“Food is Medicine and Medicine is Food”
The primary consideration in Ayurveda when selecting food and herbs is in recognising taste. There are six tastes; three of which reduce a Dosha, and three of which increase that same Dosha. Tastes which increase Vata are astringent, bitter, and pungent (spicy and oily). Tastes which reduce Vata are sweet, sour, and salty. Eat herbs and food that contain more of these three tastes. Food items on the list below have been pre-selected with this primary consideration in mind. Please make sure you select food items from the list. What is not on the list you must avoid eating.
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Ideal cooking styles for Vata people include Western, Indian (mild), Chinese (Mild) etc. Warm soups and stews are particularly supportive.
Vata people should take food that is warm, moderately heavy, not too dry, soothing, nourishing, and rich. Meals should not be consumed when anxious, stressed, or depressed. Remember the golden rules in regard to food; eat only when hungry; eat small meals; eat your last meal at least four hours before bedtime; and eat food chosen from the food list. If you are hungry before bed then take suitable fruits only.
FRUITS
Generally most sweet fruits
Apples
Applesauce
Apricots
Avocados
Bananas
Berries
Cherries
Coconut
Dates (fresh)
Durian* (seasonal)
Figs (fresh)
Grapefruit
Grapes
Guava*
Kiwi
Lemons
Limes
Longan* (seasonal)
Lychees*
Mangoes
Melons
Oranges
Papaya
Peaches
Pineapple
Plums
Prunes (cooked)
Raisins (cooked)
Rambutan (seasonal)
Rhubarb
Strawberries
VEGETABLES
In general vegetables should be cooked
Asparagus
beets
cabbage (cooked)*
carrots
cauliflower*
cilantro (coriander)
cucumber
daikon radish*
fennel (anise)
garlic
green beans
green chillies
jerusalem artichoke*
leafy greens*
leeks
lettuce*
mustard greens*
okra
olives (black)
onions (cooked)*
parsley*
parsnip
peas (cooked)
potatoes (sweet)
pumpkin
radishes (cooked)*
rutabaga
spaghetti squash
spinach (cooked)*
spinach (raw)*
sprouts*
squash summer and winter
taro root
turnip greens*
watercress
zucchini
GRAINS and LEGUMES
Amaranth
Durham flour
Lentils* (red)
mung beans
mung dal
Oats
oats (cooked)
pancakes
quinoa
rice (all kinds)
seitan (wheat meat)
soya cheese*
soya milk*
soya sausage*
sprouted wheat bread
tofu*
turdal
urud dal
wheat
DAIRY
butter
buttermilk
cheese (hard)*
cheese (soft)
cottage cheese
cows milk
ghee
goats’ cheese
goats milk
ice cream*
sour cream *
yoghurt (diluted and spiced)*
ANIMAL FOOD
Chicken (dark)
Chicken (white)*
Duck
Eggs
Fish – freshwater or sea
Lamb (as broth)
Salmon
Sardines
Seafood
Shrimps
Tunafish
Turkey (dark)
NUTS
almonds
black walnuts
bresil nuts
cashews
charole
coconut
filberts
hazelnuts
macadamia nuts
peanuts
pecans
pine nuts
pistachios
walnuts
CONDIMENTS
black pepper
chutney (mango) – sweet or spicy
chilli peppers*
coriander leaves
dulse
gomasio
Hijiki
Kelp
ketchup
kombu
lemon
lime
lime pickle
mango pickle
mayonaise
mustard
pickles
salt
scallions
seaweed
soysauce
sprouts*
tamari
vinegar
SEEDS
chia
flax
halva
pumpkin
sesame
sunflower
tahini
OILS
For internal and external use (most suitable oils at top of list)
sesame
ghee
olive
(most other oils external use only)
coconut
avocado
BEVERAGES
all fruit juices to be freshly made
Almond milk
Aloe vera juice
apricot juice
berry juice (except cranberry)
carob*
carrot juice
chai (hot spiced milk)
cherry juice
grain coffee
grape juice
grapefruit juice
lemonade (freshly made)
mango juice
miso broth
orange juice
papaya juice
peach nectar
pineapple juice
rice milk
soya milk (hot and well spiced)
HERB TEAS
Ajwan
bancha
catnip
chamomile
chicory
chrysanthemum
clove
comfrey
elder flower
eucalyptus
fennel
fenugreek
ginger (fresh)
hawthorn
juniper berry
kukicha *
lavender
lemongrass
licorice
marshmallow
oat straw
orange peel
penny royal
peppermint
raspberry *
rosehips
saffron
sage
sarsaparilla
sassafras
spearmint
strawberry*
wintergreen*
SPICES
ajwan
allspice
alomd extra t
anise
basil
bay leaf
black pepper
cardamom
cayenne*
cinnamon
cloves
ciruabder
cumin
curry leaves
dill
fennel
fenugreek*
garlic
ginger
mace
marjoram
mint
mustard seed
nutmeg
orange peel
oregano
paprika
parsley
peppermint
pippali
poppy seeds
rosemary
saffron
salt
savory
spearmint
sart anise
tarragon
thyme
turmeric
vanilla
wintergreen
SWEETENERS
barley malt
fructose
fruit juice concentrates
honey – raw and not processed
molasses
rice syrup
sucnat
turbinado
FOOD SUPPLEMENTS
aloe vera juice*
bee pollen
amino acids
minerals
calcium
copper iron
magnesium
zinc
royal jelly
spirulina
blue green algae
vitamins A and B complex
B12 – C – D and E
* Food items marked with an asterix should be taken occasionally or not at all