Mumbai dietician shares healthy swaps for common Indian carbs: ‘White rice can be swapped with…’

Indian meals are built around carbs, with major staples like rice or roti taking up large portions. But adding so many carbs makes your plate far from the balanced meal it ideally should be. Excessive carb consumption is responsible for blood sugar spikes, which, over time, increase the risk of diabetes. India is often called the diabetes capital of the world due to the rising number of diabetes cases. To alleviate the risks, dietary changes are essential, beginning with finding better alternatives for the basic carbs.

Rice is a staple in the Indian plate but it spikes blood sugar quickly. Find out what are the healthier alternatives. (Picture credit: Freepik)

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Suvarna Sawant, chief dietician and HoD of clinical nutrition and dietetics at Nanavati Max Super Speciality Hospital in Mumbai, told HT Lifestyle that it is high time Indians shift from refined carbs and sugars to fibre-rich, complex carbs for steadier sugar levels.

Your meals don’t need a complete overhaul, as the dietitian assured certain parts can stay the same. “Your meals can remain familiar but try to deviate from refined, higher-GI carbs toward fibre-rich whole grains and pulses,” he said. The only swaps involve replacing foods with a high glycemic index with those that have a low glycemic index. For the uninformed, glycemic index is a scale which evaluates how quickly a food raises blood sugar after eating it. The scale is from 0 to 100.

Here are the major carbs the dietician identified and what you should swap them with:

1. White rice, idli, dosa

Brown rice is a healthier alternative instead of white rice. (Picture credit: Freepik)

First up, Dietician Suvarna suggested removing white rice. “It can be swapped with brown rice or indigenous millets like jowar or bajra,” he recommended the healthier options. Millets like these are low on glycemic index, in contrast to white rice. “Whole grains and millets digest slowly and have fibre contents that manage sugar spikes,” Suvarna noted.

How you have rice is also important. As per the dietician, it is better to mix rice with dal or vegetables for added fibre content.

Consider reducing the quantity of starchy carb from idli's batter. (Picture credit: Shutterstock) — Consider reducing the quantity of starchy carb from idli’s batter. (Picture credit: Shutterstock)

The batter of traditional Indian breakfasts like idlis and dosas is prepared with rice. To make them healthier, Suvarna urged, “Increase the dal in the batter or try to make ragi or jowar dosas.”

2. White breads, naan, bhatura

Swap wheat flour for ragi flour to make rotis and parathas(Picture credit: Adobe stock)

Second, for all the breads, from the naan to the iconic bhatura, the dietician urged people to embrace healthier options. Revealing the reasons why they may be unhealthy, Suvarna cautioned, “Refined flours have higher GI carbs and little fibre.” Typically, all naans and bhaturas are made from refined flours.

What to have instead? Survarna advised going for wheat rotis or multigrain chapatis as they release energy slowly and give better fullness.

3. Snacks and sweets

A lot of carbs crowd snack time as well, for Indians. The dietitian called out sugary drinks and sweets. “Fruits, chaas or lassi without added sugars, nuts or makhanas,” he reminded the better alternatives for cravings.

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.