Nutrition Around the World: Indian Cuisine

I recently got an email from Madhav, who wrote from India and asked how people eating a more traditional Indian diet could apply nutrition advice that’s based primarily on Western dietary patterns.

I asked Vandana Sheth, a registered dietitian and the author of the book My Indian Table, to talk about some of the nutritional pros and cons of traditional Indian cuisine, how to select the healthiest options, and how to make your own healthy Indian food at home!

Below are a few highlights from our conversation. It has been lightly edited for clarity. Click on the audio player to hear all the enticing details.

Monica Reinagel: Of course, India has lots of regional culinary traditions so "Indian cuisine" doesn't encompass one single thing.

Vandana Sheth: India has a great diversity in terms of food, spices, and flavors, and the food varies greatly among different states. Although some of the spices and ingredients are similar, the way they are incorporated is quite different. In general, cuisine can be divided into four styles based upon geography (North, South, East, and West). Much of the cuisine that's typical in U.S. Indian restaurants is from the Northern or Punjab region.

MR: Are there any elements that the various regional culinary styles have in common?

VS: Using a variety of spices and herbs to flavor up food is a common factor among various regional culinary styles. Turmeric, cumin, cardamom, and coriander are all common in Indian cooking. 

MR: What are some of the healthiest aspects of traditional Indian diets?

The wide variety of whole grains, beans/lentils, vegetables, fermented foods, nuts, seeds, and spices are some of the healthiest aspects of traditional Indian diets.

VS: The wide variety of whole grains, beans/lentils, vegetables, fermented foods, nuts, seeds, and spices. There are so many flavorful plant-based options.

MR: Is vegetarianism any more or less common in India than in the U.S.?

VS: It was definitely more common in the past, in part connected with religious traditions. With more globalization, more people are likely to add meat to their diets today. But it remains more of an accompaniment rather than the centerpiece of the meal. Vegetarians in India typically consume dairy products but not eggs, which are not...

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