by Tatiana Dias

 

Somewhere between oat milk lattes, Buddha bowls, and avocado toasts, Indian meals have started looking a lot less local. Over the years, western food trends have slowly and steadily crept into plates and influenced daily meals, replacing the hyper-seasonal, deeply regional rhythms we once knew. Thankfully, we’ve seen a quiet shift where a new appetite for the old ways is slowly developing. Across the Indian diaspora, people are reaching back into family kitchens and rediscovering lost recipes, bringing an East-meets-West flair to their diets. Digging into the quiet cost of modern eating, here’s what functional nutritionist Pavithra Rajkumar has to say about the importance of reconnecting with your food heritage.

The Western Influence

“We have better access to global produce, awareness of protein, salads, and whole grains,” explains Pavithra. “However, there is also the devastating side of this influence — fast food normalisation, sugary beverages, breakfast cereals, bakery reliance, and the ‘snackification’ of meals.” The result? Young adults are now over-caffeinated, under-slept, and under-muscled.

For young urban Indians, especially, a traditional meal of dal, sabzi, and millet roti has now been replaced by pizza, instant noodles, and sugary cafe drinks, directly leading to an explosion of gut-related issues such as IBS, acid reflux, and food intolerances and sensitivies — all precursors to the metabolic and autoimmune diseases we’re now seeing in people in their 20s and 30s.

The Role Of Seasonal Eating

“We have traded the wisdom of our grandmothers for the convenience of a globalised supermarket,” claims Pavithra. “The cornerstone of traditional Indian food culture was its deep connection with season (ritu) and region (desha).”  

This philosophy once kept us in sync with nature — eating foods at their peak, when they offered the most nourishment, and matched our bodies' seasonal needs. But now, we crave strawberries in winter and cauliflower in summer, disregarding the natural rhythms our bodies and gut microbiomes are wired to follow. The result? Micronutrient gaps, poor satiety, gut issues, and a metabolic drift. By sidelining seasonal eating, we’re not just missing out on flavour, we’re losing microbial diversity and the powerful nutritional synergy that comes with eating in sync with nature.

 

“We are ignoring the circadian/cycling cues where summer is fruit for hydration and winter is for warming spices and tubers. Skipping seasons means fewer phytochemicals, more bland and calorie-dense meals.”

 

Nutritional Value: Seasonal foods are naturally aligned with what our bodies need, when we need it. For example, summer produce is rich in water and beta-carotenes to keep us hydrated and protected from the sun, while winter foods tend to be heartier — higher in fats and calories to help us stay warm and fueled.

Microbiome Impact: Our gut microbiome is designed to evolve with the seasons, adapting to the changing plant fibres in our diet. But when we eat the same five foods all year, we starve entire groups of beneficial bacteria. The result? A less diverse, less resilient gut — one of the earliest red flags for chronic disease.

The Effects Of GMO Foods

“My primary concern isn’t just the genetic modification itself, but the agricultural practices that accompany it,” says Pavithra. “Many GMP crops are ‘roundup ready’, which means they are engineered to withstand the herbicide glyphosate, residues of which are found on our food.” According to the expert, emerging research suggests that glyphosate disrupts our gut microbiome, killing beneficial bacteria and promoting the growth of pathogenic strains. “This disruption, in my view, is a significant potential driver of modern gut-related health issues and food intolerances.”

That said, proponents argue for benefits such as increased crop yields and the potential for nutrient fortification and food security, which could help address malnutrition in certain populations. “From my clinical experience, however, reducing exposure to foods heavily treated with herbicides by choosing organic whenever possible can be a key step in healing the gut.”

Reconnecting With Food Heritage…

…while still embracing global food trends purely means to integrate rather than replace. “I encourage people to use the principles of our Indian food heritage as their foundation,” she says.

1. Use a traditional base

Start with a base of seasonal, local vegetables and traditional grains like millets or native rice.

2. Apply traditional wisdom

Use our incredible array of medicinal spices: turmeric, cumin, coriander, and fenugreek, which are profoundly beneficial for gut health.

3. Introduce seasonal foods

Chalk out a meal plan that changes according to the season – this ensures that you’re eating according to nature’s cycle.

4. Incorporate global foods mindfully

Add global flavours to a traditional base. “Make a millet bowl topped with avocado. Stir-fry seasonal Indian greens with tamari and sesame oil. Make a sabzi with broccoli and local spices.” It’s about using food heritage as the anchor for a healthy, modern plate.

5. Balance your plate

Ensure that you are consciously balancing your plate with more fibre and protein, and not indulging in carb-heavy Indian meals, always.