Become a smart consumer by learning how to pick out the truly ‘Organic’ stuff from amongst a host of food packets carrying various complicated labels.

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Hello, friends! The other day, I went grocery shopping with my niece, Prisha, for buying some chemical-free and safe food. She’s just like you, always eager to learn new things. As we walked through the store, Prisha explored all kinds of fruits, spices, chocolates, and whatnot!

But something really confused her—lots of description on the products she’d picked up...

Sattu is a powder made by grinding a mixture of roasted pulses, mainly chickpeas and cereals. It is rich in protein and leaves one satiated for a long time. Apart from the laddu, a refreshing summer drink is made out of sattu, which helps us in bearing high temperatures and keeps our stomach healthy. It is also ideal for people suffering from peptic ulcer and can also fight diabetes.

Ramdana are the seeds of chaulai or amaranth. These seeds are a good source of calcium, protein, and amino acids and are rich in iron, magnesium, and vitamin A, B, and C. Ramdana is an integral part of Hindu fasting diet. Here, is a summer recipe which is both nutritious and healthy.

Down To Earth travels to the desert state of Rajasthan to find out about the traditional food habits of the people in one of the driest regions of the country. We discovered that so many things grow in the wild and traditional knowledge of these will ensure that you have plenty to eat in the harsh desert environment. But is this traditional knowledge losing its ground slowly?.

Down to Earth is Science and Environment fortnightly published by the Society for Environmental Communication, New Delhi...

The beautiful and healthy lotus stems—you can find these stems being sold by roadside vendors, especially along roads that run by a river or a pond. The light brown or white, sausage-like tubular vegetable has holes in it. These are lotus stems and they are used widely in Indian, Chinese and Japanese cuisine. They are relished for their taste and nutritional value.

Known in Hindi as bhe or kamal kakri, the lotus stem contains hollow air channels that run the length of the stem. It is crunchy, sweet and tastes like water chestnut. It has a delicate flavour and is suitable for eating raw or cooked...

What is food wastage? Simply put, it means throwing away food which could have been eaten by oneself or by others. This could happen for various reasons – buying more than needed, or because it has been too long on the dining table. We are all guilty of pushing older food to the back the fridge or cupboard and placing fresh food in front.