The last year has compelled us to reconsider our health goals, reorganise our priorities and revamp our entire way of life. “Strengthen yourself or perish” has been the scariest unsaid fact looming like a persistent grey cloud over us. The rude wake-up call served as a warning about the downside of taking the comfortable life we have for granted. Over the last month, I’ve shared many foods that assist in making you stronger from within while benefiting external factors like your skin and hair in many ways too.
“Ek, ek se bhale do, do, do se bhale teen” goes the famous song from Amar Akbar Anthony. This quirky way of reiterating the power of unity applies to food as well. Today we’ll talk about foods that are healthy on their own but healthier when paired with others. A mi’x’ of goodness, if you will!
Flour mi‘x’
Although ‘multigrain’ flour mixes are packed and branded as a new step in health revolution, they’ve been part of our culinary culture for a long time. Maharashtrian cuisine extensively uses bhaajni (roasted and ground rice, lentils, pulses etc) in traditional recipes like thalipeeth and chakli. Their combinations may vary depending upon taste and recipe. Flour-mixes can be made gluten-free and are a great source of nutrition for vegans too.
Flour mixes are versatile and can be replaced by or added to regular wheat flour for additional health benefits. Toddler moms can breathe easy since even chapatti is packed with many essential nutrients. Flour mixes can be used in cookies, cakes, breads or tea-time snacks like mathris and shakkarpara.
Seeds mi‘x’
Seeds mixes bring together the goodness of a variety of seeds in one tablespoon. They can be consumed raw or roasted and whole or ground into a powder. Many of us don’t have a chakki nearby and are forced to use store-bought atta. Sadly, it loses most of its fiber content and nutritive value. Also, even though chakki-ground aata is better, it isn’t enough to cater to our regular dietary needs. Adding seeds like flax, carom, cumin or sesame enhances its taste and makes it a healthier option.
Popping a teaspoon of roasted whole seeds mix instead of chocolates or candies will be a great service to your body. Garnish your cookies with them, add them to your smoothie bowls or snack on them before or during workouts.
Mi‘x’ed herbs and spices
Herbs and spices are an integral part of our food heritage and in this series we’ve discussed many of their health benefits. Every cuisine, Indian or international, uses signature herbs and spices that offer their foods and recipes a distinct taste and flavour. Dried Italian mixed herbs like basil, thyme, rosemary etc are the perfect topping for pizzas and pastas. Mexican seasonings like Cayenne pepper and cilantro give their recipes a wonderfully exotic twist. Closer home, every Indian region has a heady variety of masalas and powders like Garam masala, Podi powder, Bhaja moshla, etc.
Make your regular tea an immunity boosting concoction by adding a basic spice mix of black pepper+cloves+cinnamon+cardamom seeds with milk, ginger and tulsi. This spice mix can be added to your coffee, black tea and kadhas too.
Xmas plum cake is a delicacy that involves a unique blend of tradition and food. Xigua is type of African watermelon. Xacuti is a native Goan chicken curry made with chillies, potato and poppy seeds. Xavier soup is an indulgent Italian soup that has Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley in a rich chicken broth. X foods are an interesting mi’x’, aren’t they? What would you like to add?
Special thanks and hugs to Pragun for her inputs for this post!
This post is part of the #BlogchatterA2Z challenge by Blogchatter
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I eat only multigrain flour now. Nuts too are a part of daily diet. Mixed herbs I use in many dishes..You have listed out great stuff, Varsha.
Flour mi”X” are a routine in my household, Thalipeeth and chakli are my regular almost once in a week specially because of mixed flours, they are very tasty and healthy as well.
and I love Mi”X”ed herbs and spices as they add flavour to food and dishes. Even Mi”X” seeds are my anytime munching partners. Yet another of my favorite in masala tea with mi”X”ed spices, gives just that perfect cup of freshness and who wont love Xmas cake along with that. Lovely X foods you have listed.
That’s a clever mix i should say. Multi grain atta n mix if nuts is what i commonly use. Xavier xucati xigua learnt of new things today
Deepika Sharma
Honestly few days back I was thinking to had mixed seeds in my diet.
Love how you MiXed these information. I so agree with the mixed spices and the seeds.
Congratulations to you and pragun for coming up with such great and innovative idea for the letter X. Mixing seeds, sliced and flour are such healthy option.
Wow lovely mixes are there and luckily I use most of these in my household. never tried xmas plum cake, sounds so tempting dear.
These mixtures are indeed helpful in taking care of our health-care goals. I normally don’t use the readymade flour mix, but while kneading the dough, I like to add portions of chickpea flour, bajra flour, barley flour etc. in the regular wheat flour. Seeds, herbs, and spices taste better when mixed together or with something else.
Yes, dry fruits are always nutritious and must have food of all the times
True Varsh these mixes have become such a important part of our lives in the past one year particularly.
Wow! Learnt of many new things!
I love tea made with mixed spices. And I add mixed herbs to many dishes.
Mixed seeds and mixed herbs are my favourite food items. I make sure to eat a handful of nuts every day. It builds stamina and boosts strength.
Glad that themixes that I include the flour, seed and herb are part of the for food categories.
What a perfect mix and match guidelines Varsha. I recently shifted to multigrain flour, but yes the readymade one only. I do make herbal masala tea, every day but never tried this with coffee, have to give t a try!
This is a beautiful way of explaining that its always mix and match of various ingredients that strike a balance.! And Indian Food with its wide spread cuisine is a perfect example of this. very well written!
I really liked the way you have made food so healthy with such great Mix, this is indeed going to add so much value in our health.
That’s a perfect way to explain “x”. Bhajani is my favorite and a great example of mixed flour.ides nuts a part of our daily diet.
Mixed grains. spices and herbs and mixed seeds are integral part of my everyday cooking. recently, I had also started using tea masala for regular tea. it gives a great flavor to tea and make tea healthier too.
Love to have seed mix whenever I get hungry in between the meals. A nice article on X nutrious foods.
Nutrition is really important and it is best to incorporate the right food in our lifestyles. Our Indian cuisine has traditionally harnessed the power of many nutritious herbas, seeds, roots, and vegetables.
This is a great article about nutritious foods. It’s good to know you both came up with this post. It will boost stamina. Very good post
We too have opted for multigrain flour since last year and can see visible result in daily life. Mixed seeds are something that I am trying to inculcate in my daily life 🙂
Off late I have been adding different flours to chapati dough and even for parathas. Ragi, jowar, wheat and bajra are the ones that gets mixed together to form a nutritious meal at our place.
I also use flour Mix to make chapatis at home tk make them more nutritious and healthy for the family. Though my kids don’t eat much seeds (allergic as kids so the habit didn’t set in as they grew) but we adults enjoy them.
Oh yes for healthy and super foods the mixes that you have suggested are quite helpful. I like to have mixed seeds and mix flour in my meals.
My wife has started adding seeds to my diet and now I understand why. Initially I didn’t like flax, carom, cumin, and sesame, but now I’ve made peace with the fact that seeds have huge health benefits and that I shouldn’t ignore them.
I did not have the idea of mixed seeds. Multigrain flour and bread has been a staple since long. I will start with mixed seeds for snacking soon.