Revitalize your daily routine in Ayurvedic way.
In Ayurvedic diet, snacking is not recommended. Surprised? Yes, it's true as ayurveda suggests to give rest to the digestive tract between two heavy meals. However, modern science follow “snacking with purpose”. In our daily busy lives, we often tend to eat some extremely oily snacks like samosas, chips, burger or some sugary pastry and cakes. How to give it an ayurvedic twist? Following are some effective snack options based on your Dosha.
Described as ‘cold, light, dry, rough, flowing, and spacious’, Vata Dosha combines air and space. People with this dosha are generally labelled as slim and energetic. The vata types should consume warm, moist, oily, and grounding foods.
They should avoid pretzels, pastry and rice cakes. As vata-dominated people are prone to undernourishment, they should not skip any snacks. Another effective late morning or evening snack can be warm milk and ghee along with ginger and black pepper. Dates can be considered for evening snack. Other effective options are avocado and roasted nuts. Want to prepare a healthy ayurvedic snack at home? Blend some nuts with nut butters, dates, sea salt, honey, and spices to prepare a sweet, oily, and energizing bar. A banana with nut butter is good for vata. Well cooked oatmeal or millet with almond butter is another good option for vata dosha people. Add some cinnamon and maple syrup to get the maximum benefits. Fermented foods like yogurt and cheese can be excellent snacks for vata. However, you must select the full-fat, organic and unsweetened products only. Quinoa pudding and cooked pear or apple with ghee and cinnamon are extremely useful.
Combined with fire and water, Pitta dosha is believed to provide tenacious personality. In Ayurveda, Pitta dosha is mentioned as “hot, light, sharp, oily, liquid, and mobile”. Pitta Dosha people should avoid spicy, sour, salty, and pungent foods. Cool, sweet, bitter, and astringent foods compliment Pitta energy. As Pitta-dominated people have the strongest metabolism among three doshas, they must choose cooling vegetables like cucumbers and celery as snacks in summer season.
To get more filling options, add some sunflower butter, hummus, or guacamole and cilantro in regular diet. Sweet fruits such as mango, pineapple, figs, melon, and apples are excellent choice for late morning snacks. Yogurt is another good option but do not mix this with fruit as it might reduce the effectiveness. Additionally, steamed veggies with ghee and roasted cumin powder should be on your diet.
Combining earth and water, people with Kapha Dosha are described as “steady, stable, heavy, slow, cold, and soft”, in ayurveda. Only light, dry, and warm snacks are recommended for kapha dosha people. They can consume lots of veggies in snacks time. So, different types of salads are highly beneficial.
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However, too much sugary foods can cause negative side-effects. So, consume melons and bananas in moderation. The best options are pears and apples. Unlike other doshas, kapha-dominated people get benefitted from legumes and dry foods. Consider eating chickpea hummus in the evening. Also, Millets and beans are equally satisfying and fulfilling. Additionally, you can consider ginger tea with honey and veggie broth for evening snack.
As per Ayurveda, a snack should be healthy, small and simple. Follow these above-mentioned tips for maximum benefits.
