“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 that increase Pitta are pungent (spicy and oily), salty, and sour. The tastes that reduce Pitta are bitter, sweet, and astringent. 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 should avoid eating.

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Ideal cooking styles for Pitta people include Western, Mediterranean, and Chinese (mild).

 

Pitta people should take food that is not too hot in temperature nor cooked with too much oil. Meals should not be consumed when angry, irritable or upset. 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.

 

* Food items marked with an asterix should be taken occasionally or not at all

 

FRUITS

Generally most sweet fruits

 

Apples (sweet)

Applesauce

Apricots (sweet)

Avocado*

Berries (sweet)

Cherries (sweet)

Coconut

Dates

Durian* (in season in small amounts)

Figs

Grapes (red and purple)

Guava*

Longan* (seasonal)

Lychees*

Mangoes (ripe)

Melons

Papaya* (sweet)

Oranges (sweet)

Pears

Persimmon*

Pineapple* (sweet)

Plums (sweet)

Pomegranate*

Prunes

Quince (sweet)

Raisins

Rambutan (seasonal)

Watermelon

VEGETABLES

In general sweet and bitter vegetables

Acorn squash

Artichoke

Asparagus

Beets (cooked)

Bell pepper

Bitter melon

Broccoli

Brussels sprouts

Burdock root

Butternut squash

Cabbage

Carrots (cooked)

Cauliflower

Celery

Cilantro

Corn (fresh)

Cucumber

Dandelion greens

Fennel (anise)

Green beans

Jerusalem artichoke

Jicama

Kale

Leafy greens

Leeks (cooked)

Lettuce

Mushrooms

Okra

Olives, black

Onions (cooked)

Parsley

Parsnips

Peas

Peppers (green)

Peppers, sweet

Potatoes, sweet and white

Prickly pear (leaves)

Pumpkin

Radishes (cooked)

Rutabaga

Spaghetti squash

Sprouts (not spicy)

Squash, winter and summer

Summer squash

Scallopini Squash

Taro root

Wheatgrass sprouts

Watercress

Winter squash

Zucchini

GRAINS

Amaranth

Barley

Cereal, dry

Couscous

Crackers

Durham flour

Granola

Oat bran

Oats (Cooked)

Pancakes

Pasta

Rice (basmati, white, wild)

Rice cakes

Sago

Seitan (wheat meat)

Spelt

Sprouted wheat bread (essene)

Tapioca

Wheat

Wheat bran

DAIRY

Butter (unsalted)

Cheese (soft, not aged, unsalted)

Cottage cheese

Cow’s milk

Goat’s cheese (soft, unsalted)

Ice cream

Yoghurt (freshly made and diluted)

LEGUMES

Adzuki beans

Black beans

Black-eyed peas

Chickpeas (garbanzo beans)

Kidney beans

Lentils, brown and red

Lima beans

Mung beans

Mung dal

Navy beans

Peas (dried)

Pinto beans

Soybeans

Soy cheese

Soy milk

Split peas

Tempeh

Tofu

White beans

ANIMAL FOODS

Chicken (white)

Eggs (albumen or white only)

Fish (freshwater)

Rabbit

Shrimp

Turkey (white)

Venison

CONDIMENTS

Chutney, mango (sweet)

Coriander leaves

Sprouts

NUTS

Almonds (soaked and peeled)

Charole

Coconut

SEEDS

Flax

Halva

Popcorn (no salt, buttered)

Psyllium

Sunflower

OILS

For internal and external use

Sunflower

Ghee

Canola

Olive

Soy

Flaxseed

Primrose

Walnut

External use only

Avocado

Coconut

BEVERAGES

Almond milk

Aloe vera juice

Apple juice

Apricot juice

Berry juice (sweet)

Black tea

Carob

Cherry juice (sweet)

Cool dairy drinks

Grape juice

Mango juice

Mixed vegetable juice

Peach nectar

Pear juice

Pomegranate juice

Prune juice

Rice milk

Soy milk

Vegetable bouillon

HERBAL TEAS

Alfalfa

Bancha

Barley

Blackberry

Borage

Burdock

Catnip

Chamomile

Chicory

Comfrey

Dandelion

Fennel

Ginger (fresh)

Hibiscus

Hops

Jasmine

Kukicha

Lavender

Lemon balm

Lemon grass

Licorice

Marshmallow

Nettle

Oat straw

Passion flower

Peppermint

Raspberry

Red clover

Sarsaparilla

Spearmint

Strawberry

Violet

Wintergreen

Yarrow

SPICES

Basil (fresh)

Cinnamon

Coriander

Cumin

Curry leaves

Dill

Fennel

Ginger (fresh)

Mint

Peppermint

Saffron

Spearmint

Turmeric

Wintergreen