4 Plant-Based Foods to Include in Your Diet Every Week
Dr. Raghav ThukralM.D. (Ayurveda)
In this article
As a nutritionist and Ayurvedic doctor, I am often asked what people should actually eat. You don’t need exotic superfoods. These four humble plant foods, eaten regularly and cooked the right way, cover a surprising amount of your nutritional needs.
1. Pulses and Lentils
Moong, masoor, chana, rajma and other dals are rich in plant protein, fibre, folate and iron. They keep you full for longer and help steady blood sugar after meals.
How to eat them: have a bowl of dal or a lentil dish once a day. In Ayurveda, pulses can be gas-forming, so soak them well and cook them with digestive spices such as cumin, ginger, hing (asafoetida) and turmeric. Split yellow moong dal is the lightest and easiest to digest.
2. Green Leafy Vegetables
Spinach, methi (fenugreek leaves), amaranth, bathua and mustard greens provide vitamin K, folate, calcium, antioxidants and fibre. They support digestion, bone health and healthy blood.
How to eat them: aim for a serving most days — in a sabzi, dal, paratha or soup. Lightly cooking greens makes them easier to digest. Add a squeeze of lemon, since vitamin C helps your body absorb the iron they contain.
3. Millets
Ragi (finger millet), jowar (sorghum) and bajra (pearl millet) are traditional Indian grains with more fibre and minerals than refined wheat or white rice. Ragi is particularly rich in calcium, and bajra in iron.
How to eat them: swap a few wheat rotis a week for jowar or bajra rotis, or try ragi porridge or dosa. Ayurveda considers bajra warming (good in winter) and jowar lighter and cooling. Read more in Choosing the Right Grain for Your Health.
4. Nuts and Seeds
Almonds, walnuts, flaxseed, sesame and pumpkin seeds provide healthy fats, protein, vitamin E, zinc and magnesium. Flaxseed and walnuts also contain plant omega-3 fats.
How to eat them: a small handful a day is enough. Soaking almonds overnight makes them easier to digest; lightly roasting seeds improves flavour. See Should Nuts Be Roasted or Soaked?
A Simple Weekly Plan
- A bowl of dal every day
- Leafy greens at least four or five times a week
- Millet in place of wheat or rice two or three times a week
- A small handful of soaked nuts or roasted seeds daily
If you have kidney disease, kidney stones or a digestive condition, your needs may be different — ask for a personalised plan.
Disclaimer: This article is for general education and is not a substitute for personal medical advice. Please consult a qualified doctor before making changes to your diet, supplements or medicines.
