Nutritional Up-gradation of Some Vegetarian Preparations from Konkan region.

Abstract

Malnutrition is widespread in India. Even comparatively literate and economically fairly advanced statelike Goa is not an exception. Ailments like diabetes, blood pressure, heart diseases and even cancerare on the rise. Other symptoms typically found in cases of malnutrition were also visible amongst the populaceof Konkan. Though it cannot be claimed that malnutrition was the sole cause of all these ailments, malnutrition definitely appeared to be one of the causesin many of these cases. In any case malnutrition makesindividuals susceptibleto diseases. Thoughasubstantial part of the populace hadnon vegetarianmeals,be it the breakfast, proper meal or snack, rice, wheat and coconut together formed almost 80 to 90% of theirdaily food. A study was conducted with the aim offinding the approximate nutritive valueof the various components of the daily food of plant origin and making improvement in nutritive value wherever possible. Substantial amount of data was collected and analysed. Based on the analysis of the data, preparations were modified using 2 prominenttraditionally used legumes. Modified preparations were actually cooked, tasted and theincrease in theamount of some vital nutrients,in case ofsome important preparations,was tabulated. This paper reveals the increase/decreasein quantity of each of these vital nutrients as percentage of the quantity present in the original traditional (before modification) preparation.