Tthe main religion in India is Hinduism, but not all Indians are Hindu. India is a melting pot of many religions, including Buddhists, Muslims, Zoroastrians and Christians. The Hindu religion has several gods and believes in re-incarnation.
Dietary practices
There are no central authoritive regulations, so there are different interpretations of dietary beliefs. Intertwined in Hindu food customs is the concept of purity and pollution. Bad food habits are considered to stop an individual reaching mental, physical and spiritual purity.
Foods to be avoided
The degree of dietary observance depends on the degree of orthodoxy. These are the main restrictions which could be practised:
- The cow is given 'mother' status and is considered sacred and not to be eaten. Many Indian restaurants do not serve beef. Sikhs participate in many Hindu practices (though it is a monotheist religion, while Hinduism is polytheist) and avoid beef. Incidentally, leather from cows that died of natural causes is acceptable to Hindus.
- If meat is eaten, pork as well as beef is usually avoided.
- Fish that have an 'ugly form' are forbidden, as are many other 'meats', for example, snails, heads of snakes, crabs and ducks.
- Many Hindus are vegetarian. While meat is not always prohibited, the Laws of Manu say that 'no sin is attached to eating flesh... but abstinence... bears greater fruits'. Many Hindus adhere to the concepts of Ahimsa - avoiding inflicting pain on animals - and so do not eat them. (For more advice on catering for a vegetarian diet, see Nursery World, 18 September 2003).
- Pious Hindus will also avoid 'overstimulating' foods such as garlic, onions and red-coloured (blood-coloured) foods such as tomatoes or red lentils.
- Jainism is a branch of Hinduism - they separated paths by the 6th century BC - and is the smallest of the ten main world religions. Jains are completely vegan (they exclude eggs, dairy products and honey as well as meat). They follow eating restrictions more devoutly, avoiding, for instance, root vegetables such as potatoes which might result in the death of insects clinging to them. Other vegetables are only eaten when harvested at certain times of the year.
What is eaten
Your nursery vegetarian menu will, for the most part, satisfy the needs of Hindu children. But you should discuss with a child's parents if there are any further exclusions.
While the meat of cattle is forbidden, the milk is considered to be highly cleansing. This means all milk products - milk, cheese, yoghurt and ghee (clarified butter) - are eaten. Foods which are not as pure can be improved by preparation with these, such as by frying in ghee. All milk products, including buffalo milk (ie mozzarella) and goat or sheep milk products (many cheeses) are fine. Certain spices such as turmeric are considered cleansing and are used in rituals.
Special days
Over 18 major holidays in the Hindu lunar calendar are feast days, including Holi, Dusshera, Pongal and Divali. There are also personal feast days, including various anniversaries.
Fasting is also common on certain days of Hindu months. Depending on the degree of orthodoxy, fasting can involve being more strict about eating 'pure' foods, adopting a completely vegetarian diet, abstaining from favourite foods or complete fasting. Parents of children will advise you if any of these are being followed by a child in your nursery's care.
Balance and variety
From a health standpoint, most forms of Hindu 'fasting' - which in practice is food restriction, such as being strictly vegetarian for the day or avoiding favourite foods - are not harmful for a child, and fasting children may be taken out of nursery for such days.
Vegetarianism is a perfectly healthy way of eating as long as a varied diet is consumed. Traditional Hindu food preparation highlights a wide variety of pulses and vegetables. Pulses, such as lentils and beans, are an excellent source of protein, especially when mixed with rice, and provide fibre and many minerals such as zinc and iron. Even if people do not follow a vegetarian diet, it would generally be an improvement for most to incorporate a pulse-based dish or two a week, and what better way to do this than to occasionally offer a bean or lentil curry on the nursery menu.
