What It Is, Food Lists, and Menu

The Sattvic diet is rich in nutrient-dense foods and low in processed foods. For these reasons, it may offer many health benefits.

Promotes whole, nutrient-dense foods

The Sattvic diet is based on consuming whole, nutritious foods, including vegetables, fruits, beans, and nuts.

Consuming these whole, nutrient-dense foods can help promote overall health by providing your body with protein, healthy fats, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that are essential for maintaining proper bodily function (5).

The Sattvic diet encourages eating healthy, whole foods and discourages the consumption of fried and processed foods. Diets high in processed foods are known to harm overall health and significantly increase the risk of numerous diseases (6).

May reduce chronic disease risk

Although no research has been conducted on the Sattvic diet specifically, it’s well known that diets promoting whole, nutrient-dense foods generally reduce the overall risk of developing chronic conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers.

In particular, vegetarian dietary patterns have been shown to offer an impressive protective effect against chronic disease development.

For example, vegetarian diets are associated with significantly lower levels of heart disease risk factors like high blood pressure and high LDL (bad) cholesterol. Additionally, vegetarian dietary patterns may protect against diabetes and colorectal cancer (7, 8, 9).

What’s more, eating the foods that comprise the majority of the Sattvic diet, including beans, vegetables, fruits, and nuts, may decrease your risk of chronic disease and early death by all causes (10, 11, 12).

May promote weight loss

The Sattvic diet is rich in fiber and plant foods, which may help promote weight loss.

Studies have shown that people who follow vegetarian dietary patterns typically have lower body mass indexes and less body fat, compared with nonvegetarians (7, 13, 14).

Many studies have also shown that vegetarian diets promote weight loss in overweight individuals (15, 16).

This may be due to several factors, including the high fiber content and reduced calorie density of vegetarian diets.

summary

The Sattvic diet is a vegetarian diet that’s high in nutritious, whole foods. Eating a diet rich in whole plant foods may reduce your disease risk and promote a healthy body weight.

Although the Sattvic diet offers many benefits, there are some drawbacks to consider.

While the Sattvic diet is rich in nutrient-dense foods, it cuts out many healthy foods.

For example, followers of the Sattvic diet are encouraged to forgo meat, poultry, fish, and eggs — all of which are excellent sources of protein, healthy fats, and various micronutrients.

Additionally, the Sattvic diet excludes foods that are considered rajasic or tamasic.

While some foods in these categories, such as high fat fried foods and added sugars, are unhealthy, many of them are not.

Radishes, chili peppers, onions, and mushrooms are just some examples of exceptionally healthy foods that are off-limits on the Sattvic diet simply because they fall into the rajasic or tamasic categories (4, 17, 18, 19, 20).

Coffee, caffeinated tea, and alcohol are also off-limits on the Sattvic diet, which may make this eating pattern difficult to follow for those who enjoy these beverages.

Although the Sattvic diet principles are based on Ayurvedic beliefs, they’re not necessarily based on scientific research. Therefore, some of the restrictions are likely unnecessary.

summary

The Sattvic diet restricts many healthy foods, and its principles aren’t based on scientific research. The restrictive nature of this diet may make it hard to stick to in the long term.

When following the Sattvic diet, you must eat only approved foods and avoid foods in the rajasic and tamasic categories.

Keep in mind that recommendations regarding what foods are considered Sattvic vary depending on the source, and many sources contradict one another in terms of what foods are allowed.

The following foods can be eaten liberally on the Sattvic diet (4):

• Land and sea vegetables: spinach, carrots, celery, potatoes, broccoli, kelp, lettuce, peas, cauliflower, etc.
• Fruits and fruit juices: apples, bananas, papaya, mangos, cherries, melons, peaches, guava, fresh fruit juices, etc.
• Sprouted grains: barley, amaranth, bulgur, barley, millet, quinoa, wild rice, etc.
• Nuts, seeds, and coconut products: walnuts, pecans, Brazil nuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, unsweetened coconut, flax seeds, etc.
• Fats and oils: olive oil, sesame oil, red palm oil, flax oil, ghee, etc.
• Dairy and nondairy products: high quality milk, yogurt, and cheese, such as pasture-raised products, almond milk, coconut milk, cashew milk, nut and seed-based cheeses
• Legumes and bean products: lentils, mung beans, chickpeas, bean sprouts, tofu, etc.
• Beverages: water, fruit juice, noncaffeinated herbal tea
• Sattvic spices and herbs: coriander, basil, nutmeg, cumin, fenugreek, turmeric, ginger, etc.
• Sweeteners: honey and jaggery

The above foods should make up the majority of your intake when following the Sattvic diet. Keep in mind that there are stricter and looser variations of the diet.

summary

Only sattvic foods, such as land and sea vegetables, fruits and fruit juices, legumes, and sprouted grains, may be consumed when following a Sattvic diet.

The Sattvic diet discourages the consumption of foods that are considered rajasic or tamasic.

For this reason, most animal products, highly processed foods, refined sugar, and fried foods are restricted.

The following foods and ingredients should be avoided on the Sattvic diet (4):

• Added sugar and sweets: white sugar, high fructose corn syrup, candy, soda, etc.
• Fried foods: french fries, fried vegetables, fried pastries, etc.
• Processed foods: chips, sugary breakfast cereals, fast food, frozen dinners, microwave meals, etc.
• Refined grain products: white bread, bagels, cakes, cookies, etc.
• Meat, fish, eggs, and poultry: chicken, beef, turkey, duck, lamb, fish, shellfish, whole eggs, egg white, animal-based products like collagen, etc.
• Certain vegetables and fruits: onion, durian, scallions, pickles, and garlic
• Certain beverages: alcohol, sugary drinks, and caffeinated beverages like coffee

Generally, foods that are overly sour, salty, or spicy should be avoided. Additionally, stale foods, such as foods left out overnight, are considered tamasic and should be avoided.

summary

Added sugars, processed foods, meat, eggs, poultry, fried foods, caffeinated beverages, and alcohol are just some of the items that are off-limits when following the Sattvic diet.

A healthy Sattvic diet should include plenty of produce, beans, and whole grains. According to most sources, high quality dairy can be consumed in moderation.

Here is a 3-day Sattvic diet-approved menu.

Day 1

• Breakfast: sprouted quinoa porridge with almond milk, berries, flax seeds, and unsweetened coconut
• Lunch: chickpea and vegetable bowl with tahini dressing
• Dinner: mung bean, tofu, and wild rice stew

Day 2

• Breakfast: grass-fed yogurt with berries, walnuts, and cinnamon
• Lunch: salad with fresh vegetables, tofu, lentils, and paneer cheese
• Dinner: chickpea and vegetable coconut curry

Day 3

• Breakfast: oatmeal with stewed peaches and cashew butter
• Lunch: quinoa salad with sweet potatoes, bean sprouts, and kale
• Dinner: mango rice with chickpeas and coconut milk

summary

The Sattvic diet consists of mainly plant-based meals that include whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and beans.

The Sattvic diet is a vegetarian diet that’s based on Ayurvedic principles and popular among yoga enthusiasts.

Those who follow a Sattvic dietary pattern should avoid foods considered rajasic or tamasic like meat, eggs, refined sugar, spicy foods, and fried foods.

Although the Sattvic diet includes many healthy foods and may offer some health benefits, it’s highly restrictive and not based on science. For these reasons, it may be best to follow a less restrictive, plant-centric diet instead.