India Food Stats

Since pineapples don't ripen post-harvest , selecting a ripe one at the store is crucial. Here are some tips to help you pick the perfect pineapple: Color : Look for a pineapple with a consistent golden-yellow color. While some green is acceptable, a mostly green pineapple was likely picked too early and will be less sweet. Smell : A ripe pineapple should have a sweet and fragrant aroma at its base. If it has no smell, it's likely not ripe. An alcoholic or vinegary smell indicates it is overripe. Feel : The pineapple should feel heavy for its size, indicating it's full of juice. It should have a slight give when gently squeezed, but avoid pineapples that are soft or mushy. Leaves : While some people swear by the ease of pulling a leaf from the crown, this is not a reliable indicator of ripeness. If you find yourself with an underripe pineapple, don't despair. While you can't make it sweeter, you can make it more palatable: Soften it : Leaving the pineapple at room t...

Here are some key facts about calorie counting: What is a Calorie : A calorie (with a capital 'C', technically a kilocalorie) is a unit of energy. It represents the amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of a specific amount of water by one degree. This energy is stored in the bonds between atoms and molecules within the macronutrients in food. Traditional Measurement : A bomb calorimeter can measure the total energy stored in a food sample by burning it in oxygen, surrounding it with water, and measuring the water's temperature increase. Label Calories vs. Total Energy : The calorie number on a nutrition facts label is not the total amount of energy in the food. Instead, it's intended to show the amount of energy that our bodies can actually get from the food, accounting for energy that is not used or is excreted. This involves considering things like "poop and pee". How Food Companies Calculate Calories : Food companies typically do...

Olympic javelin throw champion and India's first athletics gold medalist, Neeraj Chopra, initially took up the sport to combat childhood obesity. As a thirteen-year old boy he weighed 85 kg as Norris Pritam writes in " The Man Who Made History: The Neeraj Chopra Story ". He maintains his elite fitness through rigorous discipline and a strict diet. According to a 2022 article on the official Olympics website , Neeraj Chopra aims to keep his body fat percentage at 10 percent . While he's a non-vegetarian now, it's interesting to note that Chopra was a strict vegetarian until 2016. This dietary shift occurred during a training camp in Portland, USA.

Advice from a NYT article - A good rule of thumb: If you bought it from the refrigerated section at the store, it should stay in the fridge at home Always use a clean, dry spoon or knife — no fingers — to avoid planting bacteria or the moisture they crave. Which condiments should go to fridge or pantry: Pantry Kept in an airtight container, ghee — butter that has been simmered until its water evaporates — can keep for six months or longer at room temperature So long as you don’t let moisture in — a wet spoon, a loose lid in 90 percent humidity — honey will last virtually forever in the pantry. Pantry is fine for vinegary hot sauces , but double-check the label for other styles where the pH is unknown. Tabasco, a vinegar-based hot sauce, will be just fine stored in a cool, dark pantry for at least five years after opening. Refined oils will have a longer shelf life than unrefined but all will oxidize more quickly in bright light, heat and open air. So tuck oils away in a cool, dar...

You'll often spot an interesting linguistic mix on Indian product packaging!  Due to historical ties and the enduring legacy of the Commonwealth education system, British English spelling (e.g., "colour," "flavour," "fibre," "centre") is the most prevalent and widely accepted standard across India. Baskin Robbins uses the American English spelling 'flavored' instead of 'flavoured'  Image: Open Food Facts However, as global markets intertwine, it's increasingly common to see products from American brands (or even Indian brands targeting international markets) adopting American English spelling (e.g., "color," "flavor," "fiber," "center").  It's a subtle reflection of India's diverse linguistic landscape and its position as a vibrant hub where various global influences converge, even on something as simple as a food label!