Sample Menus Using the Six Tastes of Life
A VAta Breakfast
Vata enjoys a warm bowl of oatmeal (sweet) with milk (sweet and salty), sprinkled with unsalted chopped walnuts (sweet) topped off with a dash of cinnamon (sweet and pungent), along with a sliced whole orange (sour) and ½ kiwi (astringent), and a cup of coffee (pungent and bitter). The sour and astringent tastes may need to be eaten before the cooked oats in order to enjoy the sweetness of the warm food.
Build the meal with the tastes of sweet, salty and sour. Garnish with pungent, bitter and astringent.
Pitta Lunch
Lunchtime is a time to eat the largest meal of the day. The digestive fire of Pitta is greatest at the peak rise of the sun between 10AM and 2PM and all doshas benefit from eating the day's largest meal at this time. Pitta will enjoy a Grilled chicken (sweet and salty) sandwich with a slice of dill Havarti cheese (sweet and salty with dill being a cooling herb) using whole grain wheat bread (sweet) with several leaves of lettuce (bitter), many strips of bell peppers (astringent) and a few slices of red onion (pungent) and one pickle chip (sour) with a cup of split pea soup (salty and astringent). This meal is perfect consumed with a glass of room temperature water or green tea (bitter and astringent).
Build the meal with the tastes of sweet, bitter and astringent. Garnish with pungent, salty and sour.
NOTE: Most food processed commercially contains salt. Choose lower sodium food for Pitta, when available.
Kapha for Dinner
For all doshas, the Perfect Health Lifestyle program encourages the consumption of a light easy-to-digest meal in the evening. A light meal 3-4 hours before bedtime improves sleep and controls weight gain. Kapha will enjoy a small mixed spring green salad (bitter and astringent) with broccoli (astringent), two small cherry tomatoes (sweet), half-cup sliced radish (pungent) topped with a small amount of warmed dressing made with olive oil (sweet), basil (sweet and pungent) and lemon juice (sour) served with a bowl of low-sodium butternut squash soup (sweet and salty). A cup of unsweetened ginger tea (warming and pungent) will be offered for drink. Depending on the time of the year, the ginger tea may be warm or cool and not served with ice.
Build the meal with the tastes of pungent, bitter and astringent. Garnish with sweet, sour and salty.