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In Ayurveda, nutrition is very important for maintaining balance in body, mind, and spirit. From an Ayurvedic perspective, importance is given not only to the food that we consume; but also how we consume it. Awareness is the key approach.
Breakfast: According to Ayurveda, breakfast is a moment of awakening for the body. It should be nourishing but not heavy, gently waking up the body. During winter, the Kapha season, it is recommended to have cooked and warm breakfasts. If digestion is strong, it is also possible to skip breakfast to help counteract the tendency toward sluggishness in the morning.
Lunch: Lunch is the richest meal of the day because, at this time, our digestive fire (agni) is strongest. For Kapha, an ideal lunch is cooked, warm, well-spiced, and lightly oily, composed of light grains (such as quinoa), legumes, and vegetables.
Dinner: Dinner is a lighter, yet still nourishing, version of lunch, so as not to overly burden the body before sleep. For Kapha, dinner should consist of light and spiced dishes, such as sautéed vegetables or spiced soups. If not hungry, fasting at dinner can be a beneficial choice for Kapha.
Both lunch and dinner are ideally composed of 60% augmenting foods and 40% extractive foods. If Kapha is out of balance, the proportions are reversed: 60% extractive foods and 40% augmenting foods.
Augmenting foods are those foods that center the body and mind. They build tissues and replenish what has been lost. They generally have a sweeter taste and provide vitality and energy. Examples of augmenting foods include grains, sweet potatoes, beets, fennel, fruits, corn, and fresh cheeses.
Extractive foods are those foods that naturally have a purifying effect. They are essential for breaking down healthy fats and generally have bitter and/or astringent tastes. Examples of extractive foods include legumes, all leafy green vegetables, seeds, and nuts.
Dinner
Pumpkin: Nutritious and easily digestible. It helps hydrate tissues, support digestion, improve mood, and promote a sense of lightness and calm. It has a sweet taste, with light, oily, and cooling qualities.
Lentils and Pumpkin Soup
Lentils: Light, dry, and warming, lentils are ideal for Kapha as they help counteract its typical imbalances. They support agni, the digestive fire, without weighing the body down, promote digestion, reduce stagnation, post-meal drowsiness, and fluid retention, fostering a more stable sense of energy. They are a complete food: rich in plant-based proteins, fiber, minerals such as iron, magnesium, and potassium, and complex carbohydrates that release energy gradually. Thanks to their light yet nourishing profile, lentils are an ideal food for rebalancing Kapha, especially when cooked with warming spices such as ginger, cumin, and turmeric.
Pumpkin: Nutritious and easily digestible. It helps hydrate tissues, support digestion, improve mood, and promote a sense of lightness and calm. It has a sweet taste, with light, oily, and cooling qualities.
Cumin Cauliflower
Cauliflower: Cauliflower is light, astringent, and warming. These qualities help counteract mucus accumulation, heaviness, and the metabolic sluggishness typical of Kapha aggravation during the cold months. Cauliflower supports digestion without weighing the body down, promotes the elimination of toxins, and provides a sense of lightness and vitality. Low in calories but rich in vitamin C, vitamin K, folates, antioxidants, and fiber, cauliflower promotes satiety and intestinal regularity. It also contains sulfur compounds that support liver detoxification and the proper functioning of the immune system. Cooked with warming spices such as cumin, black pepper, or ginger, it becomes a perfect food to support Kapha and nourish the body in a light and clean way during winter.
Whole Wheat Chapati
Chapati: Unleavened, chapati is a lighter alternative to traditional bread, supporting digestion and suitable for all doshas.
Breakfast
Spiced Apple
Apple: Particularly beneficial for Kapha and during the winter season due to its light, astringent, and cleansing qualities. It supports the elimination of ama (toxins), reduces the heaviness typical of Kapha, and gently stimulates agni, especially when consumed cooked or warm with warming spices such as cinnamon and ginger. In winter, when Kapha tends to accumulate moisture and mucus, cooked apple helps to dry, lighten, and keep digestion active without weighing the body down.
Lunch
Spiced Pea Soup
Peas: Peas offer an excellent balance of plant-based proteins, fiber, complex carbohydrates, and micronutrients such as vitamin K, vitamin C, folates, and minerals (iron, magnesium, potassium). They promote satiety, support the immune system, and contribute to gut health thanks to their content of prebiotic fiber.
Whole Grain Basmati Rice with Lemon
Basmati Rice: With a sweet taste, light qualities, a warming effect, and easy digestibility. It helps support agni and provides energy without weighing the body down. It is particularly suitable during periods of weakness, thanks to its high content of easily assimilable carbohydrates.
Spinach with Mustard Seeds
Spinach: Light, astringent, and naturally cleansing, spinach helps reduce heaviness and fluid retention. Its high fiber content promotes regularity and contributes to a sense of lightness and internal cleansing. Cooked with warming spices such as garlic, ginger, or mustard, it becomes an ideal food to support Kapha and maintain vitality during the winter.
Arugula: Arugula is particularly beneficial for Kapha due to its light, astringent, and cooling qualities, with a slight warming effect when cooked. Its fiber content promotes intestinal regularity and contributes to satiety and internal cleansing. Its slightly pungent taste helps keep Kapha stimulated.
Warm Fennel and Arugula Salad
Fennel: Fennel promotes digestion, reduces bloating and mucus accumulation, counteracting the heaviness and metabolic sluggishness typical of Kapha increase during the cold months. Fennel supports agni and promotes a sense of lightness without weighing the body down.
Arugula: Arugula is particularly beneficial for Kapha due to its light, astringent, and cooling qualities, with a slight warming effect when cooked. Its fiber content promotes intestinal regularity and contributes to satiety and internal cleansing. Its slightly pungent taste helps keep Kapha stimulated.
Ginger Chutney
Ginger: Ginger has warming, drying, and stimulating qualities. It helps activate agni (digestion), reduce mucus and heaviness typical of Kapha excess, and supports energetic and blood circulation.
Snack
Pear Tart
Pears: Rich in soluble fiber, which promotes intestinal regularity and satiety, pears also contain vitamin C, potassium, and antioxidants that support the immune system and cardiovascular health. When cooked with spices such as cinnamon or ginger, they become an ideal food to support Kapha and maintain lightness and vitality during the winter.
Chai Latte
Chai: Particularly beneficial for Vata and Kapha, chai is warming and stimulating for the body and digestion. It activates agni, reduces toxins, and supports metabolism. Consumed hot and spiced, it promotes energy, circulation, and digestive well-being.
Dinner
Yellow Lentil Dahl
Yellow Lentils: Rich in plant-based proteins, fiber, iron, magnesium, and B vitamins, which promote satiety, stable energy, and intestinal regularity.
Quinoa
Quinoa: It's a complete plant-based protein, rich in fiber, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, and B vitamins. Quinoa is easy to digest and provides balanced energy without weighing the body down.
Curry Broccoli
Broccoli: They help stimulate digestion, reduce mucus and heaviness typical of Kapha excess, promoting a sense of lightness and vitality even during the cold months. Rich in vitamin C, vitamin K, folates, potassium, and antioxidants such as sulforaphanes, broccoli support the immune system, liver detoxification, and cellular health.
Breakfast
Mixed Berries: Rich in antioxidants, vitamin C, fiber, and phytonutrients that support the immune system, cardiovascular health, and intestinal function. They contain naturally slow-digesting sugars and few carbohydrates, making them ideal for providing energy without weighing the body down. They promote a sense of lightness and vitality even during the cold months, especially when consumed at room temperature or slightly warmed.
Apple and Berries Crumble
Apple: Particularly beneficial for Kapha and during the winter season due to its light, astringent, and cleansing qualities. It supports the elimination of ama (toxins), reduces the heaviness typical of Kapha, and gently stimulates agni, especially when consumed cooked or warm with warming spices such as cinnamon and ginger. In winter, when Kapha tends to accumulate moisture and mucus, cooked apple helps to dry, lighten, and keep digestion active without weighing the body down.
Mixed Berries: Rich in antioxidants, vitamin C, fiber, and phytonutrients that support the immune system, cardiovascular health, and intestinal function. They contain naturally slow-digesting sugars and few carbohydrates, making them ideal for providing energy without weighing the body down. They promote a sense of lightness and vitality even during the cold months, especially when consumed at room temperature or slightly warmed.
Lunch
Pea Creamy Soup
Peas: Peas offer an excellent balance of plant-based proteins, fiber, complex carbohydrates, and micronutrients such as vitamin K, vitamin C, folates, and minerals (iron, magnesium, potassium). They promote satiety, support the immune system, and contribute to gut health thanks to their content of prebiotic fiber.
Steamed Buckwheat
Buckwheat: This gluten-free grain supports stable energy and promotes a sense of lightness. It helps counteract excess Kapha, reduce heaviness, and stimulate digestion without weighing the body down. Buckwheat is rich in plant-based proteins, fiber, magnesium, manganese, copper, and antioxidants such as flavonoids.
Pumpkin: Nutritious and easily digestible. It helps hydrate tissues, support digestion, improve mood, and promote a sense of lightness and calm. It has a sweet taste, with light, oily, and cooling qualities.
Spiced Carrots and Pumpkin
Carrots: Rich in beta-carotene (provitamin A), vitamin K, potassium, fiber, and antioxidants that support skin health, the immune system, and eye health. Thanks to their natural sweetness and fiber content, they promote intestinal regularity and satiety. Cooked with warming spices such as ginger or cumin, they become an ideal food to rebalance Kapha and support the body during winter.
Pumpkin: Nutritious and easily digestible. It helps hydrate tissues, support digestion, improve mood, and promote a sense of lightness and calm. It has a sweet taste, with light, oily, and cooling qualities.
Cabbage Salad
Cabbage: Light and astringent, cabbage is rich in vitamin C, vitamin K, folates, potassium, and fiber, as well as sulfur compounds that support liver detoxification and the immune system.
Snack
Ginger: Ginger has warming, drying, and stimulating qualities. It helps activate agni (digestion), reduce mucus and heaviness typical of Kapha excess, and supports energetic and blood circulation.
Lemon and Ginger Cookies
Lemon: Its juice stimulates the production of digestive juices and can be added to herbal teas, warm water, or cooked dishes, making it an ideal ally to rebalance Kapha and support digestion.
Ginger: Ginger has warming, drying, and stimulating qualities. It helps activate agni (digestion), reduce mucus and heaviness typical of Kapha excess, and supports energetic and blood circulation.