There are many benefits of home cooked food that we all need to know and reinforce.

• It ensures that healthy nutritious food is eaten every day. Fresh food is richer in nutrients, in antioxidants, vitamins and micronutrients when compared to preserved ( and packaged ) food sold commercially.
• Home made rotis and whole grains provide physical activity . Whole grains have many health benefits as they prevent many diseases . It is rich in fibre, vitamins, anti-oxidants and many other beneficial ingredients. Whole grains prevent many diseases like cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, if you already have diabetes then it promotes better control of blood sugar levels. The intake of refined grains should be restricted .
• Daily cooking in each house allows for variety. Seasonal fresh fruits and vegetable get consumed. These prevent cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes and improves eyesight, vigour, longevity and immunity .
• Healthy fresh home ground spices provide many health benefits . Fresh home ground spices have anti-cancer, anti-ageing properties. They are very rich in many anti-oxidants and other nutrients including omega-3-fatty acids and other fatty acids in their unique beneficial combination.
• We eat less salt and less preservatives when we eat fresh home cooked food (comparing home food to hotel food or home cooked food to off the shelf ready to eat food, home cooked food as compared to fast foods).
• Cooking fresh food at home promotes greater physical activity as we exercise different parts of our body during the various stages of preparing food..
• Fresh home cooked food is also bio-friendly.
• Fresh green chutneys ensure physical activity and much nutrition through antioxidants, many other micronutrients and vitamins. Home ground chutneys add flavour, taste and nutrition to food. They have many health benefits. Chutneys not made at home could be a source of infection when the raw ingredients are not adequately cleaned or washed. Many of the chutneys have preservatives which are very harmful as they contain extra salt and are also oxidants which are carcinogenic. (The shelf life of fresh chutney is otherwise short)
• Fresh home-ground ginger paste is healthy whereas using the ready market paste is harmful as it has preservatives and salt.In the process of preserving many of the vitamins get destroyed.
• Traditionally in the villages, earthen utensils were used and are still being used. These cook the rotis, rice , vegetables, dal and sambhar in low heat. Cooking in low heat has many health benefits whereby the delicate vitamins like the B complex vitamins don't get destroyed and are preserved and provide nutrition to the body and mind.

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