Healthy food is required for a healthy body. To eat healthy meals an understanding of the crucial ingredients of a balanced diet is absolutely important. A balanced diet must have carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, mineral salts, fibre.

Our Body Needs a Balanced Diet

Our body needs carbohydrates, proteins, calcium, fats, vitamins, mineral salts, fibre.

Carbohydrates are the source of energy. Carbon, Hydrogen and Oxygen are essential to keep us energetic and active. Food items such as potato, rice, spaghetti, yams, bread and cereals contain carbohydrates. These are the food items rich in starch.

Proteins are turned into amino acids by our digestive system before they enter our blood. Proteins contain Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen and Sulphur. Proteins are absolutely necessary for the growth of our body and for repairing injured cells.

Fat is also a source of energy. Just like proteins fats too contain Carbon, Hydrogen and Oxygen. Just by avoiding fat we cannot avoid putting on weight. Carbohydrates and proteins can also turn into fat. So it is necessary eat the right amount of energy containing food. How much energy we can take in? Naturally it depends on how much we can use through physical day-to-day activities and exercise.

Mineral salts such as iron, calcium, sodium and iodine are necessary for different purposes. Iron is necessary for making hemoglobin. Decrease of hemoglobin leads to symptoms of anemia. Especially for pregnant women it is crucial to avoid problems of anemia. Calcium is essential for our bones, teeth and muscles. Nerve cells need sodium and our thyroid glands require iodine.

Fibre is important for good digestion, clear skin and healthy bowel movements.

The dietary requirements can be translated into a healthy recipe that is easy to cook and delicious to eat.

A Simple Nutritious Meal, Indian Dosa

In India 'dosa' is a very well known breakfast item that is relished by people of all ages.

The usual way of making dosa batter is a laborious one, which includes soaking, grinding, fermenting. But the recipe contains all the nutrients including carbohydrates, proteins, fat, mineral salts such as calcium and iron as well as the necessary vitamins.

If a ready mix of the powder is available, dosa can be made in minutes. Dosa looks similar to a thin pancake or an omelette. It takes two minutes to cook a dosa and the taste will remain in our memories for days to come.

If you go to YouTube and search for "Instant Dosa" you will be able to watch videos and see how easy it is to make a dosa.

The usual side dishes with the dosa is "Chutney" and "Sambar". But you can also eat the dosa with sauce, ketchup, baked beans and a variety of other things.

You can also make the dosa more nutrient by trying out various recipes such as masala dosa, carrot dosa, onion dosa, sweet dosa, etc.

The dosa ready mix powder can be stored for months without any problem. Whenever you get into the mood of eating dosa, all you need to do is to take the required quantity, add double water and make dosa. To make one dosa you need two table spoons of the mix and four table spoons of water.

One serving gets you carbohydrates, proteins, fat, dietary fibre, calcium, iron, magnesium and other vitamins.