Your first connection with nutrition makes way into your house, everyday, along with your newspaper. Households grind to a halt without this. Yet, we know very little about this `something nutrition' we deal with day after day, first thing in the morning.
Apart from identifying milk tetra packets based on color (e.g. that blue milk packet...errr...that orange milk packet) and groggily cutting it open, have you ever opened your eyes wide and explored the packet? No?
Apart from identifying milk tetra packets based on color (e.g. that blue milk packet...errr...that orange milk packet) and groggily cutting it open, have you ever opened your eyes wide and explored the packet? No?
So follow me to the world of practical nutrition and read on.
To keep it simple, for now lets stick to just two words sticking out boldly from your milk packet, namely, `pasteurized' and `homogenized'.
Whats pasteurized milk?
The word `pasteurized' means that the packed milk has been subjected to `pasteurization', a procedure which retards or slows down growth of micro-organisms in milk. The milk you buy thus has a longer shelf life, amongst other things.
A more technical definition of pasteurization is `A process of heating a food, usually liquid, to a specific temperature for a definite length of time, and then cooling it immediately'. Pasteurization is in reality a more complicated procedure, but I got to keep it brief.
Whats homogenized milk?
Homogenization is a procedure which breaks up the milk fat into smaller particles and ensures that the milk is of the same tone (consistency) throughout. This done to prevent or delay the separation of cream from the milk i.e. in homogenized milk the cream doesnt accumulate on top in a thick layer, as it does with milk straight from the cow.
Another reason for homogenization is that in the dairy your milk supply originates from, the milk is mostly sourced from various farmers who own milking herds. All this milk from different breeds of cows is mixed together and has to be made more uniform and this is done via homogenization.
Nutrition is your daily life
We never realize that nutrition is a very intimate part of our daily living. Nutrition is not some separate planet which you have to enter only on being told `Hey go to that planet, its healthy'. You are dealing with it daily. Right from the milk you buy, to the salt you sprinkle, to the sugar your spoon, each common food has a nutrition story to tell. If you listen in to each such story, you will automatically start looking at food, and your diet, in a more informed manner and make better diet choices.
Next time, we will dissect that milk packet more. So watch this space.
Note- The above discussion is limited to milk which is in tetra packs and not the one we get unpackaged from our milkman (or, doodhwala).
Next time, we will dissect that milk packet more. So watch this space.
Note- The above discussion is limited to milk which is in tetra packs and not the one we get unpackaged from our milkman (or, doodhwala).
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