My Science School

In 1683 Vienna was under siege from the Turks. Men baking bread during the night heard the Turkish army tunnelling under the city. They raised the alarm, saved the city and baked croissants in the shape of the crescent Moon on the Turkish flag!

The story dates to 1683, during the Ottoman Turks siege of Vienna. Legend has it that a baker working late at night heard the Turks tunneling under the walls of the city and alerted the military.

The military collapsed the tunnel in on the Turks and eliminated the threat, saving the city. The baker baked a crescent shaped pastry in the shape of the Turk’s Islamic emblem, the crescent moon, so that when his fellow Austrians bit into the croissant, they would be symbolically devouring the Turks.

Marie Antoinette popularized the croissant in France by requesting the royal bakers replicate her favorite treat from her homeland, Austria.

Then, August Zang, an Austrian artillery officer that founded a Viennese Bakery in Paris in around 1839. This bakery served Viennese specialties including the kipfel (croissant) and the Vienna loaf and quickly became very popular and inspired French bakers. The dough became lighter and more delicate throughout time, and the kipfel was developed into what it is known now as the croissant.

Today, the croissant is both a symbol of French culture and tradition, shared throughout the world. Share this story the next time you enjoy one of our delicious croissants.

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Have you noticed red or green dots on food packaging? What do they signify? A green dot in the middle of a square means the food item in the package is vegetarian, while a red dot is indicative of non-vegetarian food. But how do we identify vegan foods i.e. plant-based foods? The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) recently launched a logo to help consumers identify vegan foods. What does it look like? Why is it essential? Let's find out.

The new logo

For the first time ever, the FSSAI has come up with a logo for vegan foods. The new logo is part of the country's apex food regulators first draft rules for vegan food products. The FSSAI which functions under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has outlined the items that come under the vegan food category. Henceforth, just like the different coloured logos help identify veg and non-veg foods, vegan foods will sport a new Logo.

The new logo has the letter V in inscribed in the middle of a white square box with green colour a small plant on top of it and the word 'Vegan" at the bottom. The square box also has a green outline. According to an FSSAI statement, the green colour and the leaf indicate the ingredient/product is of plant origin. The letter V identifies the product as Vegan.

What is veganism?

Veganism is the practice of avoiding animal products, especially in one's diet. It seeks to exclude all forms of exploitation of and cruelty to animals for food and fibre. Those who adopt this philosophy as a way of life are called vegans. They not only avoid animal foods such as meat, fish, milk and other dairy items, eggs and honey, and animal-derived products such as leather, but also refuse to patronise zoos and circuses that use animals for entertainment. The term 'vegan' was coined by Donald Watson of Britain in 1944 to describe non-dairy vegetarians.

If you have been wondering what constitutes a vegan diet, it is a completely plant-based diet. With veganism gaining momentum, there are many people who are keen on avoiding animal products. There are also those who are allergic to dairy products. To cater to the needs of such people, plant-based beverages and plant-based meat are available in the market. The vegan logo is expected to help them make informed food choices.

The FSSAI notification defines vegan foods as "those foods or food ingredients that do not make use of any ingredients, additives and processing aids of animal origin including milk and milk products, fish, poultry, meat, egg or egg products, honey bee or honey products, materials of insect origin like silk, dyes, bone char used in sugar bleaching among others." Besides, "food products or ingredients to be called vegan shall not have involved animal testing for evaluating the safety of the final product or ingredient and shall not contain any animal-derived GMOs (genetically modified organisms)".

Who designed the logo?

The new vegan logo has been designed by Kruti Manish Rathore of Mount Caramel College, Bengaluru who is pursuing Masters in Food Science and Nutrition. Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya introduced the logo through a Twitter post on September 20.

Picture Credit : Google

Every time you scrolled through a food blog or some colourful food posts on Instagram or Facebook, I'm sure you came across the phrase 'Eat the rainbow', or bloggers advising you to try "The Colour Diet', or "The 7-day Rainbow Diet' or various quotes like 'add a splash of colour to your meal'. I am sure you've wondered whether it's another fad diet, worth trying.

To put it simply, adding colour to your plate is adding fruits and vegetables to your daily diet. In today's world, going vegetarian is in vogue. The Rainbow Diet is a vegetarian diet - with a difference, i.e., apart from the regular nutrient content the added splash is in the colour!

Adding colour to your plate is much more than making your plate look pretty. Certain fruits and veggies contain particular bioactive compounds called phytonutrients. They are naturally occurring compounds that provide pigment to the foods, which besides making your plate look colourful, are beneficial also in reducing the risk of various diseases and infections.

That being said, research has also proven that adding colourful fruits and vegetables have a number of antioxidant and anti inflammatory effects which provide your body with an array of vitamin and minerals that are extremely beneficial to one's health.

So how DO we eat the rainbow?

COLOUR	BENEFITS	FOOD
Red foods: Heart-friendly foods	Lycopene pigment present aids in promoting a healthy heart, but also boosts immunity, reduces the risk of cancer and arthritis by preventing inflammation.	Tomalo, Beetroot, Watermelon, Pomegranate, Cherries, Red Bell Peppers, Apples, Strawberries
Yellow/Orange foods: Antioxidant-rich foods	Carotenoids present in these antioxidant-rich foods reduce inflammation, boost the immune system and reduce the risk of infection. Also improve eyesight and are great for the skin.	Limes, Oranges, Lemons, Grapefruits, Amla, Guava, Carrots, Pumpkin, Mangoes, Bananas, Pineapple, Papaya
Green foods: Detox foods	Chlorophyll pigment present boosts the immune system, improves bone health, helps detoxify the body.	Spinach, Broccoli, Fenugreek, Cucumber, Bottle Gourd, Green Apple, Kale, Avocado, Green Beans, Peas, Cluster Beans
White/Brown	Allicin present in the onion family has cardio-protective and anti-tumour properties	Onions, Cauliflower, Garlic, Leeks. Parsnips, Radish, Mushrooms
Blue/Purple foods: Brain foods	Anthocyanin pigment present aids in reducing inflammation, improves cognition, boosts mood, reduces risk of Alzheimer, protects from cellular damage.	Bluebemes, Blackbemes, Black Grapes, Raisins. Eggplant, Plums Figs, Prunes, Purple Cabbage

 

Easy ways to make your meal more colourful

Keep it colourful: The next time you go grocery shopping, take a good look at your cart. Are you missing a colour? Always make sure your cart looks colourful.

Add vegetables to your smoothie/smoothies bowl: Adding veggies to your smoothie bowl/smoothies is the simplest and most delicious way to add colour to your meal. Plus, it's always fun to try out new recipes! For example, beetroot or spinach adds a nice hue to your smoothie/smoothie bowls.

Make a technicolour salad: One of the easiest meal preps is salad with an array of colours. The more the colours, the more the nutrients. Plus, they're low in calories, and are loaded with fibre, so they really satisfy. Also make your salads more colourful.

Add fruits to your cereal/ porridge/oats: Spice up your breakfast colourful and appetizing by simply adding a few colourful fruits to your bowl. This not only makes your breakfast healthier and full of anti oxidants, but also much more colourful and "Instgrammable"!

Make your pastas colourful: Apart from the usual veggies, that you add to your pastas, try sprucing up your pasta with a pureed vegetable, e.g., add spinach, beetroot, carrot.

Lastly, remember the saying, "There's always a pot of gold at the end of every rainbow". Although there might not be a literal pot of gold at the end of this 'metaphorical' rainbow, you will surely receive the wealth of good health and happiness.

Credit : Sharleen Zacharia (The Teenager Today)

Picture Credit : Google