Diabetes Diet for South Asians: Healthy Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan Food Choices

South Asians, including people from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka, develop type 2 diabetes about 5-10 years earlier than people of European origin, and at lower body weights. Many migrants and their children in the UK, US, Singapore and elsewhere are also affected. Food is one of the most powerful tools for prevention and control, but advice written for Western diets does not always fit rice, roti, dal and curry. This guide shows how to adapt familiar South Asian food to keep blood sugar steady.

Why South Asians need a tailored approach

• More abdominal and organ fat at the same BMI, which drives insulin resistance. See our guide to BMI for Asians.
• Meals centred on refined carbohydrate: large portions of white rice, naan, paratha, puri, bread and noodles.
• Sugary drinks and sweets: sweet chai, soft drinks, lassi with sugar, and festival sweets.
• Frying and ghee: high in saturated fat, which raises LDL cholesterol and weight.
• Lower muscle mass and less activity, especially in office-based jobs.

The good news is that traditional dishes built on pulses, vegetables, yoghurt, spices and fish are very healthy, and small changes to portions go a long way.

The plate that works

Use a simple plate model at lunch and dinner:

• Half the plate: vegetables, such as bhindi (okra), gourds, spinach, cabbage, brinjal, beans, mallum, salad or raita with cucumber.
• A quarter: protein, such as dal, chana, rajma, fish, egg, paneer in small amounts, chicken without skin, or tofu.
• A quarter: carbohydrate, such as one to two small rotis, half to one cup of rice, or a small portion of millet.

Choosing your staples

• Roti or chapati: choose whole-wheat or multigrain, made with little or no ghee. One to two medium rotis per meal is typical. Skip naan, paratha, puri and bhatura, which are made with refined flour and fat.
• Rice: keep to about half a cup to one cup cooked, and choose basmati, parboiled, red or brown rice. Read Is rice bad for diabetes?
• Biryani and pulao: these are rice-heavy and oily. Treat them as occasional meals, use a small portion, and fill the rest of the plate with raita and salad.
• Idli, dosa, upma, poha: these are mostly rice or semolina. Pair them with sambar, vegetables, chutney and egg, and avoid large portions.
• Millets: ragi (finger millet or kurakkan), jowar, bajra and foxtail millet have more fibre and a slower effect than white rice for many people.
• Noodles, bread and biscuits: limit refined versions and keep portions small.

Protein and pulses: your best friends

Dal (lentils), chana, rajma, mung, soya and chickpeas contain protein and fibre that slow sugar absorption and keep you full. Eat a serving at most meals. Fish, eggs, chicken and low-fat yoghurt also help. Cook with little oil, and avoid very creamy or butter-based gravies such as butter chicken and malai kofta.

Fats and cooking methods

• Use small amounts of mustard, rice bran, sunflower, olive or groundnut oil instead of ghee, vanaspati or coconut oil in large quantities. About 3-4 teaspoons of oil per person per day is a reasonable target.
• Bake, grill, steam, pressure-cook or dry-roast instead of deep frying.
• Avoid fried snacks such as samosa, pakora, vada, murukku and mixtures, which add refined starch and fat.
• Use nuts such as almonds, walnuts and peanuts in small handfuls.

Sweets, chai and drinks

• Chai and tea: reduce sugar gradually, from two spoons to one to none. Use unsweetened or artificial sweetener if needed.
• Soft drinks and packaged juice: replace with water, buttermilk (chaas) without sugar, nimbu pani with no sugar, or plain lassi.
• Fruit: a small portion such as guava, apple, papaya, pomegranate or berries. Mango, banana, chikoo, grapes and jackfruit are not banned but should be small.
• Festival sweets (gulab jamun, jalebi, halwa, ladoo, barfi, kheer): eat a small piece after a meal that includes vegetables and protein, not on an empty stomach.

A sample day

Breakfast: two moong dal cheela, or one multigrain roti with vegetables and an egg, with unsweetened tea.

Mid-morning: a small apple or guava and a few almonds.

Lunch: a plate of mixed vegetable sabzi and salad, one cup of dal, fish curry or egg, and one to two whole-wheat rotis or half a cup of rice, with plain curd.

Evening: roasted chana, or sprouts salad, with tea without sugar.

Dinner: vegetable and dal-based meal with one roti, or a smaller portion of rice, and a protein dish. Finish at least two to three hours before sleep.

Move more, sit less

Aim for 150 minutes of brisk exercise a week, with a 10-minute walk after meals and strength exercise twice a week. This helps South Asian bodies use insulin better, even without weight loss.

Fasting and festivals

During Ramadan, Navratri, Poya fasting or other fasts, speak to your doctor beforehand about adjusting medicines. At feasts, eat a normal meal first, choose small portions, and keep checking your sugar.

When to get tested

South Asians should be screened for diabetes from around age 30-35, or earlier with a BMI of 23 or more, a family history, high blood pressure or PCOS. See early symptoms of diabetes and our diabetic diet guide for Sri Lanka.

References

• Diabetes UK: eating well with diabetes, South Asian dietary advice
• Indian Council of Medical Research: dietary guidelines for Indians
• American Diabetes Association: Standards of Care in Diabetes, nutrition therapy
• Gujral UP et al. Type 2 diabetes in South Asians: similarities and differences with white Caucasian and other populations. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 2013