsp honey

1 cup of water

Method

Blend all the ingredients until smooth

2. Chia Seed Pudding

Ingredients

½ cup chia seeds

4 tbsp cocoa powder

2 tbsp Maple syrup

1 cup almond milk/coconut milk

1 tsp vanilla essence

For garnish – nuts / dry fruits/ fruits

Method

Soak ½ cup chia seeds in almond/coconut milk for 60 minutes After 60 minutes add cocoa powder, maple syrup, vanilla essence mix well Serve in a bowl & put your choice of garnish

3. Ragi / Oats Porridge

Ingredients

2 tbsp ragi flour

1½ cup of water

1 tsp jaggery

½ cup almond/coconut milk

¼ tsp cardamom powder / elachi powder

Instructions

Take 2 tablespoon ragi flour. Mix ragi flour in ½ cup water without forming any lumps. Keep aside. Now boil 1 cup water in a saucepan Once the water is boiled, add in dissolved ragi flour. Stir continuously on medium.flame Mixture thickens after 5 minutes and will turn glossy Add 1 tablespoon jaggery. Keep on stirring the mixture until the jaggery dissolves completely and turns creamy. Now add ½ cup milk and mix on low flame. Then add ¼ tsp cardamom powder and mix well.

4. Bajra/ Jowar Khichdi

Ingredients

1/3 cup whole black millet

3 tbsp split yellow gram

1 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp asafoetida

1 tbsp Olive-Oil

salt to taste

Method

First, clean and grind the bajra into a coarse powder in a blender. Keep aside. Wash the ground bajra and moong dal together. Combine the bajra and moong dal mixture and salt with 2 cups of water and pressure cook for four whistles Heat olive oil in a pan & add the asafoetida and cumin seeds. When the seeds crackle, pour this mixture over the cooked khichdi and mix well. Add ½ cup of hot water if necessary to adjust the consistency of khichidi at the time of serving. Serve hot with kadhi or curds.

About the Author:

Raheela Hasan Gazi, Health & Nutrition Specialist

Welcome to my digital world of fitness! Born and brought up in the beautiful city of Mumbai- graduating myself in food nutrition dietetics from SNDT college, MBA health care services, diabetes educator, certified as an international yoga trainer, this was the best career decision I could have ever taken.