Proper nutrition is important for South Asians of all ages. Overall, there are two major principles you can follow for healthy eating. These simple changes can help you lose weight, reduce your blood sugars, improve your cholesterol and ultimately cut your risk of having a heart attack.

1. Replace bad carbohydrates (refined white breads, cereals, pasta, etc.) with good carbohydrates (whole grains).

2. Replace bad fats (saturated and trans fats) with good fats (omega-3s and monounsaturated fats).

Below are tips to help you make these healthy changes to your diet as well as suggestions for improving your family's overall cooking, dining and snacking habits.

• Refined Carbohydrates
• Saturated and Trans Fats
• Salt
• Portion Size
• Beverages
• Eating Out
• Additional Tips

Refined Carbohydrates

Many South Asians follow strict vegetarian diets. While vegetarians are generally thought to have healthy diets, some may run the risk of consuming too many refined carbohydrates, which can contribute to weight gain, high blood sugar and higher triglyceride levels. Below are tips to reduce consumption of refined carbohydrates.

• Eat less white rice and more brown rice, which has more fiber.
  
• Substitute whole wheat couscous or cracked wheat for white rice.
  
• Consume healthier carbohydrates in moderation (such as whole wheat bread, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, lentils, kala chana and dhokla).
  
• Increase consumption of non-starch vegetables (such as green beans, broccoli, carrots and cauliflower).
  
• Limit consumption of potatoes, or choose sweet instead of white potatoes.
  
• Replace sweets and desserts with fresh fruits.
  
• Use less sugar or use artificial sweeteners to sweeten tea.

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Saturated and Trans Fats

All South Asians, especially those who are overweight, or have high triglycerides or high LDL (bad cholesterol), need to limit their consumption of saturated fats and cut harmful trans fats from their diets.

• Replace ghee, butter and coconut oil with olive oil or canola oil.
  
• Use 1 percent, lowfat or nonfat milk, yogurt and paneer instead of whole milk.
  
• Use "trans-free" margarine instead of butter. (Avoid stick margarines, which have more trans fat than margarines in tub or liquid forms.)
  
• Select lean cuts of poultry and fish.
  
• Choose tandoori and tikka meat preparations over malai and korma, which use high-fat cream sauces.
  
• Use soy products as a protein substitute, particularly for vegetarian dishes.
  
• Replace fried snack foods with those that are dry roasted or baked. (For example, eat baked papadums instead of fried papadums.)

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Salt

Limiting sodium (salt) intake is especially important for South Asians with high blood pressure.

• Use less than two grams of sodium per day.
  
• Read labels and watch for hidden sodium in prepared items (such as pickles, chutneys and papadums).
  
• Use herbs, spices and lemon juice instead of salt.

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Portion Size

• Buy a kitchen scale and weigh food to get an accurate idea of how many calories you are consuming.
  
• Write down everything you eat (and the associated calories) for one day to gauge how many calories you consume.
  
• If you are trying to lose weight, reduce your caloric intake to:
  
  • 1,500 calories per day for women*
    
  • 2,000 calories per day for men*

*Caloric intake is based on several factors including a person's gender, age, weight, height and activity level. See your personal health care provider to determine your personal daily calorie goals.
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Beverages

• Avoid fruit juices, which are high in calories and simple sugars.
  
• Drink eight glasses of water per day.
  
• Reduce your intake of caffeinated beverages (limit coffee to two cups per day).
  
• Limit sodas, smoothies and blended drinks, which contain lots of calories.

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Eating Out

• Avoid eating at buffets in restaurants, which can lead to overeating.
  
• Limit restaurant meals (breakfast, lunch or dinner) to once or twice per week. Restaurant servings are generally higher in fat, calories and portion size.
  
• When you do eat out, order an appetizer for dinner. If you order an entrée, share it with someone or take half home. The average restaurant meal contains 1,000 calories.

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Additional Tips

• Indian appetizers and desserts have more sugar and fat than most entrees, so limit your intake or use healthier substitutes.
  
• If you must snack on something other than fresh fruits and vegetables, choose nuts.
  
• Social, family and religious gatherings occur frequently and should not be used as an excuse for dietary indiscretion.
  
• Eliminate sodas and restrict alcohol consumption.
  
• Choose plain lassi over mango or sweet lassi.
  
• Enjoy more healthy fats. Monounsaturated fats and omega-3s are actually healthy fats that can help improve your cholesterol and reduce your risk of heart disease. Replace unhealthy fats (ghee, butter and coconut oil) with healthier fats (olive oil or canola oil). Keep in mind that both have the same number of calories, so consume these in moderation to avoid weight gain.
  
  • Foods rich in monounsaturated fats include olive oil and canola oil, nuts (especially almonds), seeds (such as sesame and pumpkin) and avocados.
    
  • Foods rich in omega-3s include fish (especially salmon), walnuts and flaxseed.
    
  • A Mediterranean-style diet incorporates both types of healthy fats.
  
  
• Weigh yourself regularly to make sure you are maintaining a healthy weight (or losing weight, if dieting). If you are gaining weight, make more nutritious food choices and exercise more.

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