Eat traditional food to stay healthy, says VP

Delivering his address at the function organised on the occasion of International Biodiversity Day in Chennai, Venkaiah said, “Food cannot be instant and instant food means constant disease. Hence, people should avoid eating in KFCs, pizzas and burgers and should opt for traditional food items.”

May 22 is observed as International Biodiversity Day and the theme for the current year is “Our Biodiversity, Our Food, Our Health.” Going by the theme, Venkaiah Naidusaid to feed the growing population India should attain self-sustenance in local farming.

“We should promote local crops. We should go for value addition of local crops and homegrown self-sufficiency is the need of the hour. We are misled by advertisements shown in media about the western stored food, but native foods are healthier,” said Naidu.

He also said that due to western food our health condition has degenerated. “If we go and randomly carry out body check-ups we will find some deficiency in our body. It is mainly due to the western food and change in lifestyle. We always had our local food such as sambar, chutney, kolambu, chettinadu foods which are native to us,” he said.

He further said that it is high time that farmers should opt for crop diversification. “Nearly, 90 percentage of the crops have disappeared from the farmers. Paddy, wheat and maize are the three crops that form 80 per cent of the cultivation across the world and so crop diversification should be carried by farmers where local crops should be given importance,” said the Vice President.

He went on to say that Indian food system is based on seasons. “Our forefathers had already planned which food to take in which season and which fruit to be consumed at a particular season, but we have gone against the nature and lost our health. I am once again saying that nature and culture together are better for future,” said the senior BJP leader.

After his address, Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated an exhibition organised by Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Biodiversity and had a look at the exhibits. He interacted with the staff of various departments who displayed various traditional food crops.