PAU organizes Inter College Cooking Competition on Healthy Millet Recipes

Ludhiana, June 13, 2023: The Department of Food and Nutrition, College of Community Science, Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) in collaboration with Ludhiana Chapter of Indian Association for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (IAPEN), India organized an ‘Inter College Cooking Contest on Millets-based recipes to celebrate International Year of Millets-2023 with the theme ‘Empowering Healthier Life through Millets.’ A total of 30 participants from 15 different colleges of Punjab participated in the momentous event and prepared diversified millet recipes for breakfast, lunch, snacks, beverages, etc.

The chief guest Dr Kiranjot Sidhu, Dean, College of Community Science, congratulated the faculty and students of the department for conducting the cooking competition successfully with wider participation for promotion of millets through tasty and healthy recipes to enhance its consumption for better health.

Dr Kiran Grover, Head, Department of Food and Nutrition, shared that millets have been an integral part of diet in the past owing to its nutritional, functional and nutraceutical properties and are termed as nutri-cereals/superfood. She further expressed that hosting such cooking competitions is an innovative way to develop cooking skills, knowledge and awareness among young generation which may result in long term benefits for nutritional well-being.

The winners of the competition were given away prizes and certificates. Ms Preetiman Kaur from College of Basic Sciences and Humanities, PAU was adjudged as the winner. The second prize was shared by Ms Muskan Kanojia, GGNIMT, Ludhiana and Ms Lipika, College of Community Science, PAU. Similarly, the third prize was shared by Ms Kritika, Government College for Girls, Ludhiana and Ms Maninder Kaur, College of Agriculture, PAU.

The cooking competition was judged by a team of three judges comprising Dr Deepika Vig, Head, Department of Human Development and Family Studies; Dr Jaspreet Kaur, Associate Professor, Government College for Girls, Ludhiana-cum-Vice President, IAPEN and Dt Shaveta Batta, Chief Dietician, DMC&H, Ludhiana-cum-Secretary, IAPEN. A Chef from Hotel Management along with other teachers from various colleges was also present. They admired the attempt and creative ideas of the participants.