Preserve Our Life with Plant-based Preserved Food
The outbreak of the Covid-19 virus changes the lives of people around the
world. The virus, which in some people appears as the common cold, in others
with comorbidities, especially hypertension, cardiovascular disease, diabetes,
obesity and chronic lung disease, causes the patient's condition to become
worse. Some even died. Such conditions eventually lead to awareness of the
community to start managing their diet, because indeed most health problems
start from our mistakes in applying our daily diet.
The five dangerous diseases that often threaten the life of Covid-19 virus
patients mostly arise from frequent consumption of foods made from animal
protein. This makes the plant-based diet more prevalent. People start to
consider additional protein intake from plants such as vegetables, fruits and
beans. The problem that eventually arises is the resilience of vegetable
protein sources, while the new normal conditions limit our access to
traditional markets. As we all understand, traditional markets have been the nearest
location to get fresh vegetables.
So far, we have been familiar with canned meat, canned fish, processed meat
products such as bacon, sausage, corned beef, and others. However, there are
not many variations in the market for preserved food made from plants.
Supposing that there is, because usually the ones that provide are modern
supermarkets and packaged by large industries, the prices are much times more
expensive compared to the same food ingredients available in traditional
markets.
Therefore, it is better for us to be proactive in providing balanced
nutrition for our family and neighborhood while still considering sufficient
stock, reasonable prices, and good quality food ingredients. The solution is to
make preserved ready-to-cook vegetables. This type of food is processed with
hygiene standards and handled at home, preserved with a vacuum procedure, then
stored in the refrigerator to maintain the quality.
Preserved Vegetables as
Ready-to-cook Preserved Foods
If we observe every kitchen in our environment, we will be able to identify
which types of vegetables are needed most and are cooked most often. We can
start with green vegetables and tubers. Unfortunately, most vegetables are
perishable foods. So only a few types of vegetables can be processed into
ready-to-cook food, preserved by vacuum-sealed packaging, and then stored
frozen. Vegetables that can be processed are green beans, long beans, and
carrots.
Beans are indispensable source of protein. Some types of beans are widely
available in the market in raw-dry form. However, there are beans such as
kidney beans and peas that are not always available fresh or dried. So, we also
need to consider kidney beans and peas to be processed into preserved
ready-to-cook food.
As for fruit, there are rarely people who consider fresh fruit as frozen
food ingredients. This is because fruit is relatively easy to get. However, we
can still make fresh fruits as an alternative to preserved food ingredients
because usually fruits are available in the market according to the season, so
there are certain times, especially in the rainy season, when the fruits on the
market are less varied.
The Role of Plant-Based
Preserved Food Industry for the Economy during the Pandemic
Not many home industries have used preserved plant-based foods as a source
of additional income. However, having to adhere to health protocols makes us
reluctant to leave the house. This is a great business opportunity. It is
better if we start processing plants for us to process and freeze, as food for
our own consumption and sell to our neighbours.
When faced with a critical situation, the ability to get around the
situation and look for good opportunities will improve people's economic life.
Develop a preserved food industry made from plants, so we can maintain health
and at the same time improve Indonesia's economy even during a pandemic.