Sample Meals for the DOSHAS

The Ayurveda Experience September 24, 2015

Basic rules for Ayurvedic Meals:

• Eat seasonally. Favor fresh foods that are in season, and keep in mind the weather to stay in balance. For example: Eat more soups and warming foods during Vata season (Fall/Winter) and more salads and cooling foods during Pitta season (summer).
• Include all six tastes in each meal to feel more satisfied: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent, and astringent.
• Favor tastes for your particular dosha in each meal. Vata: sweet, sour, salty. Pitta: sweet, bitter, astringent. Kapha: Bitter, pungent, astringent.
• Eat only until ½ to ¾ of your stomach’s capacity. Don’t stuff yourself. Allow some room for maximum digestive power.
• Watch your food combinations.
• Vegetarian meals are preferred.

When you’ve got a family with different doshas, you can personalize each meal for each person with a few minor adjustments. Here are some examples:

Breakfast: Oatmeal
Vata: Add brown sugar or maple syrup, warm soy or almond milk, and sliced almonds.
Slice of warm sourdough bread with ghee. Vata tea, or ginger tea.
Pitta: Add coconut milk, cardamom, and sunflower seeds.
Slice of whole-wheat toast with ghee. Pitta tea, or rose tea.
Kapha: Add rice milk, cinnamon, a few pepitas, or pumpkin seeds.
Slice of rye toast. Kapha tea, cinnamon tea, or ginger tea.

Lunch: Pasta with seasonal sautéed vegetables
Vata: Season with Vata Churna (spice blend), and add cooked onion.
Pitta: Season with Pitta Churna, and add fresh cilantro or/or alfalfa sprouts.
Kapha: Season with Kapha Churna, and add freshly cooked broccoli.

Dinner: Mung Bean Dahl
Vata: Add Vata Churna to the Dahl, and serve with sweet potatoes, and zucchini.
Pitta: Add Pitta Churna to the Dahl, serve with brown rice and a small salad.
Kapha: Add Kapha Churna to the Dahl, and serve with barley and chard.