New trend of health cafes is making outside food tasty and healthy

Indians may have a soft corner for 'maa ke haath ka khana', but urge to gorge on that street-side pav bhaji topped with a dollop of butter or check out that new restaurant serving greasy Chinese food has almost been irresistible.

But it is changing, albeit slowly and for just a section of upper-crust urbanites who can afford it, with increasing number of healthy restaurants and cafes telling us that eating out longer means eating unhealthy. y offer menus that are a perfect combination of health and taste. y will serve you a fresh, crunchy and fulfilling salad instead of butter chicken, and also replace your sugary glass of coke with a lip-smacking smoothie. 

Fab cafe by Fabindia, for instance, has a wide range of vegetarian and n-vegetarian salads, but if you are in a mood to indulge, it will t disappoint with its delectable yet healthy momos, chaats, samosas, and biriyanis too. 

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Ingredients are key, said Rebekah Blank, brand head of cafe.

"We are very intentional and careful about ingredients that we use and recipes that we put on menu. 

"Here, people can go out and enjoy a scrumptious meal and also feel that y haven't overindulged or done something that is bad for ir health," she said. 

ir super healthy gluten-free roti was made using "quia atta or jackfruit flour" and cakes were made of "palm jaggery or coconut sugar" instead of traditional refined sugar or flour.

With Indian diners eating out around seven times a month (National Restaurant Association of India 2019 survey) Anil Saxena, a doctor at Fortis Escorts Heart Institute, said health cafes were a welcome change. 

Poor food habits have made Indians more prone to heart diseases, he said, ahead of World Heart Day on Sunday. 

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A 2018 study by medical journal ' Lancet' revealed that prevalence of heart disease and stroke has increased by over 50 percent from 1990 to 2016 in India.

"Change in lifestyle habits, bad diet, outside food and concept of partying harder has changed natural history of coronary artery blocks. Kids are requiring intervention for heart disease a decade earlier as compared to ir parents," said Saxena.

Mumbai-based nutritionist and lifestyle educator Karishma Chawla agreed to say this trend had become need of hour for "human and environmental preservation".

rmal high glycemic foods which lead to inflammation in body -- root cause of many diseases -- are being replaced with better quality carbohydrates which work against inflammation.

" main difference here is ingredients being used, and to an extent, organic produce being introduced in menus," she said.

KODE in Mumbai is ar kid on healthy block. It has to offer a menu that is low in calories and high in nutrition and taste. 

ir "n-fried" Vietnamese spring roll, along with "gluten-free cheesecake, ragi crumb and Avocado on toast" are a hot favourite.

"We do get a number of requests for dishes which constitute ingredients like whole wheat pasta or dishes which are gluten-free and also Keto friendly. This has pushed us to experiment more and curate dishes which are healthy," said Momin Faqi, executive chef, KODE.

'Salad orders have tripled in past year'

trend is also making its presence felt in online food delivery sector.

A quick search on food apps like Zomato and Swiggy with 'health' as a keyword will throw up plenty of choices like Transform Nutrition, Dietliciouz, Healthy Cravings, Cafe Healthilicious and many many more. 

According to Zomato, since August last year, app witnessed a whopping "118 percent" growth in "healthy" restaurants.

Orders for salads have "tripled in past one year", said Zomato.

"It is expensive, but I guess if more and more people opt for healthy food, that is something that can be taken care of," said Tamanna Sourabh Gupta, a homemaker in her 30s. 

"I am very cautious about what I am eating when I am eating outside food. fear of heart diseases, among or diseases, of course, is always re on my mind. Good thing is that w you have options that go way and beyond regular Subway." Five-stars too are catching up with trend. Alongside ir existing menus, y are w also curating health menus and fitness programs.

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"re is issue with eating out as long as you make healthy choices. You can make healthier choices by asking for mir tweaks. For instance, if an item is fried, ask for it grilled. If it comes with French fries, ask for a side of vegetables instead," said chef Anurudh Khanna, multi-property executive chef, Westin.

We, Indians might never have needed a reason to eat out but it looks like w we have eugh reasons to eat healthily. 

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