Vice President of India M Venkaiah Naidu urged people to avoid junk food and instead eat traditional Indian cuisine to stay healthy on Tuesday.
While speaking at the Vaccinate India Program, conducted by the Department of Planning, Government of Karnataka, and the Give India Foundation, the Vice President was curious as to why people should seek out junk foods such as pizza and burgers when we already have our own traditional cuisine.
“Avoid junk foods. Eat traditional, local food. Our forefathers have suggested, practiced, and promoted, and have given us such beautiful varieties of food. I’m in Karnataka, I need not explain to you how many varieties are here. Some of them have now become world-famous,” he said. “They (junk food) will be suitable for conditions of certain foreign countries, but they are not suitable for Indian conditions. Unfortunately, we started aping the west and westernisation, some of our kids also developed that weakness,” he added.
Noting that branding and marketing by companies made these junk food popular, Naidu said, “Chicken Manchurian…when you have your own locally-made biryani, why Manchurian….? “Children also- these days ask for Chicken 65 when we have in Karnataka Ragi Mudde (Ragi balls) and naatu kodi pulusu (country chicken curry)- wonderful…enjoy it, why run after something else?” “Please follow Indian food, traditional food, organic food, for your own health. Because health is wealth….” he added.
Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai were among the others present at the event.
(PTI)
