More about Me
I have a MS in Agricultural Economics from Rutgers University USA and have been a rural development professional for half my life – co-founder of Appropriate Technology India and Devbhumi Natural Products Producer Company Limited in the Garhwal Himalayas, Uttarakhand. Both these organizations help create local village jobs, by producing and marketing products based on local natural resources such as tasar silk, organic honey and spices.
While the food I create and write about is family cooking, I am focusing on kids because I am really concerned about how we are losing our traditional eating habits to modern unhealthy ones. Processed food is easy availability everywhere and kids are the prime targets of junk food advertising! Educating our kids on the right choice of food, which will affect their future health, is (to me) as important as schooling and character building. It’s the foundation of good health for life and as the saying goes “health is wealth”.
Over the years, my experience and knowledge of agriculture, simple rural food habits, practical nutrition, organic food and the environment, led me to going back to the basics – to healthy cooking and eating. I love good food, travelling, trekking, music, reading and the great outdoors. I am passionate about women’s issues, the state of our villages, the environment and saying ‘No to Junk Food’!.
I live in Chennai with my husband Alan Barretto, my three sons – Sameer, Vikram and Nikhil, and our much loved Himalayan Bhutia dog Tashi.
About Me
Hi, I’m Sharmila Ribeiro, an agricultural economist and mother of three growing boys. A few years ago, my youngest son was barely eating any vegetables and no fruit, so I started to prepare vegetables and fruits in new and interesting ways. I also decided to dejunk my household and cook most food from scratch. I started to read a lot about nutrition and what’s good and not so good to feed our kids.
I’ve spent the last few years evolving a range of delicious, easy-to-cook Indian and international recipes that changed the way my family ate. The health benefits were tremendous! I hope my book and this website helps you in your journey of cooking healthy delicious meals for your loved ones too.
Nishant Saldanha is an animator, illustrator and independent comics artist. A recent graduate in character animation from the California Institute of the Arts in Los Angeles, he also studied graphic design at Central Saint Martin’s London, and now lives and works in Goa, India.
He got his start in the arts by training himself in photography at a young age and his photographs and illustrations can be seen in this book. Check out his art and comics here:
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About the photographer/illustrator
