Everyone knows Indian cuisine to be full of spices and fresh herbs, resulting in rich flavors. It’s enough to pack a punch! Even though preferences and diets are likely to vary pretty much throughout this third-world country, most people prefer following one plant-based diet plan. This isn’t pretty difficult as 80% of the Indian population follows Hinduism, which promotes a Lacto-vegetarian diet.
The Traditional Indian Diet
Traditionally, an Indian diet consists of a higher intake of lentils, vegetables, and fruits. Consumption of meat is there but at a lower count. But, due to the higher availability of processed food, obesity has been a rising problem among Indians, leading to chronic issues like diabetes and heart disease. This article clearly explains some simple ways to follow a healthy Indian diet chart. It helps to promote weight loss. The suggestion includes foods to eat and foods to avoid.
Reasons to head for a plant-based diet routine
Plant-based diets are known for their multiple health benefits like plentiful vitamins and minerals. Right from lowering heart diseases to diabetes, these diets can also keep breast and colon cancer at bay. Particularly, Indian plant-based diets have proven to reduce Alzheimer’s risk to a great extent.
As per some of the researchers, consuming less meat and focusing more on fruits and veggies result in a proper diet chart and a healthy outcome. A plant-based Indian diet has two-way values to it. It helps in decreasing chronic diseases and also encourages proper weight loss.
Food groups included in the diet plan
Indian diet comprises some nutritional food items like lentils, healthy fat, grains, dairy, fruits, and vegetables. Balanced diets are heavily influenced by Hinduism. That is a reason to encourage a Lacto-based vegetarian diet all the way. Eating eggs, poultry, and other meat products are discouraged.
A healthy Lacto-veg diet consists of lentils, dairy, grains, fruits, vegetables, and some healthy fats like coconut oil. Some spices such as coriander, cumin, ginger, fenugreek, and turmeric work out at the forefront to create tasty outcomes. They will not just add rich flavors but some nutritional value to it.
Turmeric is known as one of the most popular spices to be used in Indian cuisine and is known for its anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer properties. There are many such spices available, which make the Indian diet pretty healthy, to say the least!
Some healthy foods to add to the list
Multiple foods and beverages are going to create a Lacto-vegetarian diet chart, perfect for weight loss. Let’s get to the core of it. Try incorporating the following ingredients into a daily meal chart for better results.
Different types of Vegetables like spinach, tomatoes, mustard green, eggplant, okra, onions, bitter melon, mushrooms, cabbage, cauliflower, and more. Focus on having more green leafy vegetables.
Under the fruits section, you have apples, mango, papaya, oranges, guava, tamarind, and lychee.
You may add nuts and seeds to the list for a high-end protein diet. It consists of peanuts, almonds, cashews, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, and watermelon seeds.
Legumes also form a major part of such a diet chart. Here, you have to include black-eyed peas, moong beans, kidney beans, chickpeas, and pulses. Chickpeas and lentils are the most commonly used.
Under the roots category, make sure to include sweet potatoes, potatoes, carrots, yams, and turnips.
For whole grains, you have basmati rice, brown rice, buckwheat, quinoa, barley, corn, millet, and whole-grain bread.
Don’t forget the herbs and spices to complete your Indian healthy diet chart! Here, you need to include ginger, garlic, cardamom, coriander, cumin, paprika, garam masala, fenugreek, black pepper, turmeric, ghee, or clarified butter, and sesame seeds.
Other than nuts and seeds, you can add legumes, paneer, and tofu as your protein sources too. Plant-based protein can also help you tenfold.
Remember that all healthy snacks and meals should be fresh and whole foods are flavored with spices and herbs. On the other hand, non-starchy vegetables like eggplants, greens, and tomatoes will add fibre to help satisfy your hunger for a long time.
What to add to the drink list
One easy way to cut down the calorie intake and sugar are by avoiding sugar-infused beverages and juices. Going for the natural fruit juice in place of tetra packs will help you big time. However, if you are a diabetic patient, then try avoiding fruits, which are too sweet like mangoes, apples, etc. Some of the other healthy beverage options will be sparkling water, fresh mineral water, and unsweetened tea.
What to add to a perfect round-out balanced diet
Right from carbohydrate to protein, you need everything to create a complete diet chart. It should have a fair amount of fat as well. Let’s get to the details.
Protein
Most Indians find it difficult to add a good amount of protein to their diet chart. However, proteins are indeed a necessity to build and repair muscles, tissues, and skin. The protein in your diet should come from chana, milk, dals, paneer, eggs, and leafy vegetables. It must comprise 30% of your diet chart.
Carbohydrates
Known as a major energy source, it makes up half of your calorie count. So, it is vital to choose the right carbs like complex carbs, which are high in fibre and packed with proper nutrition. These fibre-rich carbs take a longer time to digest and leave you feeling full for a long time.
Vitamins and minerals
Calcium, iron, and Vitamins A, E, B-12, and D are mandatory for your body’s healthy growth. They support your body’s metabolism rate, muscle function, nerve function, cell production, and bone maintenance. You can get these vitamins and minerals by adding fruits, leafy vegetables, oilseeds, and fish to your diet chart.
Fats
Even though some people prefer a diet chart without fat, that isn’t a good call for your body. Fats synthesize hormones and store vitamins to provide energy later when needed. Around 20% of the diet must have healthy fat in it, like Omega-3 fatty acids, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat. Consuming sunflower oil, groundnut, or even olive oil will help you big time.
A perfect 1200 calorie diet plan (General)
You might have heard a lot about the ideal diet chart. Taking the 1200 calorie diet plan will not just help you to lose weight but also improve your health condition quite a lot. Tune in for a seven days diet plan to ensure a better healthy body. However, this is not likely to be the same for all, as diet charts vary with body type. But this below-mentioned example is the most common one, followed by many.
Day 1
Start the day with cucumber water, followed by oats and mixed nuts.
Lunch consists of roti with dal and mixed veg.
Dinner has lentil soup, vegetable side dish, and roti.
Day 2
Breakfast starts with cucumber water, mixed vegetables, and roti with curd.
Lunch will have a half bowl of rice with lentil curry.
The dinner plans should have sautéed vegetables and green chutney.
Day 3
Breakfast must have Multigrain toast and skim milk curd.
Lunch comprises sautéed veggies with roti and green chutney.
Dinner should have a half cup of rice, with some lentil curry and paneer.
Day 4
Start your day with a fruit and nut smoothie and omelet.
You can follow that up with lentil soup, roti, and any one vegetable curry.
Complete the intake with rice and chole.
Day 5
Start the day with skimmed milk and peas’ poha for breakfast.
Then add roti with low-fat paneer curry for lunch.
Finally end your day with curd, roti, and vegetable curry.
Day 6
This day will start with a healthy South Indian breakfast of sambar and idli.
For lunch, you can go for roti with curd and mixed vegetable curry with potatoes, tomatoes, and brinjal.
End the day with green gram, roti, and vegetable curry.
Day 7
On this last day of the week, start your morning with besan chilla, green chutney, and cucumber detox water.
Then opt for steamed rice and chole curry for lunch.
Finish it off with low-fat paneer cubes and roti for dinner.
Other good habits to follow
You might have followed a strict Indian diet chart to lose weight, but that’s not all. You need to work on some of your good habits to ensure that the diet charts work out perfectly for you.
Water intake needs to be in a hefty amount. Drinking more water helps to curb unwanted hunger. It is recommended to have at least eight big glasses of water daily to lose weight.
Make sure to have fibre in your diet plan. Every person should have a bare minimum of 15gms of fibre to aid heart and digestion health.
You should always plan for an early dinner. Metabolism rate slows down at night, arising the chances of weight gain. So, it is recommended to have an early dinner.
Remember that freshly prepared meals are always the best to consume. Make sure that your diet chart has products from every food group. Try eating a heavy breakfast, which needs to be wholesome and hearty. That keeps your stomach full for a long time.
No need to always follow a strict diet plan for weight loss
Just because you are on a mission to lose weight, that doesn’t mean you have to do it by following a crash diet plan. Remember that simple Indian homely dishes can help you lose weight, without hampering your health. Following a vegetable diet plan, but with few intakes of meat products sometimes, can help you in big ways. The above-mentioned points will help you to gain a better Indian diet plan for weight loss.
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