How I transformed my diet and improved my health
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Editor’s note: One of the most active participants in our WhatsApp community group teases us all with photographs of her aesthetically plated meals which, even from a distance and only through virtual access, feels mouth-wateringly delicious and bang-for-the-buck wholesome. That’s Riya Rashmi. So I asked her to write about how she does this. What can we learn from her to make balanced, nutritious meals? Great tips follow.
Riya works in HR at Swiggy and is a self-proclaimed health chef, always finding ways to make tasty and nutritious food in the easiest possible way. You can connect with her on Instagram.
What exactly is ‘healthy’ and how can I eat that way?
This question nagged at me a few years ago when—unsurprisingly—I gained weight and wanted to shed some kilos. With so much conflicting information out there, it was hard to figure out what truly constituted a healthy diet.
The journey was far from straightforward, revealing the complex interplay between diet, lifestyle, and well-being.
I started with a simple criterion: high-protein, low-carb meals would be healthier than what I was eating, so I’d go for those. And I committed to consistent workouts. After following this approach for a year, I felt pretty good about my fat loss progress.
However, despite losing fat and clothes becoming looser, I experienced excessive hair fall, and my skin didn’t look its best. I could barely lift 50% of my personal bests, indicating a loss of muscle mass and strength.
These issues prompted a deeper exploration into my diet’s balance and nutritional adequacy. I faced four specific challenges.
First, I realised my supposedly ‘high’ protein wasn’t really high-enough protein. I knew why: I had started cheating on my protein sources. For one, I had trouble digesting whey protein isolates, leaving me feeling unwell, so the supplementation wasn’t the ideal solution. Then introducing animal protein back into my previously egg-etarian diet—I never enjoyed having meat and fish—proved challenging, but eating those would make life easier so I did, but then I often slipped back into old habits.
Second, the cognitive load of making low-carb, high-protein meals. It was taxing. The general mindset that healthy eating meant giving up on roti/chawal made meal preparation mentally draining, even though I enjoyed experimenting with new recipes. The lack of readily available information on creating low-carb, high-protein Indian meals only made it harder.
Third, the stress of sourcing specific ingredients for, say, making salads: from fresh greens or artisanal cheeses to some nice and fancy dressing. I remember once when the salad leaves box from my go-to grocery shopping app went out of stock, and I went crazy hunting all other apps to find it—just adding unnecessary stress after long workdays.
Fourth, many nutrition experts don’t warn about the potential digestive issues like bloating, burping, and stomach aches that can come with increasing protein intake, which were common for me. As I’d later learn, these issues weren’t caused by the increased protein intake itself, but rather by my failure to include adequate fibre, probiotics, and prebiotics in my meals.
It’s because of these reasons that “eating better” felt like a punishment instead of making me feel good.
But I needed to find a way out because I realised that the traditional carb-heavy Indian diet did not align with a modern sedentary lifestyle involving mostly desk jobs with minimal physical activity. This mismatch between dietary habits and lifestyle demands made it clear that reducing carb intake, increasing protein and fibre, and adopting a balanced meal approach was necessary to meet my nutritional needs effectively.
A balanced plate typically consists of a serving of carbohydrates like grains or starches, a serving of protein, some fat, and one or more servings of vegetables and fruit (fibre). This is how I came to understand the idea of what is truly ‘healthy’ for me.
These realisations led to a journey that turned into an obsession: creating interesting and tasty healthy meals. In this piece, I’m sharing the lessons I learned along the way.
1) Meal Planning
Khane mein kya khana hai?
This question haunts many of us every day, and without proper planning, we often resort to obvious go-to meals like dal chawal or roti sabzi, which may not always align with our health goals.
To overcome this challenge, I’ve become a fan of daily meal planning. It’s a habit I developed through morning delivery apps, which require you to place your order before a certain threshold, usually around 9 PM. This forces you to think about what you’ll eat the next day, turning meal planning into an end-of-day ritual.
My husband and I take just two minutes to plan our meals for the following day, and we get fresh vegetables and fruits when we are back home after our early morning workout.
Some of my friends prefer weekly meal planning, which offers two major benefits:
1. The responsibility of deciding what the cook should make is no longer dependent on one person. Instead, a written note displayed on the fridge makes it easy for everyone.
2. Weekend grocery shopping reduces waste. Especially when ordering online, minimum order quantities can lead to excess purchases, particularly for vegetables, leafy greens, coriander, and mint, which can accumulate in your fridge over time. Shopping in person for the week allows you to select the right amount for your needs.
Snippets from my daily vegetable shopping.
If you struggle with meal planning but want to improve your eating habits, take a few minutes at the start of each week to plan your meals. Discuss with your partner or family about what to include, shop for missing ingredients, and consider preparing a meal chart to simplify instructions for the cook. This approach helps you focus on executing the plan rather than constantly thinking about what to eat.
When planning your meals, ensure that you always have versatile vegetables like carrots, cucumber, tomatoes, or any seasonal produce on hand, and instruct your cook to include them in your dishes.
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2) Start small—one change at a time.
Now that you’ve got meal planning down, it’s time to focus on making sustainable shifts in your eating habits. The key is to start small and make one change at a time.
As a former vegetarian with some level of lactose intolerance (I can’t have milk but can consume curd, yoghurt, and paneer), protein was a major issue for me. To address this, I made a point to start by adding some amount of protein to every meal.
When preparing entirely vegetarian meals, it’s important to keep in mind that most vegetarian protein sources also come with a significant amount of carbohydrates and calories (except for soybeans and related products).
To counteract this, I usually include more than one protein source in an entirely vegetarian plate and significantly reduce the absolute carb sources like rice, roti, or bread.
For example, look at this plate: it’s a well-balanced vegetarian meal with a big bowl of red chana, a 100-gram paneer cutlet, 50 grams of yoghurt, a small serving of rice, cooked radish leaves, and one medium-sized raw radish for fibre. This combination ensures a variety of protein sources while keeping carbs in check.
Compare that with the meal below that relies heavily on curd (kadhi) with low fibre and excessive carbs (see rice portion) which may not provide the same nutritional balance.
By making small, incremental changes to your meals, such as increasing protein and fibre while reducing carbs, you can create sustainable improvements in your eating habits.
Remember, it’s not about overhauling your entire diet overnight, but rather about consistently making better choices, one meal at a time.
🥬 Lettuce remind our friends to add more veggies
3) The power of a high-protein breakfast
One of the most impactful changes you can make to your diet is to consume a high-protein breakfast. Protein takes longer to digest, keeping you feeling full and satisfied for 3-4 hours, depending on the amount consumed.
Here are some examples of high-protein breakfast options:
• Eggs: Whether boiled, scrambled, or baked, eggs are a fantastic source of protein. I personally love consuming eggs with a protein shake for a complete meal.
• Sprouts: A big bowl of sprouts with freshly chopped onions, chillies, a dash of lemon juice, and salt, paired with a protein shake, can keep you satiated for at least 2-3 hours.
• Vegetable Cheela: Make a cheela using besan (gram flour) or any soaked dal (lentils), and add grated paneer or tofu for an extra protein boost.
• Protein Smoothie Bowl: Combine yoghurt, muesli, and some fruits for a delicious and nutritious breakfast option.
4) Adding vegetables
As mentioned earlier, making small, incremental changes to your diet is key to sustainable progress. One of the most important changes I made was to include at least 2-3 types of vegetables in my daily diet, either raw or cooked. Now, I incorporate even more!
Vegetables are an excellent source of fibre, an indigestible component of plant foods that plays a crucial role in our digestive health. Fibre affects the rate of food digestion, nutrient absorption, and the movement of waste products (stool) through the colon. Consuming adequate fibre helps prevent constipation and improves overall nutrient digestion in the gut.
I gradually started balancing my lunch by incorporating vegetables into my existing meals, like dal-chawal. My typical lunch now consists of a cooked sabzi, a raw salad packed with colourful fibre, a portion of protein (almost 25% of the plate), a small serving of carbs (rice, roti, or dosa), and something fermented, usually curd or pickle, which provide beneficial bacteria to our gut, further enhancing digestive health.
See the difference for yourself.
The first picture shows an example of my earlier meals, consisting of rajma, chawal, plenty of fibre, and a chutney.
While this meal is rich in fibre, it lacks sufficient protein. In contrast, the second picture depicts a more balanced meal, featuring pickle, increased protein (pieces of fish), and a cooked sabzi (yes, it’s bitter gourd!).
🥬Lettuce remind our friends to add more veggies
5) Preparing office meals or meals on busy days
To ensure that I stick to my healthy eating habits even on busy days or when packing office meals, I have my cook prepare 60-70% of my tiffin a day in advance. Here are some tips:
• Pack rice that has been stored in the fridge from the previous day. Cooling cooked starch is known to increase resistant starch content, resulting in a lower sugar spike compared to freshly made rice. However, remember that cold rice should still be treated as a carb source and consumed in moderation.
• Have dal, beans (rajma, chole, chane), or sabzi cooked a day prior and stored in the fridge after cooling down.
• If advance preparation isn’t possible, chop fresh vegetables like cucumber and carrots and store them for quick addition to your meals.
• In the morning, focus on adding proteins and salad to your pre-prepared base. Toss some paneer, chicken, etc., over a pan with chat masala, and add fresh salad ingredients like carrots and cucumber. If the weather permits, include some yogurt or curd.
• Pack fruits, cucumbers, carrots, or other healthy snacks in your dabba for mid-meal cravings to avoid reaching for unhealthy options.
By preparing a significant portion of your meal in advance, you can ensure that you have a balanced, nutritious lunch even on hectic days. This strategy helps maintain your healthy eating habits and reduces the temptation to opt for less wholesome alternatives when pressed for time.
Some of my lunch tiffins:
Left: Dal with hemp seeds; Raw salad (cucumbers); Sauteed Paneer and Bell peppers; Roti with egg
Middle: Palak Paneer; Rice; Malabar spinach and Chana dal vada (cooked on pan); Sauteed veggies with lotus stem
Right most : Chana masala; Eggs; Rice; Carrots
6) The magic of one-pot meals for dinner
After a long day, I prefer turning to the convenience and simplicity of one-pot meals for dinner. These all-in-one dishes save time and effort while still providing a balanced and nutritious meal. Some examples of one-pot wonders include: Wholesome khichdi, vegetable pulao, quick stir-fries.
These meals can incorporate a mix of vegetables, proteins, and carbohydrates, ensuring a well-rounded nutritional profile. By combining all the elements in a single pot, you can streamline the cooking process and minimise cleanup, making it an ideal option for busy evenings.
One-pot meals also offer the flexibility to experiment with different ingredients and flavour combinations, allowing you to cater to your taste preferences while still maintaining a balanced diet.
Feel free to get creative and incorporate your favourite vegetables, proteins, and spices to keep your dinners interesting and satisfying.
A one-pot veggie-chicken noodle bowl
7) Snacking strategies
Snacking mindfully is an essential part of maintaining a healthy eating plan. When choosing snacks, it’s important to opt for nutrient-dense options that support your overall health goals. Here’s what I did:
• I removed all processed snacks like cookies, biscuits, and namkeen from my house and donated them. This helped eliminate the temptation to indulge in unhealthy options.
• I replaced these snacks with fruits, which became my go-to option for mid-meal hunger. Keeping fruits readily available and visible served as a reminder to make healthier choices.
• Ideally, if you’re consuming enough protein and fats in your main meals and maintaining consistent meal times, you shouldn’t feel hungry between meals. However, if you do need a snack, opt for better alternatives like protein bars, yoghurt with muesli, sprouts, or other nutrient-dense options. For those craving something savoury, try fun and healthier options like chanachur, roasted chana (yes, I’m a Bihari!), khakra, or crispy versions of chickpeas.
• Nuts and seeds are fine in moderate quantities, but I usually avoid salted or seasoned varieties as they increase the likelihood of overeating. Flavorful snacks can be hard to resist, and the added seasonings often contain excessive salt and sugar. Remember, nuts and seeds should be consumed in small portions, not by the bowlful.
• Indulging in regional snacks “once in a while” is okay, but be mindful not to finish the entire packet in one sitting. In this era of not-so-clean labels, I prefer seeking out small-batch, homemade snacks from local chefs when indulging in these occasional treats.
(homemade chickpea crisps)
So yeah, that’s about it. Trust me, it’s not too hard. Just small and consistent changes make all the difference.
Ask me about it: it has brought numerous positive changes to my life. I feel more energetic, focused, and have a stronger immune system, resulting in fewer seasonal illnesses. Additionally, I’ve experienced painless periods, better mental health, and even improvements in my skin and hair.
Start small, be patient with yourself, and trust the process.
