Traditional and ayurvedic foods of Indian origin

• Food habits of ancestors from Indian vedic history are highlighted.
• Application of Ayurvedic concepts in health food preparations are reviewed.
• Classification of traditional and ayurvedic foods are provided.
• Ayurvedic foods are recommended for different health disorders.
• Indian traditional weaning foods are described with process charts.

The Ayurveda contains a wealth of knowledge on health sciences. Accordingly traditional foods and their dietary guidelines are prescribed in Ayurveda. There is so much similarity in ayurvedic dietetics and traditional foods that many of the traditional health foods in India can be called ayurvedic foods. This review article introduces the concepts of ayurvedic health foods in India and describes several traditional heath foods across various regions of India. Recommended dietary guidelines according to age and health condition of the consumer, and seasonal considerations are presented for each of the traditional health foods of India. In the era of globalization of the population and international food trading, health conscious citizens around the globe will benefit from the wealth of knowledge on traditional Indian and ayurvedic health foods of Indian origin.