Promotion of Neglected Old Crops For Nutritional Security

Abstract

Many valuable and highly nutritious traditional and under-utilized crops are extremely important for nutritional security. They are locally well adapted to marginal lands and constitute an important part of the local diet, providing valuable nutritional essentials, often lacking in staple food crops. Modern daily diet includes only selected food crops (rice, wheat, maize, vegetables). More refined carbohydrates and more of fats and oils, which lead to many nutritional disorders. For the proper growth functioning of our body, different types of micro nutrients which are not available in staple food crops required. Traditional diets and crops with their rich diversity are under threat due to urbanization and changed food habits. Mountain food crops are rich in essential micronutrients as compared to the staple food crops. In the present study, efforts were made to supplement these important mountain crops (Amaranths, Buck-wheat and Finger millet) in the daily food preparations. Study proved that these crops can successfully be supplemented up to 40 percent in wheat based recipes without affecting the organoleptic parameters and physical appearances. Supplementation with these food crops showed a remarkable enhancement in the nutritional composition and quality. It was observed that supplemented products were nutritionally superior. A variety of value added products, including local preparations, snacks, sweets and weaning baby foods have been standardised. The study convinced that these underutilized mountain crops have a great potential for nutritional food security. Food supplementation with these crops would foster the value addition, nutritional quality in general and will help in alleviating the nutritional deficiencies in particular.