Vata Balancing Foods

Vata Balancing Diet

Includes foods that are grounding, warming, nourishing, heavy, strengthening, calming and that are easy to digest.

Taste for Vata

Include

Salty
Sour
Sweet

Avoid

Astringent
Bitter
Pungent

Fruits for Vata

Ripe, sweet & juicy fruits are preferred for Vata balancing and dry, unripe & astringent fruits are to be avoided.

Include

Apple (cooked)
Applesauce
Apricots
Avocado
Bananas (ripe)
Blackberries
Cherries
Coconut
Dates (fresh)
Figs (fresh)
Figs (soaked)
Grapefruit
Grapes
Kiwi
Lemons
Limes
Mango
Melons
Oranges
Papaya
Peaches
Pears
Pineapple
Plums
Raisins (soaked)
Raspberries
Rhubarb
Strawberries
Tamarind
Tangerines

Avoid

Apples (raw)
Cranberries
Dates (dry)
Figs (dry)
Persimmon
Pomegranate
Prunes (dry)
Raisins (dry)
Watermelon

Vegetables for Vata

Prefer sweet, moist, cooked, grounding and root vegetables and avoid dry, rough and cold or raw vegetables i.e. raw salads

Include

Asparagus
Beets
Carrots
Cilantro
Fennel
Garlic (cooked)
Green beans
Leeks
Okra
Onion (cooked)
Parsnip
Peas (cooked)
Pumpkin
Radish
Squash (summer & winter)
Sweet potato
Yam
Watercress
Zucchini

May have occasionally

Well cooked & spiced:
Artichoke
Broccoli
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Chili peppers (in small amounts)
Corn (fresh)
Cucumber
Daikon Radish
Leafy greens
Lettuce
Mustard greens
Parsley
Spinach
Tomatoes (cooked)

Avoid

Bell peppers (hot & sweet)
Brussel sprouts
Cabbage (raw)
Cauliflower (raw)
Celery
Dandelion greens
Eggplant
Greens (raw)
Kale
Lettuce
Mushrooms
Onions (raw)
Potatoes
Peas (raw)
Radish (raw)
Rutabaga
Spinach (raw)
Sprouts (raw)
Tomatoes (raw)
Turnips
Wheatgrass sprouts

Grains for Vata

Sweet, well cooked, easily digested grains are best and avoid light, dry & rough or multi-grains.

Include

Basmati rice
Brown rice
Rice (all kinds)
Durham flour
Oats (cooked)
Quinoa (cooked, moist)
Wheat

May have occasionally

Amaranth
Barley
Pasta, wheat
Polenta
Rice cakes

Avoid

Caraway
Carbonated drinks
Cereal grains (cold & puffed)
Corn
Couscous
Crackers
Granola
Millet
Oat bran
Oats (dry)
Rye
Spelt
Tapioca
Wheat Bran

Beans and Legumes for Vata

Include

Well cooked & spiced:
Mung Beans (split/dehusked)
Mung Beans (whole)
Toor Dal (pigeon peas)

May have occasionally

Aduki beans
Black gram (urad dal)
Chickpeas (white, black)
Lentil (red)
Miso
Tofu (organic)

Avoid

Brown lentils
Fava beans
Kidney beans
Lima beans
Navy beans
Pinto beans
Soybeans (organic)
Split peas
Tempeh
White beans

Nuts and Seeds for Vata

Generally all nuts and seeds are good in moderation but avoid salted or roasted nuts and seeds.

Include

In moderation:
Almonds
Brazil nuts
Cashews
Coconut
Hazelnuts
Macadamia nuts
Pecans
Pine nuts
Pistachio
Pumpkin seeds
Sesame seeds
Sunflower seeds

Oils for Vata

All oils are good for vata but avoid highly processed/altered oils.

Include

Almond oil
Butter
Ghee
Olive oil
Sesame
Sunflower oil

May have occasionally

Avocado oil
Coconut oil
Mustard oil

Avoid

Canola oil
Corn oil
Flaxseed oil
Highly processed/altered oils
Margarine
Safflower oil
Soy

Dairy for Vata

All dairy products are good for vata but prefer to have hot or warm and avoid when cold.

Include

Buttermilk
Cheese
Cottage cheese
Cow milk
Ghee
Goat milk
Kefir
Sour cream
Yogurt (fresh and spiced)

May have occasionally

Cheese (hard)
Ice cream, homemade
Sour cream

Avoid

Frozen yogurt
Ice cream, store-bought
Powdered milk
Soy milk

Sweeteners for Vata

All sweeteners are alright in moderation and with the right food combinations.

Include

Barley malt
Brown sugar
Date sugar
Fructose
Fruit juice concentrates
Honey (raw and uncooked)
Jaggery
Rice syrup
Sucanut
Turbinado

May have occasionally

Maple syrup
Molasses

Avoid

Artificial sweeteners
Honey (heated/cooked)
White sugar

Spices and Herbs for Vata

Include

Ajwain (carom seeds)
Anise
Basil
Bay Leaf
Black Pepper
Cardamom
Cinnamon
Cloves
Coriander seeds
Cumin seeds
Dill
Fennel
Garlic
Ginger (fresh/dried)
Hing (Asafoetida)
Mint
Mustard Seeds
Nutmeg
Oregano
Paprika
Parsley
Peppermint
Pippali
Rosemary
Saffron
Salt
Thyme
Turmeric

May have occasionally

Cayenne
Caraway
Fenugreek
Garlic (raw)
Horseradish

Animal Products for Vata

All animal products are generally good for grounding Vata, but are deranging to the mind; therefore use in moderation.

Include

Beef
Chicken (white/dark)
Duck
Eggs
Fish (freshwater or sea)
Salmon
Sardines
Seafood
Shrimp
Tuna fish
Turkey (dark)

Avoid

Lamb
Mutton
Pork
Turkey
Venison

Beverages for Vata

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Include

Almond milk (warm)
Aloe vera juice
Apple cider
Apricot juice
Berry juice (except cranberry)
Bone broth
Carrot juice
Chai (hot spiced tea with milk) at room temp.
Cherry juice
Grape juice
Grapefruit juice
Lemonade
Mango juice
Miso broth
Orange juice
Papaya juice
Pineapple juice
Rice milk
Sweet/sour juices
Vegetable soups