The last few months have been somewhat a whirlwind for each of us- what with balancing work and household chores. While social gatherings, outdoor activities and travel have stopped, we are looking for new hobbies while we stay at home. For many, that new hobby has been baking and cooking! Since the lockdown, “healthy cooking” has been a trending search topic, while “immunity boosting foods” have gained paramount importance. Experimenting with new cuisines, quick summer recipes and nutritious weekday meals have been added to the top items on the priority list.
We asked some of Mumbai’s favourite influencers to share their special picks and here’s what they had to say.
Vinti Lodha, Advisor- Lodha Luxury
“Healthy eating has been always extremely important to my family and me and in the last few months, we’ve enjoyed whipping up some delicious salads with fresh organic ingredients. One of my favourites is a warm Quinoa salad with Hass avocados and vine ripened cherries.”
Roshni Chopra
“Baking has been completely therapeutic for me in this time. It helps switch the mind off and just tune into creating something. Not to mention the experience the textures the smells just engulf you in what seems to be a big large sensory hug. To make sure it’s also healthy, I’ve been using almond flour, coconut flour and coconut sugar as substitutes for a guilt free binge.”
Nikita Madhani
“Staying at home during quarantine has got me to focus more on healthy eating as compared to before. Smoothies or smoothie bowls are one of the simplest ways to jam pack as much nutrition as possible into one drink. Staying indoors can take a toll on your eating habits hence healthy eating is of utmost importance for the mind and body.
I prefer to make these smoothie bowls as healthy as possible by avoiding any added sugar. I use sugar free or stevia- only if required. Use Vegan milk, mostly chocolate soy or almond milk for cacao based smoothies and coconut milk for fruit based ones.”
Summiyya Patni
“I’ve always enjoyed cooking, even before the lockdown!
I had decided to use this free time more wisely, pick one thing and completely focus on that- and cooking it was! I wanted to do far more and experiment with tougher recipes.
I look up recipes well in advance and take weeks to gather all the ingredients! I even started a small cooking club with close friends and family, where we’d all pick a unique recipe (something challenging) and make it together at our respective houses! One of my favorites so far is the Apple Galette, which I recently baked at home. Expected it to be so tedious, but it turned out to be a simple recipe.
Honestly, this was the best choice I made this lockdown. It has turned out to be extremely calming and therapeutic.”
Diva Dhawan
“Throughout childhood, I was always looking forward to the weekend so I could relish a bowl of ice-cream as it was my favorite treat! As an adult now, considering I still have a sweet tooth, muesli bowl is my go to breakfast. It is indeed a healthy and nutritious alternative that I love treating myself to! What’s better is that is it very easy and quick to make. All you need is two spoons of Greek yogurt, your favorite muesli or granola, a spoon of almond or peanut butter, and top it off with some fresh fruit like Banana, Pomegranate or fresh Blueberries! Not only will this satisfy your craving for something sweet, but it is also extremely filling!”
