Pitta Balancing Foods

Pitta Balancing Diet

Include cooling and hydrating foods that help calm the strong agni (digestive fire). Prefer raw and cooked foods that are prepared with little oil and without hot spices.

Taste for Pitta

Include

Astringent
Bitter
Sweet

Avoid

Pungent
Salty
Sour

Fruits for Pitta

Prefer sweet and astringent fruits. Avoid any fruit which is sour in taste even if it is listed under the include list.

Include

Apples
Apricots (sweet)
Avocado
Berries (if sweet)
Cherries (if sweet)
Coconut
Dates
Figs
Grapes (red & purple)
Mango (ripe & sweet)
Orange (if sweet)
Melons
Pears
Pineapple (if sweet)
Plums
Pomegranate
Prunes
Raisins
Watermelon

May have occasionally

Kiwi
Lime
Orange
Papaya
Sour apples
Sours plums

Avoid

Any fruit which is sour in taste even if it is listed under the include list.
Banana
Berries, cherries (sour)
Cranberries
Lemons
Peaches
Persimmon
Rhubarb
Strawberries
Tamarind

Vegetables for Pitta

Prefer vegetables with sweet, astringent, or bitter flavours. Raw or cooked are both fine for Pitta.

Include

Alfalfa sprouts
Artichoke
Asparagus
Beets (cooked)
Bell peppers
Bitter melon
Bok choy
Broccoli
Brussel sprouts
Cabbage
Carrots (cooked)
Cauliflower
Celery
Chard
Cilantro
Collard greens
Cucumber
Dandelion greens
Fennel
Green beans
Kale
Leafy greens
Leeks (cooked)
Lettuce
Mushrooms
Okra
Olives (black)
Onion (cooked)
Parsley
Parsnips
Peas
Potatoes
Pumpkin
Radishes (cooked)
Squash (winter & summer)
Sweet potato
Turnips
Zucchini

May have occasionally

Carrots (raw)
Corn (fresh)
Mustard greens
Spinach (cooked)
Watercress

Avoid

Beet greens
Beets (raw)
Chilies (hot peppers)
Daikon radishes
Eggplant
Garlic
Horseradish
Kohlrabi
Leeks (raw)
Olives
Onions (raw)
Pickles
Spinach (raw)
Tomatoes
Turnip greens
Turnips

Grains for Pitta

Include

Amaranth
Barley
Basmati rice
Cereals (dry)
Couscous
Crackers
Durham flour
Granola
Oats (cooked)
Pasta (wheat)
Rice (basmati, white, wild)
Rice cakes
Sago
Seitan (wheat meat)
Spelt
Sprouted wheat bread
Tapioca
Wheat

Avoid

Bread (with yeast)
Brown rice
Buckwheat
Corn
Millet
Polenta
Quinoa
Rye

Beans and Legumes for Pitta

Due to Pitta's strong digestive ability most beans are okay for Pitta.

Include

Aduki beans
Black beans
Black-eyes peas
Brown lentil
Chickpeas
Kidney beans
Lima beans
Mung beans
Navy beans
Pinto beans
Red lentil
Soybeans
Split peas
Tempeh
Tofu
White beans

Avoid

Peanuts
Soy meats
Toor Dal (split yellow pigeon peas)
Urad dal (black gram lentil)

Nuts and Seeds for Pitta

Include

Almonds (soaked & peeled)
Coconut
Flax
Popcorn (buttered, no salt)
Sunflower seeds

May have occasionally

Pumpkin seeds

Avoid

Avoid all other nuts
Particularly roasted and salted
Almond (with skin)
Black walnuts
Brazil nuts
Cashews
Chia
Hazelnuts
Macadamia nuts
Peanuts
Pecans
Pine nuts
Pistachios
Sesame
Tahini
Walnuts

Oils for Pitta

Include

Butter (unsalted)
Coconut oil
Flaxseed oil
Ghee is the best
Olive oil
Sunflower oil

Avoid

Avoid all other oils
Almond oil
Canola
Corn
Mustard
Safflower
Sesame

Dairy for Pitta

Include

Butter (unsalted)
Cheese (soft, not aged, unsalted)
Cottage cheese
Cow milk
Cream cheese
Ghee
Goat milk

May have occasionally

Yogurt - home made (if sweet in taste, diluted).

Avoid

Aged cheese
Butter (salted)
Ice cream
Kefir
Sour cream
Yogurt (sour in taste, plain or frozen with fruit)

Sweeteners for Pitta

Include

Barley malt
Date sugar
Fructose
Fruit juice concentrates
Maple syrup
Raw cane sugar
Rice syrup
Rock candy
Turbinado

Avoid

Brown sugar
Honey
Jaggery
Molasses
White sugar

Spices and Herbs for Pitta

Include

Basil (fresh)
Cardamom
Cilantro leaves
Coriander
Cumin
Curry leaves
Dill
Fennel
Ginger (fresh)
Mint
Peppermint
Spearmint
Turmeric
Wintergreen

May have occasionally

Black pepper
Caraway
Cinnamon
Fresh ginger
Parsley
Neem leaves
Saffron
Vanilla

Avoid

Ajwain (carom seeds)
Almond extract
Anise
Asafoetida (hing)
Basil (dry)
Bay leaf
Cayenne
Cloves
Fenugreek
Garlic
Ginger (dry)
Mace
Hot spices
Marjoram
Mustard seeds
Nutmeg
Oregano
Paprika
Pickles
Pippali
Sage
Salt and vinegar
Thyme

Animal Products for Pitta

Animal products should generally be avoided for Pitta or at the least had in moderation.

Include

Chicken (white)
Egg (whites only)
Fish (fresh water)
Turkey (white)
Venison

May have occasionally

Rabbit
Shrimp

Avoid

Beef
Chicken (dark)
Duck
Egg yolk
Fish (sea)
Lamb
Pork
Seafood (salmon/tuna/sardines)
Turkey (dark)

Beverages for Pitta

In general Pitta should avoid alcohol due to its heating qualities.

Include

Almond milk
Aloe vera juice
Apple juice
Berry juice (if sweet)
Cherry juice (if sweet)
Coconut water
Cool dairy drinks
Cool filtered water
Grape juice (if sweet)
Mango juice
Milk
Mixed vegetable juice
Peace nectar
Pear juice
Pomegranate juice
Prune juice
Rice milk
Soy milk
Vegetable broth

May have occasionally

Beer (cool) on a hot day
Black tea
Wines (Bitter/ astringent like dry chardonnay)

Avoid

Alcohol (whiskey, brandy, rum and red wine)
Apple cider
Caffeinated beverages
Carbonated beverages
Carrot juice
Chocolate milk
Coffee
Cranberry juice
Grapefruit juice
Iced tea
Icy cold drinks
Papaya juice
Pineapple juice
Sour fruit juices
Tomato juice

Herbal Teas for Pitta

Include

Chamomile
Dandelion
Fennel
Ginger (fresh)
Hibiscus
Jasmine
Lavender
Lemon balm
Lemongrass
Licorice
Marshmallow
Nettle
Passion flower
Peppermint
Raspberry
Spearmint
Strawberry
Wintergreen