By Dr Natasha R Marak
September is observed as National Nutrition Month across India, a time to reflect on the choices we make about food and health. In Meghalaya, this observance offers a timely reminder that the path to good nutrition does not lie in expensive imports or exotic diets, but in what has always grown around us. The fruits, vegetables, grains, and traditional recipes of our land are not only affordable and sustainable but also perfectly suited to our climate, culture, and bodies.
In recent years, supermarket aisles in Shillong, Tura, and Jowai have begun to resemble showcases of imported produce. Apples from Washington, avocados from New Zealand, and kiwis from Italy are now common sights. They look fashionable, but the truth is that we do not need exotic or expensive foods to stay healthy in Meghalaya. The most nutritious, affordable, and climate-suited foods are already growing in our own backyards, forests, and fields.
Jackfruit, pineapple, bayberry (sohphie), roselle leaves, yam, banana stem, and countless green leafy vegetables thrive here in abundance. Millet, once sidelined, is slowly reappearing as a powerhouse grain. Fermented soybean (tungrymbai) and bamboo shoot add not only flavour but also beneficial microbes that support gut health. These are not just everyday staples, they are Meghalaya’s superfoods, perfectly adapted to our soil, our climate, and our bodies.
Imported fruits and vegetables, in contrast, must travel thousands of kilometres to reach us. They lose freshness along the way, while adding to the burden of packaging and transportation costs. By the time they arrive in our shops, their prices are inflated, making them unaffordable to many. A fresh pineapple from a local market or a bunch of leafy greens plucked from nearby fields is not only cheaper and fresher but also richer in nutrients.
There is also wisdom in eating what the seasons provide. Nature has its own rhythm, and our diets once followed it closely. Summer blesses us with watery fruits like pineapple and cucumber that cool the body and prevent dehydration. Winter provides mustard greens, pumpkin, and root crops that offer strength and warmth. The monsoon brings wild mushrooms and foraged greens that boost immunity when fevers and infections are common. By eating seasonally, we stay in harmony with these natural cycles, protecting health without needing supplements or imported substitutes.
Supporting local foods also means supporting local farmers. Every imported fruit we buy represents money leaving our villages, while every local fruit or vegetable strengthens our own economy. Imagine the impact if every household replaced just one imported item with a local alternative. Farmers in Garo, Khasi, and Jaintia Hills would earn more, markets would once again value indigenous crops, and farming would remain a viable livelihood for young people. Choosing local food is not just a personal dietary choice, it is an economic strategy that builds resilience and keeps communities rooted.
Our food is also inseparable from our identity. Traditional dishes like Kapa, brenga, we’tepa, jadoh, pukhlein, chakhawh tauh, or dohneiiong carry with them stories of family, memory, and belonging. Losing local foods to imported diets is not just about health, it is about losing parts of ourselves. By cooking with seasonal, indigenous ingredients, we preserve culture and heritage along with nutrition.
The path to better health in Meghalaya does not lie in imported supermarket shelves. It lies in rediscovering and valuing the abundance that grows around us. Government programmes can help by promoting millet, indigenous fruits, and forest produce. Schools and hostels can serve seasonal menus that teach children to value local crops. Families in towns and cities can reconnect with rural markets and farmers, choosing freshness over foreign branding.
Next time you are tempted by an expensive kiwi or apple, pause and look around. Pick up a sohphie, a pineapple, or a handful of wild greens instead. They are fresher, more affordable, and often far more nutritious than anything flown in from abroad. Health, culture, economy, and environment all benefit when we eat what our land gives us. The future of our diet, and of our wellbeing, is not in foreign fields, it is right here in our own soil
(The writer is an Associate Professor of the Department of Food Science and Nutrition College of Community Science, Central Agricultural University, Tura)
