Is India Snacking Too Much?
There were times when we, as humans, would look at food as mere sustenance, a daily requirement to be fulfilled with the locally available organic food options. And yet, today one could get literally anything to eat, in the shortest of time. The modern-day eating habits have rendered us compulsive, as we now revel in the comfort of a seemingly endless supply of items to devour. The urban population in India, as it works in tandem with almost every other location on the planet, has fastidiously adjusted to the “snacking” phenomenon. Full time, proper meals have given way to shorter, continuous snacking and fast-produced foods. The traditional ritual of the family gathering around the table to enjoy food seems to be lost with time. The availability of food from every region adds to this momentum. India today is touted as the diabetes capital of the world.
Why and How India is Snacking?
Snacking habit often depends and varies according to the individual. And since ease of use is paramount, most snacks we see in the market are targeted at the class of population which wants it 'ready to eat’, with little to no preparation on their part. As it is widely thought, such snacking has dismal nutritional value and is most often the food eaten as a ‘filler between bigger meals. They provide gastric gratification, and the companies manufacturing and marketing such snacks, do so, on the basis of flavour, effortlessness, and cost. Most of the junk food available for consumption today, consists of the usual spectrum of food, albeit packaged differently. And it's not that only a select slice of population partakes in snacking; all people snack on, as per their own whims and fancies. The current market availability is dominated by fried and 'masala’ eating options, which again build up the bad cholesterol in our bodies, over time. Unchecked snacking can aggravate diabetes conditions.
Of course, as more and more small-to-medium scale entities enter the market to grab their share of the ever-growing populace, one could hope for diversity in the options for snacking. India currently has an alarming 8.7% of the population afflicted with diabetes, and there has been a 34% growth in heart-disease-related deaths. The health crisis we find ourselves in is certainly not helped with the heavy consumption of oily and spicy food on a regular basis. Even the most common items in snacking, chips and other rice-based crunchy snacks add a significant strain on our already wheezy health.
A Shift in the Snacking Habits
The new age thought, however, is seeing people switching to healthier alternatives in their food habits: consuming less oil, and more fibre-based food items. Snack-wise, there are new entrants in the market which have started providing 'baked, not fried’ foods, along with newer twists to bland items, such as oats. However, the change-over to the healthy snack options is slow. As they say that nothing worth having comes cheap, the healthier alternatives tend to be high on the cost front-which is often a dampener in the Indian context.
Switching over to healthier alternatives may have several underlying benefits to the people in general. Diabetes mellitus and heart diseases are directly linked to our eating habits. Studies have found that even a small reduction in consumption of oil results in a number of health benefits; in just a month: reduced calorie intake, reduced risk of inflammation of cardiac tissue, improved immune resistivity and improved digestion, reduced risk of diabetes and more. Adding more fibre to our intake, such as millets, tends to 'soak up’ the saturated fats in our bloodstream and regulate the bowel movement. Healthier foods also help in reduced skin ailments, such as acne.
At Green Station, we aim to uphold our values of providing food on the lines of purity and quality. Our commitment to bringing in healthier foods in the market is backed by our efforts to promote and support organic farming, and sustainable growth in the sector.
Our selection of snacks is a healthier alternative to the prevalent items: Power Puffs to fried munchies, Flavoured Poha to oily fritters, and other selected products like Ragi biscuits and our most popular trail mix of assorted nuts and seeds. The snacking items on our store are the most checked-out, with close competition from 'ready to cook’ breakfast options, and straight-from-the-farm vegetables and fruits. We also cater to the health conscious with our array of brown rice, millets, and cereal. Our patrons include students and even professionals living away from home, in constant need for healthy snacks. Through the online portal which assures a speedy delivery and from our Green Truck, parked near you, we hope to help people snack healthy.
Green Station, as a brand aims to encourage eating habits that is wholesome and healthy.
Come on India, snack healthy, experience the change.
