Modifying the South Asian Diet to Cut Carbs
With the summer sunshine inevitably comes swimsuits, less layers of clothing and the annual conversation of slimming down. While body positive images and conversation have become more mainstream many of us still try to keep health and fitness at the forefront of our food focus.
Unfortunately, some of our beloved Indian dishes like pakoras, dosa, roti and not mention RICE prove Indian cuisine is rich and rich in carbs. So what is a hungry girl to do?
Carb Counting Works
The new book, Carbohydrate Counting: Traditional South Asian Food Lists for Management and Prevention of Diabetes Mellitus by Ashwini Wagle, Ed.D, MS, RD, Professor and Department Chairperson of Nutrition, Food Science and Packaging at the San Jose State University (SJSU) in California, is filled with informative and manageable suggestions for diabetes management for the South Asian community. It’s pages are filled with 16 years of research including detailed carbohydrate counts for a wide range of traditional Indian foods, appropriate portion sizes, and suggestions for meal management so we can all make informed dietary choices for our next lunch or dinner.
She says understanding carb counts is key. We can’t manage our diets until we know the carb counts of our favorite foods items like aloo-methi, dosa with podi and chutney, lamb keema matar and many, many more. It’s easy to navigate with sections broken down into the food groups that contain carbohydrates such as breads, cereals, grains, starchy vegetables, non-starchy vegetables, fruits and dairy.
Don’t fret getting healthy and slimming down your carb count does not mean giving up all your favorite items. This book helps you make informed choices and be more intentional about what you pop in your mouth. It’s simply sharing a smarter outlook and one that is sure to keep you healthier this summer.
