Problems With Indian Diet | Is Indian Food Healthy???

India is a land of food lovers. Food is one of the important aspects of our tradition and culture and we are all proud of our Indian culture. We all love our Dal Chawal and Roti Sabzi, but have you ever wondered, whether our Indian food is healthy??? Is Indian food healthy???  It is a common perception that the Indian diet is healthy. Sure! we are not relying on burgers and pizzas like our western counterparts, But if Indian diet was so healthy then how come we become the home to millions of Diabetic, cardiac and Thyroid patients.

My intention is not to scare you, it is just to make you guys aware and help you to choose the path of a healthy lifestyle by modifying certain things in your eating habits and lifestyle. Below are some of the common problems with Indian Diet and answer to the question " Is Indian food healthy???"

Too many Carbohydrates

It is no surprise to anyone that our diet is Carbohydrate dominated. Carbohydrate is one of the macronutrients which is the primary source of energy to your body. Carbohydrates are 70 - 75 % of your diet which is very high. The Indian plate is dominated by either white rice or Roti or both which are the main source of carbohydrate. I m not against carbohydrates but an excess of it if not burned gets stored as fat and your body become prone to a variety of diseases

Solution

The solution here is to keep an eye on our intake of rice and roti and include more raw salads or more fibre rich foods to keep you full and satiated, preventing you to overeat

Too less Protein

Unlike Carbohydrate, protein is not much prevalent in our Indian diet. 70% of Indians are protein deficient. Our diet has less than even half of the recommended daily intake for protein. Even the non-vegetarians are deficient in protein. Protein deficiency will lead to various health problems and inhibit normal bodily functions If you wish to read more about protein deficiency, I have a separate article for problems associated with protein deficiency on the blog.

Solution

This problem can be addressed by simply adding high protein rich foods in our diet. Foods like chicken, eggs, milk, paneer, tofu, lentils and pulses. If you want to know about more protein options, I have an article for that too on my blog.

Sweet Tooth

We Indians are sweet lovers. We have a wide variety of sweets from different cultures. Kheer, kaju katli, Barfi, Ras gula, Gulab jamun and the list goes on. Drinks like Nimbu pani, Rose milk and sharbats are high in sugar too. These sweets are very high in calories and have a very less nutritional value which can add kgs of weight with ease to your body. 

Solution

Consuming these in moderation or once in a while will have no adverse effect on your fitness level. It is all about keeping a balance with these foods. Refrain from eating too much of it and try to use sugar-free options

Unhealthy Snacks 

Snaking is another big part of the Indian diet. Indian snacks such as samosa, vada pav, chole puri, namkeens, bhajiya and many more are made using oil with trans fat. These foods poor in nutrition and low in satiety makes you hungry faster and increase the risk of obesity.

Solution

It is okay to have one of these snacks once in a while. Always try to opt for healthy snack options like nuts, sprouts, poha, upma, idli or some fruits

Overcooked Meals

Overcooking is also one of the problems with the Indian diet. Overcooking is done so that all the spices added in the recipe to get absorbed in the food and enhance the taste of the food. Overcooking the food robs all the nutrients from them and only fill our stomach. Even if you choose the right food to eat, overcooking will destroy its qualities.

Solution

Prefer Semi cooked vegetables or raw vegetables. Use cooking methods like sauteing or stir-frying so that the food does not get burned or overcooked and do not lose the beneficial qualities in the food.

I know we cannot just change our eating habits entirely and even I m not advising to abandon our Indian diet, it's just about making small modification in your diets to make food more healthy without compromising on the taste.

If you are looking for a science and evidence-based coach who can design a customised diet and workout plan for your fitness goal, Drop an email to romiey@getsetgo.fitness.