Rujuta Diwekar is a space, with Bollywood celebrities like Kareena and Karisma Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Katrina Kaif and Varun Dhawan trusting her for their weight loss goals. In a recent conversation with actor Ahsaas Channa on Tweak India‘s YouTube channel, she shared her take on ‘healthy foods’ available in the market, and why they are not always the best for our body.
“How do you figure that all the advice that you hear on social media or from friends is good for you? So there are two important tests – one of which is the language test. The food that is “good for you” should have a name in your local language or the regional language. We are living in a time of climate crisis, and we need to understand that our food is ecologically sensitive. Basically, we need to eat within our ecological means. So if a food has a name only in English, it is not good for you,” said the expert.
Meenu Balaji, Chief Nutritionist at Pragmatic Nutrition said that when we choose local foods, we reduce our carbon footprint, support local farmers, and nourish ourselves with foods that are often better suited to our genes.
“Our gut microbiota—the trillions of microbes that live in our digestive tract—are also shaped by geography and diet. Over time, these microbes evolve based on the food we eat. That’s why gut microbiomes vary between populations in different countries,” she said.
According to her, local eating also helps us follow seasonal patterns. For instance, we naturally reach for cooling drinks like aam panna, coconut water, or buttermilk in summer, while in winter, we gravitate toward warm, energy-dense foods like soups and millets that help regulate body temperature and provide comfort.
“However, we’re gradually losing touch with traditional fruits, vegetables, and recipes our grandparents once made. This doesn’t just affect our health—it also impacts biodiversity and ecological balance,” she added.
“Some people suggest that a food is truly local only if it has a native name. But this isn’t always accurate. Many common vegetables like cabbage and cauliflower have local names today, but they were introduced to India by Europeans between the 14th and 18th centuries,” said Balaji.
Due to globalisation, exotic foods are more accessible than ever. And while it’s interesting to note that dishes like biryani may have originated in Arab or Persian cultures, they’ve been beautifully adapted into Indian culinary traditions, she added.
So what’s the best approach? Balaji suggested using traditional foods as the base and adding global ingredients like quinoa or avocado when it makes sense—for variety and added nutrition.
