In our modern culinary landscape, we are able to satisfy our cravings with a mere tap on a screen. Yet, beneath this convenience lies a colossal environmental challenge — the huge waste footprint left behind by our indulgent food habits, dwarfing the waste generated by most industries.

Enter Namma Oota (Our Food), a two-day food festival that was hosted by Science Gallery Bengaluru over a weekend, poised as a symbol of hope in the fight against food waste. This event invited us to shed our habit of using disposables and envision a more sustainable future for our food and our planet.

At Namma Oota, Bengaluru's brightest sustainable food startups took center stage, showcasing innovative dishes crafted from unconventional sources like seeds, grains, and pulses that are typically discarded after processing. These startups not only offered delicious food solutions but also sparked a conversation about the larger implications of our food choices.

Gayatri Manu, Senior Programme Associate at Science Gallery Bengaluru and coordinator of Namma Oota, emphasized the profound connection between food, culture, and emotion. She highlighted the festival's mission to use food as a lens to promote energy-efficient kitchen practices.

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Chef and nutrition coach Nayantara Bagla echoed these sentiments, pointing out the shift towards a "click-to-eat" culture among today's young adults. Many lack essential cooking skills or struggle with storing and reusing leftovers, highlighting a critical need for culinary education and empowerment.

Bagla challenged our perceptions of "junk food," emphasizing the importance of mindful ingredient selection to minimize waste. She encouraged us to consider the entirety of ingredients we purchase and how they can be utilized fully in cooking.

For Nayantara, cooking is more than a daily chore; it's an expression of values and conscious decision-making. Stepping into the kitchen, she believes, reveals much about personal choices and their impact on sustainability.

The festival was not merely a platform for culinary exploration but also an educational hub. Interactive sessions included workshops on growing mushrooms in urban settings and crafting probiotic beverages like Kombucha, empowering attendees with hands-on skills to reduce food waste.

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Namma Oota transcended the realm of a traditional food festival, offering a holistic experience that combined gastronomy with environmental consciousness. It underscored the urgent need to rethink our food consumption patterns and embrace sustainable practices that minimize waste. It served as catalyst for change, inspiring individuals to become warriors against waste and advocate for a healthier, more sustainable future.