Came across this useful book ("Indian Foods: AAPI's Guide to Nutrition, Health, and Diabetes") about Healthy Indian diets. This book is written by Indian doctors (in the US), with a special focus on common health problems among South Asians in the US. There’s a chapter for each major cuisine in India. At the very least, take a few minutes to read about your staple cuisine.
Some tips from the book for changes in South Indian diets...
1. Use brown rice instead of white rice. The increase in fiber content will improve glycemic control. There is a general misconception that diabetics must avoid all rice, which is not necessary. Avoiding excess portions is the key.
2. Instead of using rice as the main staple grain, include a variety of grains such as cracked wheat, oats, barley, quinoa, ragi and other millets.
3. Avoid washing rice several times before cooking or cooking in excess water and draining.
4. Keep in mind that the recommended portions are for cooked products wherever applicable. e.g.1 Serving of dhal = 2 Tbsp of uncooked dhal 1 Serving of rice = 3 Tbsp. of uncooked rice. This is important because the finished product may vary greatly in quantity and consistency!
5. Try to cook with minimum amount of oil. Preferred oils are olive, canola or peanut oils as they are high in monounsaturated oils.
6. While using potato, green plantain or other starchy vegetables, remember to count them as carbohydrates and cut down on rice eaten at the same meal. Smarter thing would be to select green vegetables more often than starchy ones.
7. Use green vegetables more freely and learn to cook them in small amounts of oil. Salads are good with every meal. Simple lemon and vinegar dressings may be freely used.
8. Switch over to fat free, skim or 1% milk instead of whole milk. This will reduce the saturated fat and calorie content of the diet.
9. Avoid fried snack foods as much as possible; learn to cook with recipes requiring dry roasting, baking etc. Remember people with diabetes are more susceptible to high cholesterol in their blood, as well as heart disease.
10. Use lean cuts of animal proteins (meats/poultry) and use appropriate portion sizes. Avoid using more than 3 eggs per week. Egg whites are okay.
11. Vegetarians may increase and improve the quantity and quality of protein by incorporating soy curd (tofu), soy flour, skim milk powder, nut butters and if allowed, egg whites.
12. Pickles, chutneys, pappadums, etc. are very high in sodium. People with hypertension must take note that table salt, baking powder, and baking soda are sources of sodium and therefore must be used carefully.
13. Desserts must be restricted to allowed quantities of fresh fruits. Artificially sweetened low fat desserts or desserts using allowed foods with minimal amount of real sugar may be used with prudence.
14. Drink plenty of water throughout the day, at least 6 to 8 cups a day.
15. Learn to read the nutrition labels on food packages.
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