KAVITA DEVGAN
Humans are sensory beings, who make sense of the chaotic world around them, through smell, sound, sight, taste, and touch. One of the gifts that our relative cranial superiority has given us is the ability to enjoy complex flavours. With a cornucopia of food items easily available, replete with a dizzying array of flavours, we are spoilt for choice, when it comes to culinary options. Some food choices however are healthier than others, especially whilst snacking.
We, more often than not, end up munching on foods that might affect our health adversely in the long run. This is ever more relevant for people aged 35 and above, who might indulge in unhealthy snacks due to paucity of time and even lack of awareness. Snacking is by no means a bad habit. In fact, having a snack that can bridge the hunger between meals actually prevents us from overindulging during mealtimes. These snacks, however, have to be nutritious and fulfilling.
Shifting snacking habits
One of the common culprits of unhealthy snacking are our mothers, who end up consuming oily or unhealthy snacks, especially as they juggle multiple roles and chores. This habit can easily lead to a gamut of health issues, ranging from diabetes and sugar to hypertension and obesity. There is, however, a silver lining here. Millennials, armed with a more granular understanding of dietary choices are helping their mothers make a switch from regular snacks such as Samosas to healthier choices like California Pistachios. California Pistachios weave together good taste and health into one tasty bite-size offering. They even offer greater value, as the number of pistachios per serving (28g) hovers around 49, compared to 23 almonds or 18 cashews. This essentially means that pistachios give more than twice as many nuts per serving as almonds or cashews. This, combined with their year-round availability, makes them a smart choice for snacking and are fast gaining ground as the snack of choice for millennials and their mothers.
California Pistachios: A healthier choice
California Pistachios are a smart choice for Indians looking for a healthier snack option. About 7.7 crore adults currently suffer from diabetes in India, with the number poised to double to 13.4 crores by 2045. One of the chief drivers of this disease in India is food habits, with the other being lack of exercise. Middle-aged women are particularly susceptible to this disease. Most mothers fall in this age group. Choosing California Pistachios as a snack of choice is a great alternative to snacks high in added sugars and saturated fat, as they offer the right balance of carbohydrates, protein and fat. Nuts have already been deemed to be “diabetes superfood,” according to the American Diabetes Association. California Pistachios, in particular, contain six grams of protein per 28g. serving and are a good source of fibre. They are also a source of minerals, such as magnesium. California Pistachios are a great snack of choice for mothers. We are also witnessing a shift towards healthy, plant-based and vegan food options, which has led to a rise in Pistachios becoming a common snack of choice.
Millennials, astute to these benefits, are helping their mothers make smarter snacking choices. Embracing a healthier lifestyle for themselves and their parents, they are gradually weaning their mothers off the unhealthy common snacks to tasty and nutritious alternatives like California Pistachios.
Kavita Devgan is a well-known nutritionist, weight management consultant and author,
