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Did you know a game of cards can help achieve much more than entertainment? Curious to know how? Read on.

Does the adage ‘Health is wealth’ ring any bells? We know that a balanced diet is made up of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals, vitamins and water which is essential for good health. Yet not many of us are aware and conscious of what we eat.

Invented by Dr Bharati Chimmad (UAS Dharwad), the health and nutrition card game is an innovative and fun filled way of engaging people young and old to take what they eat seriously.

As part of the promoting sustainable livelihoods, health and wellbeing series, I propose to shine the light on inherent goodness and nutritional value of food that is grown and consumed by us.

I can hear you say but what happened to the game of cards?

I have not forgotten about it. I’m sure you will find it as interesting, fun filled and knowledgeable as I do.

So the game goes like this. There is a pack of seventy three health and nutrition cards. Each card contains a colorful image of the food produce for example vegetable, fruit etc with nutrition information printed on its reverse. The packs of cards are shuffled before being distributed equally among players without disclosing the nutrition information contained in the cards. Each player arranges his or her cards in a neat pile without disclosing to other players the content of his or her cards.

In the first round, the topmost card will be picked up by the first player and the name of the food and the main nutrient content is announced aloud. Other players follow and do the same. Cards from respective players are compared to see which card has the topmost nutrition value. The player who declares highest nutrient content gains all the cards that were played in that round. The game continues and the player who ends up with most number of cards is the winner. The health and nutrition card game is a simple yet meaningful way to promote awareness of nutrition information among children and help imbibe healthy eating habits at an early age. 

According to Global Nutrition Report 2018, India is home to 46.6 million stunted children, a third of world’s total? While you ponder over this and make sense of the game allow me to present to you the importance of different food items from the card game and the nutrient contents presented in each. I propose to cover all the seventy three cards during this series.

I would like to start today with: Ripe tomatoes, cabbage, methi (fenugreek) leaves, Bengal gram, brown rice, white rice, rice flakes, orange, and apple.

Ripe tomatoes:

Tomatoes are the major dietary source of the antioxidant lycopene, which has been linked to many health benefits, including reduced risk of heart disease and cancer. It consists of the following nutrients.

Per 100g

Vitamin A (pg)43.87
Vitamin C (mg)27
Calcium (mg)48
Energy (Kcal)20
Protein (g)0.9
Dietary fiber (g)1.7
Iron (mg)0.6

Cabbage:

Cabbage is packed With Nutrients. Half a cup of cooked cabbage has about a third the vitamin C you need for the day. The available nutrients are as follows.

Per 100g

Vitamin A (pg)15
Calcium (mg)39
Vitamin C (mg)124
Energy (Kcal)27
Protein (g)1.8
Dietary fiber (g)2.8
Iron (mg)0.8

Methi leaves:

Also known as fenugreek leaves. Adding fenugreek leaves or powder to your daily meals can help to: Reduce bad cholesterol. It helps prevent and control diabetes by regulating the absorption of sugar by the body. It consists of the following nutrients.

Per 100g

Vitamin A (pg)292.5
Calcium (mg)395
Vitamin C (mg)52
Energy (Kcal)49
Protein (g)4.4
Dietary fiber (g)4.7
Iron (mg)1.93

Brown rice:

Many of the nutrients in brown rice help keep your heart healthy. It’s a rich source of dietary fiber, which can reduce your risk of death from heart disease. Brown rice also contains high levels of magnesium, which helps one become less vulnerable to heart disease and stroke. The nutrients available in brown rice are as follows.

Per 100g

Energy (Kcal)363
Protein (g)7.1
Fat (g)1.6
Dietary fiber (g)0.6
Calcium (mg)10
Iron (mg)0.2

White rice:

Folic acid helps your body make DNA and other genetic material, and supports cell division. White rice typically contains more calcium and iron from artificial fortification. While all rice can be an important source of energy, brown rice contains more nutrients and provides greater health benefits. White rice consists of the following nutrients.

Per 100g

Energy (Kcal)345
Protein (g)6.8
Fat (g)0.5
Dietary fiber (g)4.1
Calcium (mg)10
Iron (mg)0.7

Rice flakes:

 It’s easily available and contains varieties of nutrients, and is cost effective. Poha, also known as rice flakes is considered a good meal for diabetics. Being rich in fiber, poha promotes a slow and steady release of sugar into the blood stream, thereby preventing any sudden spikes in blood sugar levels. Rice flakes consist of the following nutrients.

Per 100g

Energy (Kcal)346
Protein (g)6.6
Fat (g)1.2
Dietary fiber (g)8.6
Calcium (mg)20

Bengal gram dhal:

Bengal gram (yellow lentil) consists of good amount of iron, sodium, selenium and small amount of copper zinc and manganese. They are also a rich source of proteins. They also contain very good amount of folic acid and fiber and contain phytochemicals called saponins, which can act as antioxidants. Bengal gram consists of the following nutrients.

Per 100g

Energy (Kcal)372
Protein (g)20.8
Fat (g)5.6
Dietary fiber (g)15.3
Calcium (mg)56
Iron (mg)5.3
Vitamin A (pg)16.13

Oranges:

Oranges contain D-limonene, a compound that is touted to prevent cancers like lung cancer, skin cancer and even breast cancer. Vitamin C and antioxidants present in oranges are both important to build body’s immunity – they help in fighting cancer. The fibrous nature of the fruit also makes it cancer protective. Oranges consists of the following nutrients.

Per 100g

Vitamin A (pg)138
Vitamin C (mg)30
Calcium (mg)26
Energy (Kcal)48
Protein (g)0.7
Dietary fiber (g)1.1
Iron (mg)0.32

Apple:

Apples are a popular fruit, containing antioxidants, vitamins, dietary fiber, and a range of other nutrients. Due to their varied nutrient content, they help prevent several ill health conditions. Apple consists of the following nutrients.

Per 100g

Vitamin C (mg)1
Calcium (mg)10
Energy (Kcal)59
Protein (g)0.2
Dietary fiber (g)3.2
Iron (mg)0.66

Let us try and get in to the practice of including these in our daily diet as it helps us lead a balanced life. We will get back to you soon with more interesting facts and information.

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