Popular nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar believes in the power of home-cooked meals, fresh ingredients, and age-old recipes. Currently excited about her latest book, Mitahara, Rujuta was recently in New Delhi to promote her tome. At the event, she spoke at length about eating right, choosing local ingredients, the myths that garnish our meal plans, and the common-sense diet.

“Mitahara means eating in a state of balance, where we are not consumed by the food we eat. We need to feel grateful for what we have on our plates and not feel guilty about eating good food and living a life of empathy,” says Rujuta.

She recommends eating local ingredients and honouring traditional recipes, something she works towards doing herself. “Sometimes, a few things go out of vogue. This happens with our ingredients too — take haldi (turmeric), neem, or moringa, for example. Now, until it gets packaged and gets sold to us in fancy packaging and at a higher price, we don’t take it seriously. But eating correctly is eating in time-tested combinations and portions. It’s mainly about having common sense when deciding on what and how you are eating,” she says.

In the book published by DK (Dorling Kindersley Publishing), Rujuta explores the traditional Indian concept of mitahara, or the idea of eating in moderation, according to the needs of one’s body and mind, seasons, and sustainability. 

Everyone’s invited

She also speaks about  the “light kitchen”. “We have made kitchens and cooking a menial task. But cooking is liberating, and it is meant for all genders. When women have had wholesome careers and wholesome kitchens, then they feel less guilty about having good food on the plate. This makes the life of a woman easier. Light kitchen means where every family member works in the kitchen irrespective of gender and pay cheque — be it a man, woman, or child. There must be contributions from every single person in the household. Cooking is a sign of intelligence; humans are the only species who can cook. We cook for joy, pleasure, to lessen our sufferings, and not just for survival.”  

In addition to cooking, Rujuta also believes a kitchen should be airy and spacious with enough space for a couple of people to move around easily. “Kitchens are shrinking now and it’s sad because we are spending less time in kitchens and more time on our phones. Food is not just about eating together but also cooking together.”

Rujuta’s recipes incorporate the healing properties of ingredients and are rooted in traditions and culture. She has generously sprinkled anecdotes from her own culinary journey as well as core Indian and yogic food wisdom that will help her readers make lifestyle changes that are easy and seamless, paving the way to incorporating clean and healthy food practices. “Our recipes are legacies, which have come to us through generations of hard work and experimentation due to the collective wisdom of our ancestors. Honour them and eat them with an open heart and open stomach. Then we will be in good shape,” she says.

For Rujuta, inspiration and influence come from everywhere. She explains: “If there is adequate food in the stomach, there is inspiration everywhere; otherwise, there is only deprivation and deterioration. The way you look at the world depends on how well fed you are. Our Upanishads talk about being Anavaans (someone who has a lot of food), so it’s important that we all become Anavaans in real life. When you serve good food with your whole heart, people talk about you long after you’re gone and that is inspiring.”

In a world where we are told to suppress our appetites, Rujuta enlightens us about three types of appetites and encourages foodies to understand it. “We have the pleasure and joy of eating only when we are alive. Hitbhuk (eating in a diverse manner), Mitbhuk (eating in a state of balance), and Ritbhuk (eating as per season) are the three types of appetite, according to Ayurveda. We are getting low on diversity due to diet trends, so it’s important to eat everything mindfully,” says Rujuta.

Diwekar has worked with A-listers such as Bollywood actress Kareena Kapoor Khan and entrepreneur Suparna Handa. She is also an advocate of women’s health, eating right and building strength. Rujuta is not the kind of nutritionist who will say ‘no’ to sherbets, snacks, local produce, or seasonal fruits. “I want everyone to make meals that are accessible and ones that anyone can cook. I want meals to be wholesome — one drink, one snack, one rice meal, and so on. Everyone should be touched by cooking, and you should get joy in eating and even in serving good food.”

However, she calls for a return to one’s roots. “We should go back to reviving our old foods. The best achaars, laddoos, makki ki roti, sarson ka saag, seasonal produce like bathua, methi and more. Mitahara will remind you of some beneficial ingredients that have been lost. It’s important to save heritage foods and recipes.”

When it comes to sugar, she is quick to dismiss the label of ‘bad for you’. “If sugar is poison, then we should eat, enjoy it and die,” she jokes. “We make panch amrit, which has sugar as an essential ingredient. We use all kinds of sugars. Sugar is not poison. This narrative is wrong. Not eating sugar has no bearing on the diseases you will have on a personal level or at the population level. But things like colas, juices, sauces will have a bearing on health, so we must avoid those. Just ensure you use the right kind of sugar. Celebration means meetha [dessert], and if a pinni gives you good taste and joy, just have it!” she says.

What suits you?

As for the recent brouhaha about fake paneer, and avoiding milk and yoghurt at night, Rujuta is quick to smile.  She says: “Don’t give up on milk just because some viral Instagram influencer tells you not to drink it. Haldi milk is a soothing experience before going to bed. As far as paneer goes, previous generations never had so much paneer. It is only now that there is so much focus on paneer because we are actually wanting protein. Earlier, we would eat it once in a while, now it’s every single day, so contamination is bound to happen. How can so much paneer be produced? Hence, it is important to have homemade paneer in moderation. When it comes to eating yoghurt at night, eat it if it suits you. Simple. We must re-think what we are doing, do what suits us, and listen to our grandmothers and not influencers.”

The nutritionist loves her rice and doesn’t shy away from expressing her admiration for it. “There are many comfort foods that pair well with rice. So how can you not have them? Rice is good for health and it gives you the pleasure that no other food can!” she declares.

As for binge eating, she retorts: “Your ‘comfort’ foods love you just the way you love them. We all know exactly how many times we need to eat these foods. We don’t eat butter chicken every day. So, we just need to tap into that wisdom.”