How to Choose the Best Diet for Weight Loss?

What is the best diet for weight loss? This might be a common question in your mind. People often tend to adopt a radically restrictive mode of eating for a while for rapid weight loss, and then switch back to their normal diet routine as such fad diets are not sustainable. To attain sustainable weight loss, your focus should be on healthy eating habits and not on crash diets. So what does a healthy diet look like?

A healthy weight loss diet favours natural, unprocessed foods that can provide the essential nutrients that your body needs. It lays emphasis on plant-based foods, especially fruits and vegetables, over animal foods. Your weight loss diet should be a healthy combination of complex carbohydrates, fibre, proteins, and healthy fats. At the same time, it should be low in calories. These factors make the South Indian diet apt for those who are trying to lose weight.

South Indian Diet for Weight Loss: How is it Beneficial?

The South Indian diet includes more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and low-fat dairy products, which help you maintain a healthy weight. Most of the dishes that are a part of the South Indian cuisine are either boiled, steamed or fermented, which are healthier cooking options while on a weight loss journey. Therefore, choosing a South Indian diet plan would be ideal for maintaining a healthy weight. Let’s take a look at a healthy South Indian diet plan for weight loss.

South Indian Diet Plan for Weight Loss

Here’s a healthy South Indian diet plan for weight loss.

Early Morning

• A glass of warm water with lime, ginger, and honey
• A glass of unsweetened fresh juice or other detox drinks such as cinnamon or fenugreek water
• A cup of coffee or tea with skimmed milk and no sugar

Breakfast

• Ragi dosas (2) or idlis (2 to 3) with chutney or sambar
• Appam or idiyappam (2) with vegetable stew
• Rice puttu with vegetable curry
• Upma made with cracked wheat, quinoa, or flattened rice

Mid-Morning Snacks

• One cup of cut fruits (watermelon, strawberries, or peaches)
• One glass of green tea with 2 multigrain or whole wheat biscuits
• A handful of unsalted, roasted nuts
• A glass of buttermilk 

Lunch

• 1 bowl of brown rice or broken millets with 1 cup poriyal (with carrot, beans, or cabbage)
• 1 bowl of coconut rice with one cup of cauliflower or cabbage poriyal and rasam
• 1 bowl of curd rice with added nuts or seeds
• 2 chapatis with dal and vegetable salad

Evening Snacks

• One cup of tea or coffee with no sugar
• Steamed snacks such as adai or kozhukatta (1 or 2)
• One bowl of poha with vegetables and nuts
• One glass or green tea with 2 multigrain or whole wheat biscuits

Dinner

• One cup of brown rice with one portion of grilled fish and veg salad
• 2 wheat chapatis with dal and vegetables
• Oats or wheat porridge with vegetables

Know the Foods to Avoid

While trying to lose weight make sure to avoid the following:

• Refined Carbohydrates: Refined carbohydrates are found in foods that have been processed to remove many of the other nutrients they usually carry. Such foods include white rice, bread, breakfast cereals, sodas, pastries etc. Refined carbs are digested quickly, leading to rapid spikes in blood sugar and insulin levels after meals. Eating such foods has been linked to overeating and thus weight gain. 

• Sugar: The added sugars or sweeteners in certain foods and beverages can cause you to pack on weight as they increase your calorie intake considerably and offer fewer nutrients. While trying to lose weight, stay away from foods such as cakes, pastries, candies, sweets, etc. and beverages such as sweetened fruit juices, soft drinks and other flavoured drinks available in the market.
• Saturated Fats: An increased intake of saturated fats or “bad” fats are harmful to your overall health and can also lead to weight gain. Saturated fats are mainly found in animal products and tropical oils. These include products such as full-fat milk, cheese, butter, meats such as pork, beef or lamb and oils such as coconut and palm oil. You can limit your intake of saturated fats while trying to lose weight.