What's the first thing that you do while going for a weight loss diet? In India, most people would say - give up on rice, shift to roti, use less oil in sabzis, and of course, avoid greasy fried foods like papad, pakoda, and more. This means, you not only disrupt your daily food habit but also end up making your meals tasteless and less nutritious. After all, Ayurveda states that a quintessential Indian thali includes every nutrient your body needs to stay healthy. What if we say you do not need to compromise on anything you are eating, even when on a weight loss diet? You heard us!
According to nutritionist Apurva Agarwal, all you need to do is mindfully control the portion of each type of dish on an everyday thali. "We don't need to change what we eat, just to lose or maintain weight and stay healthy," she states, adding, that we just need to learn "how to plate our desi food" to enjoy it without guilt.
Also Read: Going Back To Roots: 8 Health Benefits Of An Indian Thali
Why Is It Important To Control Portion Of An Indian Thali?
If you look into an Indian thali meticulously, you will find it to be far more complex than its global counterparts. It comprises, rice, roti, sabzi, dal, meat, condiments, dahi, and more - each of which has a unique role to play in your complete diet.
But what makes Indian food far more complicated is when we try to separate them in terms of nutrients, explains Nutritionist Apurva. She further explains that dal has both protein and carbs, while dahi, along with protein and carbs, has fat in it as well. On the other hand, vegetables are enriched with dietary fibre, much like rice and roti.
Hence, it becomes yet more important to understand the portion size of each type of dish you are eating to maintain a healthy nutrient balance in the body.
Also Read: How To Control Your Meal Portion At Indian Wedding? Watch Viral Video
A complete Indian thali (Photo Credit: iStock)
3 Smart Hacks To Balance An Indian Meal:
Tip 1. For carb-rich foods:
Any kind of carb-loaded food including rice, roti, idli, upma, dosa, dal, etc, shouldn't hold more than one-fourth portion of your entire plate. So if you are eating both dal and rice, balance them out as per your wish to not exceed the given portion size.
Tip 2. For vegetables:
If you notice, our daily meal comprises some kind of vegetable daily. Be it raw, cooked, steamed, baked, or air-fried, half of your plate should be filled with it on an everyday basis.
Tip 3. For protein-packed foods:
Be it dahi or paneer or chicken, fish, and eggs, we include some kind of protein in our meals every day. Whatever you eat, make sure that shouldn't exceed one-fourth of your total plate size. That's it!
You must be wondering, how to add fats to your daily diet. Fret not, cooking your meals does the job automatically. "There's the oil used to cook lentils and veggies and that's fat!" Nutritionist Apurva states.
Now that you have the smart hack handy, we suggest modifying your meal carefully to get every micro and macronutrient your body needs to stay healthy and full for a long time.
Eat healthy, and stay fit!