Eating habits take a healthy route as Covid teaches us lessons

The coronavirus pandemic has drastically changed our lives. Although many blogs talk vastly about various sectors and emerging technologies, they seldom discuss its effect on our personal choices. Agree or not, COVID-19 has altered our food preferences.

Dolly Kumar, Founder & Director at Cosmic Nutracos Solutions Pvt. Ltd., the parent company to health and wellness brand Gaia shares, "The early days of the lockdown revolved around hoarding calorie-laden processed food. With restaurants shuttered, concerns over hygiene, and to break free from the robotic routines of WFH, the pandemic brought out the chefs in most of us."

Even today, the cooking channels are becoming popular as people are turning to the kitchen to experiment with edibles or say, to just enjoy a lavish food spread at the dining table. After all, it is not just the consumption of food videos or blogs that experienced a spike. eCommerce giants Grofers and Flipkart too reported a spike in sales of food items. The trend continues to rise. Undoubtedly, the contagion has initiated a new bonding between us and the food we eat. A sudden thrust towards health and nutrition has drawn us to immunity-boosting food items, ditching our spicy packaged eatables. Here are a few eating habits that people have adopted during this period.

Healthy eating

People are moving towards the raw food items such as grains, cereals, fruits, and veggies and incorporating them in their daily meals. They have become the primary source of nutrition and the go-to option for between-the-meal snacking.

Mindful of processed foods

A lot of people are watching their intake of fats, salt, and refined oils in their diet. As per some analysts, the consumption of sugar is also expected to slip during this year. The speculations are based on the data shared by one of the leading soft drink brands that reported a dip in sales by 25% during the first three months of April. In fact, the brand's direct competitor had a similar story to tell.

Choosing nutritional supplements and healthy food subsstitures

Nutritional supplements are finding their place in kitchen larders and in the daily routines. People are incorporating supplements like Curcumin, Amla and Spirulina in the diet to strengthen immunity. Additionally, there is an increased awareness and demand for healthy food substitutes like infusion teas, oats, muesli, honey, etc.

Opting for on-the-go immunity enhancers

Remote working schedules have called for holistic but instant food items. Here, energy bars and multigrain cookies are helping people stay clear of binge-eating during hunger pangs. They are abundant in nutritive elements and a tasty and efficient way to strengthen immunity. The best part, they can be munched while working on a laptop as one does not have to fear spillage.

Good food hygiene

This is one part that should have been a priority. But, it is only recently that hygiene is being practiced very seriously. Not only people are washing their hands but also cleaning their fruits and vegetables rigorously to get rid of even the slightest strain of germs on the surface. Moreover, people have become cautious about sanitizing the food packages that they receive from food aggregators or grocery stores. This is one of the reasons that the business of online food delivery plummeted during the first phases of lockdown.

Following healthy habits

People have started pairing healthy eating with other activities that promote well-being. These range from regular exercising, drinking plenty of water, quitting smoking, moving to sustainable food patterns, etc. It is a relief that comfort foods no longer account for our first preference. But as we step into the New Normal, we have to still ensure that we don't normalize or glamorize eating junk. They act as a silent killer to deteriorate our immunity that we have built over the years. Thankfully, people are exploring and picking up healthier food alternatives. With the threat of various viruses looming large and the season changing, it is only advisable to not compromise with your health and sticking to the new-found love of nutritious foods.