Food Combinations

Food Combinations

October 2023

FOOD COMBINATIONS 

Ancient gastronomic wisdom  

gets revived with Naini Setal 

vad giving much-needed advice  

on how to combine different  

foods 

The food we eat can either be  

the most powerful form of  

medicine or the slowest form  

of poison.  

Recently a sage brought to my notice  

that when milk is had plain and cold,  

it can cause mucus accumulation, but  

when it is had with turmeric, it’s a po 

tent cure for respiratory illness. When  

fermented into curd, it can control  

runny bowels, but when it is convert 

ed to ghee, it can aid constipation. It is  

amazing how one ingredient has such  

varying effects on health based on the  

way it is consumed.  

The science of eating and combining  

foods is an ancient one, perfected cen 

turies ago. Let’s revisit the do’s and  

don’ts of these food combinations, rel 

evant to our modern times. 

• Fruit  

Remember this rule: Eat it alone or leave it  alone! Fruit should be had by itself and not  with a meal. When had with a meal, it inter feres with digestion. The only fruits that one  can have with a meal are pineapple, papaya,  and pomegranate as they are packed with di gestive enzymes that aid digestion.  

Fruit when accompanied with milk results in  acidity and reflux.  

Having fruit with your meal raises blood sugar  levels. Keep a minimum gap of two hours be tween the fruit and your meal. 

• Protein 

The world seems obsessed with protein, but do  we know how to make the most of it? Consum ing large doses of protein is pointless if it isn’t  being absorbed well. 

Eat one protein source in a given meal. i.e., ei ther lentils, dairy, soy, poultry, meat or seafood.  Combining multiple sources makes digestion  difficult. 

Protiens must been had with vitamin C (lemon juice) 

To ensure maximum absorption of the protein,  consume it with a rice source of Vitamin C like  lemon juice, tamarind, or kokum. 

Vegetarians and vegans need to  

accompany dals or p u l s e s  with a grain  

l i k e  

rice or  

whole  

w h e a t  

to receive  

all the essential  

amino acids (building  

blocks of proteins). 

• Fat  

The infamous villain of the 80s, fat is the  true-blue hero of today’s times. Here is  how you can make the most of it. 

Butter on toast and ghee on rotis isn’t  just for flavour. Grain-based  

foods like rice, wheat, and  

millet require fat to  

help di 

g e s t  

t h e m .  

W i t h o u t  

the fat, any  

grain can cause  

constipation and flatulence.  

Tadka, the tempering of spices and herbs in fat,  is an ancient practice that makes sure we ab sorb all the therapeutic properties of the spices.  Without the fat, the spices will cause the stom ach to be on fire causing acidity, reflux, and  ulcers.  

To absorb fat-soluble vitamins like Vitamin  A, D, E, and K, one needs fats like ghee or oil. 

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This is probably why Vitamin A-rich foods like  carrots, peppers, and pumpkins are best had  with a tempering.  

• Veggies 

Vegetables are un 

disputedly ben 

eficial for our  

bodies. Eating  

seasonal and  

local produce  

is key to en 

suring good  

health, but the  

right combina 

tion of these foods  

is needed to prevent  

diseases.  

Cruciferous vegetables like cabbage, cauli flower, broccoli, and cucumbers can cause  bloating for some. When eaten with pulses like  rajma, chole, channa, etc., they can cause severe  flatulence, acidity, and indigestion. It is always  better to have them with a simple moong dal to  prevent this. Ideally, these vegetables should  not be consumed at night. 

• Veg dishes from vegetables 

People have forgotten what vegetables are.  Whenever I ask people to name vegetables,  they mention potato, paneer, corn, gatta, man gori, moong, and even macaroni!  

Vegetarian fare is made from vegetables and  all the above are not vegetables. When you use  them in place of vegetables, it will cause bloat ing, constipation, gas, and raised blood sugar  levels. 

• Dairy 

As mentioned before, the nature of dairy prod ucts has a bearing on their effects on our body. 

42 LifePositive | OCTOBER 2023

Milk, when had by itself, causes mucus pro duction and congestion of the respiratory tract.  One should always have it with turmeric, gin ger, cinnamon, cocoa, and tea powder to help  break up the mucus. 

Curd is a potent form of probiotics but can  cause constipation for some. This is why it  works better when combined with a digestive  aid like roasted jeera powder, rock salt, or tem 

pering. Cold curd can also cause a cough, so  adding a tempering of spices and herbs is al ways beneficial. 

Add turmeric to milk for better results 

• Water 

Our diets are incomplete without water, but  many of us only think of getting our daily in take when we sit down for a meal. Because one  hasn’t hydrated well before, one gets thirsty at  mealtime. But water, when had with or around  a meal, dilutes the digestive acids in the stom ach and makes the food difficult to digest.  

So pay heed to the above suggestions and eat  your way to health. 

Recipe  

Pumpkin Raita  

Ingredients 

250 gm grated and boiled pumpkin 

500 ml curd 

Salt to taste 

Roasted cumin to taste 

Red chilli to taste  

1/3 cup chopped coriander 

Method 

1. Stir the curd with the spoon till smooth (or  whip it slightly). 

2. Add all the other ingredients to this curd. 3. Serve chilled. 

Moong Dal  

Chillas 

Ingredients 

• 3 tbs green  

moong dal  

with skin 

• 4 green chilies  

chopped 

• A pinch asafoetida 

• Salt to taste 

• Oil for cooking 

• ½ bunch spinach 

• 100 gms carrots grated 

• 1 onion finely choped 

• 1 tsp. cumin seeds 

• 400 gms doodhi grated 

Method 

1. For the chillas, soak the moong dal for at  least 3 hours. 

2. Add the green chilies, spinach and 1 tea cup of water and grind in a blender. Add  the doodhi, carrots, onion, jeera, asafoeti da and salt. 

3. To proceed, spread a little moong dal mix ture on a hot frying pan of about 125 mm.  diameter. Smear a little oil around the mix ture and cook for a few seconds. Turn over  and cook the other side till light brown. 4. Serve hot with green chutney

Naini Setalvad is a nutritionist, specialising in lifestyle and immunity disorders. Her foundation, Health For You, throws light  on healthy food habits. Contact her at healthforyou@nainisetalvad. com 

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