The surprising health benefits of Indian cuisine

“I AM A self-confessed curry queen” is probably a statement you would never expect to hear a dietitian say, but I proudly am, after all, I’m an Indian and a dietitian.

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Whether it’s eating or cooking, I love a good curry. Unfortunately, neither curries nor Indian food have been associated with healthy eating or considered as part of a healthy diet. In practice, I find an ever increasing number of Indian clients trying to completely avoid a cultural diet in the pursuit of a bland, no spice, Western way of eating.

While curries have some negative effects on one’s health, research is emerging which proves that the health benefits of an Indian diet in moderation, may actually outweigh the negative effects. With the ever-increasing rates of lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, cholesterol and obesity in the Indian community, it may be easy to understand the strong urge to remove traditional foods.

Indian foods are generally known to contain large amount of fats and oils (including clarified butter or ghee), as well as refined carbohydrates, such as white flour (used in roti and snacks) and sugar (used in sweet dishes).

So, how is it possible that Indian cuisine could be considered healthy?

T would like to say that as an Indian dietitian, we can get it right, and still “curry” on.