Indian diet plan to reduce belly fat in 2023

Are you looking for the best Indian diet plan to lose weight? This article has everything you need to embark on your journey to weight loss while eating an Indian diet.

‍The main goal is to focus on eating a balanced diet.

‍While the term ‘balanced diet’ is used a lot, what we mean by a balanced diet is a balance of the 3 major food groups -carbohydrates, vegetables and protein.

‍This can feel like a big challenge with an Indian diet. The reason is that a typical Indian meal these days is high in carbohydrates – rice, roti and potatoes – but the amount of vegetables and protein is very low.

In addition, breakfast and snacks add even more carbohydrates and sugar into the diet – like oats, corn flakes, bread, biscuits, samosa etc. If you add the regular sugary & oily treats during social occasions and festivals to this, then it becomes clear that eating habits for most people nowadays is mainly carbohydrates and sugar.

Source: mint

All of this is made worse by the lack of exercise and poor sleep. This is the reason that the number of overweight & obese people in India is very high. Here are 3 facts about how this is effecting the health of Indians.

• Fact 1: India now ranks in the top 5 countries in terms of obese adults – 30 million obese adults. That is about the same as the population of Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru combined.
• Fact 2: India has the second highest number of obese children – 14.4 million obese children. That’s about the same as the population of Chennai, Pune and Hyderabad combined.
• Fact 3: India is now widely recognized as the ‘Diabetes capital of the world’. Diabetes is reaching potentially epidemic proportions in India.  It is predicted that by 2030 Diabetes may afflict up to 80 million individuals in India. That’s about double the numbers expected in China (42m) and the United States (30m).

The equivalent of the population of Mumbai + Delhi + Bengaluru + Pune + Chennai + Hyderabad are obese.

The situation can certainly be reversed with a structured plan, effort & patience. The answer does not lie in rejecting Indian food and starting to eat western foods like quinoa or similar. The truth is exactly the opposite – it’s about going back to the Indian diet you already know and making it balanced. This will help you to lose weight and improve your health, all by making a few changes and using foods you already have in your kitchen.

How to get a flat tummy

‍The main question facing almost every weight-watcher is the circumference of their waist. Even though you can shed off kilos from different regions on your body, losing stubborn belly fat can seem like an impossible task. But this does not need to be the case. We’ve helped thousands of people lose stubborn belly fat in the Daily9 coaching programme and we can show you how to start your journey too.

‍Here are 5 important things you need to know:

Tip 1: You need to balance 3 food groups – vegetables, protein and carbohydrates

‍While the precise balance will vary per person, as a simple guideline you can aim for an equal balance of these groups on your plate. We have provided more information on each group below.

Vegetables‍

Vegetables also include a lot of water and eating enough vegetables helps you feel full and satisfied after a meal.

Please note that vegetables like potato and raw banana are high in starch so should be treated as a source of carbohydrates and not as a vegetable.

Protein

There is a misconception that protein is only required for building muscle or if you are working out. This is a myth. Protein is made up of amino acids and they are a basic requirement of the human body for many things, including for good digestion and immunity.  In addition, consuming protein-rich foods also helps with reducing snack cravings as high-protein foods are very filling.

While these foods do have some protein, they have 3-4 times the amount of carbs. For example, 1 cup of boiled channa has 9 grams of protein but close to 30 grams of carbs. So while it does have some protein, this is not enough to call it a high-protein food. Better choices for protein are paneer, soybean, tofu, greek yogurt, eggs, seafood and meat. They provide much higher protein per portion.

Another big misconception is that foods like dal, channa and rajma are very high in protein. This is incorrect.

Carbohydrates

‍‍The Indian diet tends to be high on carbs, which is mainly grains like rice & wheat. Foods like rice, roti, oats, poha, idli, dosa, biscuits are all made from grains and therefore major sources of carbs. It is important to control how much carbs you eat in a day. The idea is not to eat very low or no carbs.

That is too much, harmful to health in the long run and can lead to issues like fatty liver, diabetes and thyroid. The goal is to lower the amount of carbs while also increasing protein and vegetables. This helps make the diet balanced and ideal for weight loss.

That is too much, harmful to health in the long run and can lead to issues like fatty liver, diabetes and thyroid. The goal is to lower the amount of carbs while also increasing protein and vegetables. This helps make the diet balanced and ideal for weight loss.

The reality is that for many, these carb foods are 60%-70% of their daily diet.

Tip 2: Sleep is important for weight loss

This may come as a surprise to you but sleep plays a huge role in weight loss.

Also, poor sleep increases cravings for food and sugar and you will find that you always eat poorly late at night. Avoid all of these problems by having good sleep hygiene. It will improve your health, your mood as well as your weight loss results. Prioritize your sleep and aim for around 7hrs on a regular basis.

If you do not get enough sleep, you may get stuck with your weight loss even with a good diet & exercise.

Tip 3: Walking is a powerful tool for weight loss

‍Walking at a brisk pace is proven to be effective for weight loss. While all exercise is good in real life you may find that you are not always able to get regular exercise. Use walking as the plan B at these times. It does not always have to be 45 or 60mins, even a 15min walk 2 or 3 times a day makes a difference. See some ideas in this article that will help you get more out of your walks.

Tip 4: Don’t overeat due to exercise

‍It can be tempting to think that you need to eat extra before & after your workout. This often leads to eating too much.

Aim to eat a balanced meal within 2 hours after your workout.

For light and intermediate level exercise of up to 1 hour, your usual diet should be enough.

Tip 5: If you fall off the plan, get right back‍‍

There will be days when you give in to temptation and binge or a social occasion where you overeat. Do not dwell on it, you are human. The key is to get right back on track the next day. One bad day is never a problem, the problem is when it becomes a habit. Prevent that by getting back on plan the next day.

Top 10 Indian Foods to burn belly fat

‍We have noted below 10 Indian foods that will help you with your weight loss diet plan. Please note that these foods do not by themselves ‘burn’ fat. You should use these foods to achieve a balanced diet, which will then help you with weight loss.‍

1. Green leafy vegetables

We are lucky to have so many types of spinach (palak or keerai) in India. They are available year-round and can be used in many ways. While it takes a little effort to prepare them, the health benefits are worth it.

2. Tomato, carrot, capsicum & cucumber

These vegetables do not get the credit they deserve. They are available all the time and can be eaten raw. Having these in your fridge at all times will keep you well prepared to make a quick side salad using these vegetables. Add lemon, salt & pepper per your taste preference.‍

Sliced veggies on a plate

3. Soups

Local Indian vegetables like lauki, pumpkin, greens and cauliflower are excellent choices for soups. You can add a little protein like paneer and have these as a meal. It’s very filling and will fit in perfectly with your weight loss diet plan.

4. Local fruits

We are blessed to have a huge variety of fruits in India throughout the year. Mango, jackfruit, watermelon, sitafal and chikoo are some examples. In addition, we get many varieties of banana, orange, papaya etc throughout the year.Use these fruits as your main snack.

‍Eat the fruit, not the juice.

Chewing food helps your brain realize you are full. Drinking juice does not have the same effect.

5. Curd or yogurt

Plain curd, hung curd and buttermilk are all great options in meals or as a snack. Hung curd in particular (also called greek yogurt) is a high-protein food.
‍

Buttermilk

6. Spices

Indian herbs and spices are helpful not just in Indian dishes but also when making salads and soups. You can use spice mixes as seasonings for salads, sprouts and soups to make them tasty and something you will want to have often.

7. Coffee

India is among the top coffee producing countries in the world. Coffee has health-promoting benefits and is a useful tool in your weight loss diet plan. Having coffee (with little or no sugar) will help you stay hydrated and also can help manage snack cravings.

8. Tea

Similar to coffee, we are spoilt for choice in India with excellent options for tea or chai. Whether it’s a black assam tea or a spicy masala chai, we have it all. Use tea (with little or no sugar) to not just enjoy it but also as a way to support your weight loss diet plan.

9. Indian snacks

Instead of oily or sugary options, pick light snacks like puffed rice and makhana.

‍So they will help you snack in a light way and help you with your weight loss diet plan.

10. Healthy fats

Use Indian fats like ghee, coconut oil, sesame oil in your cooking in small amounts. They’re good for health and add flavor to your food. Adding a little fat is important to make the meal satisfying.

Indian vegetarian diet plan to reduce belly fat

It can be tempting to focus on the ideal breakfast for weight loss, lunch for weight loss or best dinner for weight loss.

Below is an easy to follow weight loss diet chart with an Indian diet that can be followed for a week (7 days). The portions are based on someone in the weight range of 65-75 kgs and should be used as a guide.

Please note the following points:‍

• Some foods are noted in cups. A cup = 240ml. This is a standard unit of measure and you can buy it from Amazon, see these options. The cup in red below is 1 cup.

• Some foods (like paneer) are noted in fist-sized quantities. A fist = your fist. Keep the food next to your first to estimate the quantity.‍
• You can modify this diet plan to swap one vegetable for another or to have one grain for another (rice instead of roti for example).

While we have provided a weight loss diet plan below, please use this as a guide only. There is no single ideal diet chart as a one-size-fits-all answer approach will not work when it comes to a weight loss diet plan. One’s nutritional requirements will vary based on a number of factors, including gender, height, weight, meal preferences, whether any medical conditions etc.

‍We have prepared a diet plan ideal for weight loss focusing on mainly Indian foods. This diet plan is a sample, and we would recommend that you work with a Daily9 coach to customize it for your needs.‍

VEGETARIAN DIET PLAN

Day 1

Breakfast:

• 1 cup mix veg poha with ½ cup poha and ½ cup tomato, onion, capsicum
• 1 orange
• 1 cup tea/coffee

Lunch:

• ½ cup rice
• ¾ cup dal (½ cup lentils)
• ½ cup palak paneer sabzi with 1 fist paneer and ½ cup veg
• ½ cup yoghurt

Snack:

• Fruit shake with ½ cup Greek yoghurt (1 cup mango or chikoo with hung curd)
• 1 banana

Dinner:

• 1 cup mixed veg sabzi or stir fry
• ¾ cup dal (½ cup lentils)
• ½ cup jeera rice
• ½ cup green salad

Day 2

Breakfast:

• 1 cup tea/coffee
• 1 small palak paratha and 1 tbsp aachar with 1 cup hung curd

Lunch:

• ½ cup rasam rice
• ½ cup cabbage stir-fry or poriyal with coconut sprinkled
• 1 cup snakegourd and lentil stew (with ½ cup pumpkin, ½ cup dal)

Snack:

• ½ fist Tava paneer
• 1 cup watermelon
• 1 black tea/coffee

Dinner:

• ½ cup cauliflower sabzi
• ½ cup pudina (mint) pulao
• ¼ cup green salad (cucumber, tomato)
• 1 cup beetroot raita (with ½ cup veg+ ½ cup hung yoghurt)

Day 3

Breakfast:

• 2 Besan ka chilla with ½ cup mix veg (spinach, grated cabbage, grated carrot)
• 1 cup tea/coffee

Lunch:

• ½ cup Veg pulao
• 1 cup Green salad (cucumber, tomato, onion, carrot)
• 1 fist Paneer tikka with ½ cup sliced capsicum

Snack:

• 1 Banana
• 1 black tea/coffee

Dinner:

• ½ cup onion/ginger/tomato chutney
• ½ cup spiced soy bean
• 2 small dosas
• 1 cup yoghurt

Day 4

Breakfast:

• 1 cup tea/coffee
• 1 fist paneer bhurji with ½ cup tomato, onion, mushroom
• 1 slice whole wheat toast

Lunch:

• ½ cup rice
• ½ cup pumpkin sambar (¼ cup veg+¼ cup dal)
• ½ cup green beans sabzi
• ½ cup yoghurt

Snack:

• 1 cup muskmelon
• 1 cup Greek yoghurt (hung yogurt)

Dinner:

• 1 cup lauki sabzi
• ¼ cup pindi channa
• 1 radish paratha
• ¼ cup cucumber

‍Day 5

Breakfast:

• 1 cup tea/coffee
• ½ cup khichdi
• 1 cup papaya with ½ cup hung yoghurt

Lunch:

• ½ cup Jeera pulao
• ¾ cup rajma in tomato/onion gravy (½ cup rajma+¼ cup gravy)
• ½ cup Ivy gourd (kundru) sabzi

Snacks:

• Spinach and paneer tikki (with ½ cup spinach + ½ fist paneer+¼ cup potato)
• 1 green tea

Dinner:

• ½ cup bhindi sabzi
• 1 roti
• Mixed veg raita with ¼ cup veg, ½ cup hung yoghurt

Day 6

Breakfast:

• 1 cup tea/coffee
• 2 besan ka cheela with ½ cup tomato onion chutney

Lunch:

• ½ cup rice
• ½ cup brinjal sabzi
• ½ cup mutter paneer (with ½ fist paneer)
• ½ cup salad (cucumber, cherry tomato)

Snacks:

• 1 cup Greek yoghurt (hung yoghurt)
• 1 cup papaya

Dinner: Eating out

• ½ cup rajma masala
• 1 cup Veg jalfrezi
• 2 rotis

Day 7

Breakfast:

• 1 cup tea/coffee
• ½ cup cooked soy bean mixed with ½ cup cucumber, onion, tomato, lime juice
• 1 cup mango

Lunch:

• 1½ cup pulao (½ cup veg/½ cup rice)
• 1½ cup black dal  (1 cup lentils)

Snacks:

• 1 glass coconut water
• ½ cup carrot and capsicum sticks

Dinner: Eating out

• 1 fist Paneer tikka with ½ cup capsicum, onion, tomato)
• ½ cup Gobi masala
• ½ cup raita
• 1 pudina paratha

NON-VEGETARIAN DIET PLAN

Day 1

Breakfast:

• 2 egg omelette with ½ cup tomato, onion, capsicum
• 1 orange
• 1 cup tea/coffee

Lunch:

• ½ cup egg rice with 1 egg
• ½ cup dal
• ½ cup cauliflower
• ½ cup yoghurt

Snacks:

• 1 cup coconut water
• 1 chikoo

Dinner:

• 1 cup mixed veg jalfrezi
• 1 fist chicken breast
• ½ cup jeera rice
• ½ cup green salad

‍Day 2

Breakfast:

• ‍‍1 cup tea/coffee
• 1 slice toast
• 2 egg omelette
• 1 orange

Lunch:

• ½ cup Rice
• 1 cup brinjal sabzi
• ½ cup snakegourd and lentil stew (with ¼ cup veg+¼ dal)
• 1 cup hung yoghurt

Snacks:

• 1 fist paneer tikka
• 1 apple
• 1 black tea/coffee

Dinner:

• Veg+soy bean curry (½ cup each)
• 1 small gobi paratha
• Mix veg raita (with ½ cup veg)

Day 3

Breakfast:

• 1 adai/ lentil dosa
• 1 cup aviyal (vegetable and coconut stew)
• 1 cup tea/coffee

Lunch:

• 1 fist chicken in Chicken curry
• ½ cup rice
• 1 cup Green salad

Snacks:

• 1 Banana
• 1 cup Greek yoghurt
• 1 black tea/coffee

Dinner:

• 2 scrambled eggs
• ½ cup onion-tomato chutney
• 1 dosa
• 1 black tea/coffee

‍Day 4‍

Breakfast:

• 1 cup tea/coffee
• 1 fist paneer bhurji with ¼ cup tomato, onion, mushroom

Lunch:

• ½ cup rice
• ½ cup carrot/beans sambar (¼ cup veg+¼ cup dal)
• 1 cup bhindi

Snacks:

• 2 boiled eggs
• 1 glass Coconut water

Dinner:

• 1 cup veg stew
• ¾ cup rice
• 1 fist fish curry

‍Day 5

Breakfast:

• 1 cup tea/coffee
• Fruit with Greek yoghurt (200 gms Greek yoghurt +1 grated apple)

Lunch:

• ½ cup Jeera pulao
• 2 boiled eggs
• ½ cup rajma in tomato/onion gravy (¼ cup rajma)
• ½ cup Ivy gourd (kundru) sabzi

Snacks:

• Broccoli and paneer tikki (with ½ cup broccoli + ½ fist paneer+¼ cup oats)
• 1 green tea

Dinner:

• Palak chicken curry (1 cup palak, ½ fist chicken)
• 1 roti
• Mixed veg raita with ½ cup veg

Day 6

Breakfast:

• ‍‍1 cup tea/coffee
• 1 besan ka cheela with ¼ cup tomato-onion chutney

Lunch:

• Stuffed bell pepper (½ cup rice, ½ cup veg, 1 fist paneer)
• 1 cup green salad (cucumber, tomatoes)

Snacks:

• 1 cup papaya
• 1 cup hung yoghurt

Dinner: Eating out

• 1 cup fish curry with 1 fist fish
• 1 appam

Day 7

Breakfast:‍

• 1 cup tea/coffee
• 3 egg omelette with ½ cup mushroom and spinach
• ½ cup melon

Lunch:

• 1½ cup pulao (½ cup veg/ ½ fist paneer/1 cup rice)
• ½ cup green salad
• ½ cup yoghurt

Snacks:

• 1 glass coconut water

Dinner: Eating out

• 1 cup beef curry
• ½ cup bhindi sabzi
• 2 rotis
• ½ cup Green salad

‍Try out the tips in the article and the diet plan noted to get started on your weight loss journey.

‍Daily9 weight loss program

‍We’ve worked with thousands of Indian men and women and understand the unique challenges they face when trying to lose weight or find a weight loss diet plan. You can see some of our success stories here. The Daily9 system is proven to work as an effective weight loss diet plan. The expert coaches at Daily9 have developed practical ideas and strategies that work in real life and improve the weight loss that you can achieve with Daily9. This helps with weight loss and also many health conditions that Indian men and women face like digestive issues, diabetes, PCOS, thyroid, fatty liver and joint problems from excess weight.

‍While there are many calorie counters out there, we believe that a focus on quality & nutrition (and not just calories) is critical for any weight loss diet plan. Instead of tracking calories, we believe in tracking healthy habits at Daily9.

‍Most importantly, the Daily9 approach to weight loss is practical and suits an Indian family environment. This will set you up for success with weight loss and also weight maintenance in the long run.

About the Author

Coach Shivani

Shivani is a Precision Nutrition-Certified Nutrition Coach with experience of coaching thousands of women. As a mom of two, Shivani knows what it takes for women to achieve weight loss & a healthy lifestyle through diet, exercise & sleep habits. She dislikes one-size-fits-all type advice.