You have hoisted the Tricolour, worn clothes themed around the tricolour, but have you eaten the tricolour? Nutritionists advocate including foods in your diet that match the saffron, white, green and even blue on the Indian flag, claiming that this approach, when done correctly, ensures a diverse and balanced diet.
“Our flag has colours that, when translated to food, include a variety of nutrients. Given how low awareness levels are in some strata of society, it becomes easier for us to explain the foods we want patients to eat, and they too can readily recall the flag’s colours rather than food groups,” explains Dipika Ghatak, a dietitian consulting at CB Block in New Town, as well as a centre in Bangalore and Delhi.
Jaitri Bose, a nutrition and coach from BD Block, notes that even affluent clients often lack dietary awareness. “They believe working out is enough without realising that to lose weight, one needs to be calorie deficient. Then again, one cannot compromise with nutrition,” says the coach attached to Kris Gethin Gym in DD Block, as well as the online fitness platform FITTR. She says the Tricolour diet is a good starting point for healthy eating.
Colour with care
Not all colourful foods, however, qualify for this diet. Gulping down a cola and claiming it represents the saffron hue is misguided. “The diet is only for natural food, not bottled, processed, or packaged food as the latter have additives like sugar syrup that can raise blood sugar levels,” Ghatak warns.
Arunava Nandy, an HA Block-based nutritionist, cautions against juices, even if they are freshly squeezed. “Juices contain fructose, a natural sugar that can spike blood glucose levels without the fibre found in whole fruits. Also, under “white”, avoid white rice and flour and switch to millets like ragi or bajra,” he advises.
The Indian flag displays equal bands of saffron, white, and green, but portion sizes on your plate should differ. “On your platter, if your main ‘white’ is rice, it must be less than the other two colour segments. Be careful with the kind of milk you have too. Growing children can have full-fat milk, but after the age of 13 or 14, one should switch to skimmed milk that has zero per cent fat,” Ghatak explains.
The power of protein
Bose says most Indians are protein deficient, even the non-vegetarians who think they get more nutrients from meat. “As we age, we need even more protein as the absorption rate in the body decreases,” she says. “Having lean (white) meat isn’t enough either. Go for the breast piece as other pieces have more fat.”
And in case one isn’t getting enough protein from natural foods, the experts recommend supplements like whey protein. Whey is a byproduct of paneer, derived from milk during coagulation.
“Even if you eat your food by colours, consider adding whey to your diet to complete your protein requirement,” says Nandy. “There are some other foods too that don’t come under the flag’s colours but are superfoods nonetheless, such as pomegranates, rich in antioxidants, vitamins and fibre. Don’t ignore them.”