Main dish - side dish mentality 

Attached below is my favourite type of transformation. A plate whose veggies have been emptied out. But there is something prominent missing in the before photo. The rice, rotis and pooris. The plate started out with an appalam, sundal, dairy and a little potato as the only notable source of carbohydrates. 

The idea of a main course heavy in carbohydrates paired with vegetables and some animal protein makes/made sense for anyone who toils in fields, factories or engages in physical labour. 

For most of us, the main course needs to resemble the side dish in proportion and volume. Rice, wheat or your favourite grain is just another small element on the plate. 

This tendency to anchor to cultural habits without context leaves us with a gaping disconnect between what we think of as mindful eating and our actual plate of food. 

Takeaway 

Eat what you need. If you don’t know how much you need, figure it out. Neither celebrities, ancestors or athletes are reliable guides to what and how much goes on your plate.