During the rainy season, our immune systems are tested with many health issues and afflictions. Everything from illnesses to allergies arises during this time. Harmful bacteria and viruses are more active during monsoon season, so it is essential to take extra care of your health. Eating the right food can help you stay healthy and boost your immunity.
Monsoon Season
The monsoon, a geographically dispersed phenomenon across the globe and part of many ancient cultures, is one of the most admired weather patterns that change people’s habits in India from June to September.
Food Items You Can Eat in the Rainy Season
The best foods you can enjoy during the Monsoon season come with a variety of nutrients and have natural immunity-boosting properties. Here we made a list of must-have foods that keep away bacteria and can boost your diet during the rainy season.
Garlic
During the rainy season, incorporating garlic into your diet is critical to strengthening one’s immune system. Not only does it provide essential nutrients, but its hearty flavor makes meals both nutritious and delicious!
Nuts
A daily dose of dates, almonds, and walnuts is an excellent choice any time of year. Packed with vitamins and minerals, these nuts are must-haves for your monsoon diet. In addition, they offer Vitamin E, which can boost immunity levels while protecting cells from damage due to their potent antioxidant properties.
Singhara
Singhara, otherwise known as water chestnut, is tremendously advantageous to our health due to its cooling properties that aid in curing jaundice and reducing symptoms of nausea. In addition, it’s packed with antioxidants to treat urinary infections and fortify the body’s defenses against sickness.
Pungent Vegetables
Though they may not be your favorite, savory vegetables like bitter gourd, ghiya, and tori have many health benefits. Rich in Vitamin C and antiviral properties, you can have them boiled, stewed with other seasonal veggies, or fried.
Colocasia Leaves
In Gujarat and Karnataka, a delicious snack known as patra or pathrode is prepared. This dish entails stuffing colocasia leaves with rice flour and desirable spices such as tamarind and jaggery. Colocasia leaves are used to make delectable patode in Uttar Pradesh. These treats provide a delightful blend of flavors that will tantalize your taste buds. The leaf stacks are also utilized for culinary purposes.
Lingdu Or Dhekia Shaak
Native to the Himalayan region, these curly-tipped ferns are deliciously tender and crisp. Abundant in nature or commercially harvested from northern and northeastern India, they are a popular ingredient used to produce pickles throughout Himachal Pradesh.
Phodshi
For those seeking a unique ingredient to make their Indian dishes stand out, phodshi is the perfect addition. This lush vegetable boasts bright green leaves reaching up to 1 foot tall – topped off with a small white stem – and can only be found in Maharashtra during the wet season. So whether you’re looking for an exquisite sabzi dish or want to add something special to your thalipeeth, Phodshi will provide that extra flavor dimension.
Soups
Create a nourishing soup with just chicken broth. This savory soup brings warmth, and its nutrient-rich composition helps your body stay hydrated and healthy. Vitamins and minerals within the broth are potent defenses against illnesses like the flu, food poisoning, or common colds.
Tea
During the often dreary monsoon, tulsi can aid with heart health but also helps in body detoxification. Furthermore, complementing this natural remedy is peppermint tea which serves as a cooling agent and prevents dreaded flu-like symptoms.
What Food Should You Avoid In Monsoon Season
You should avoid certain foods during the Monsoon season. These include raw, spicy, and fried food, as they increase body heat or dampen your digestive system. Additionally, processed snacks like chips and packaged eatables contain high amounts of artificial ingredients and preservatives, which can be hazardous to health.
Cooked Foods
Raw foods offer abundant health benefits but aren’t worth the risk during the monsoon season. Eating raw meals exposes you to many potential pathogens that can easily cause bacterial and viral infections, whereas cooking your food helps eliminate these dangerous bacteria.
Veggies to leave out
During the monsoon season, it’s best to avoid eating leafy greens like spinach, fenugreek leaves, cabbage, and cauliflower due to the temperature and humidity, creating a hospitable environment for bacterial and fungal growth. In addition, if consumed, these vegetables can lead to uncomfortable stomach infections.
Salt
Too much salt can cause sluggishness, unnecessary cravings, and feeling weighed down due to water retention. Therefore, moderation is critical to salty foods during the rains – limit your consumption of these snacks for optimal health and fitness.
Spicy and fried foods
During the monsoon, our digestive systems are already strained, and deep-fried foods make it even harder for us to digest. Too many spices can also overwork your digestive tract and compromise its ability to function correctly.
Rainy Season Dishes
You can have delicious food during the Monsoon and remain free of colds. Here are some recipes for dishes that you can enjoy with anti-inflammatory properties.
Bombil Bhujna (Bombay Duck Gravy)
Bombil Bhujna is a delectable medley of flavors accented with a semi-thick gravy. This is a delightful seafood curry enhanced with flavorful coconut and spices.
Makai Shorba
Shorba has been around for centuries, as it is a traditional soup of many cultures. Deriving from the Arabic word “Shurbah,” which translates to ‘soup,’ this hearty dish was born in the Middle East and is now being embraced throughout India with its rapid growth in popularity.
This rich and creamy soup is made with grilled corn, giving it a unique depth of flavor that will tantalize your taste buds.
We added a link here where you can find various Indian recipes to help you get through the Monsoon season with a happy tummy.
