These following recommendations are also useful for those with a combination of doshas , including vata-kapha and pitta-kapha constitutions.
Ayurvedic Diet in PDF: All What You Need to Know
It provides a clear overview of how to align your eating habits with your body’s natural balance, detailing how to nourish yourself according to your dosha, and applying Ayurvedic principles to improve digestion, boost energy, and enhance overall well-being.
Legumes
Legumes are generally astringent, which is one of the tastes that balances kapha. Kapha can enjoy a wide variety of legumes, but they should generally be well-cooked and well-spiced to make them more digestible.
Dairy
Dairy products are best minimized when trying to reduce kapha because they tend to be heavy.
Nuts & Seeds
Nuts and seeds tend to be heavy, dense, and oily and are generally not terrifically balancing for kapha.
Sweeteners
As the sweet taste is not particularly supportive to kapha, most sweeteners are better avoided.
Please note the general food combining rules.
Sources:
Balvinder Sidhu: Das Ayurveda Glücksbuch: In 6 Stufen zum Herzensziel
Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Zentrum: Gesund und entspannt mit Ayurveda
NOT VISIBLE
| Favor | Avoid |
| Artichoke Asparagus Beet Greens Beets Bell Peppers Bitter Melon Broccoli Brussels Sprouts Burdock Root Cabbage Carrots Cauliflower Celery ️Chilies Cilantro Collard Greens Corn Daikon Radish Dandelion Greens Eggplant Garlic Green Beans Horseradish Jerusalem Artichokes Kale Kohlrabi Leafy Greens Leeks Lettuce Mustard Greens Okra Onions Peas ️Peppers, Sweet & Hot Potatoes, White Radishes Rutabaga Spaghetti Squash Spinach Sprouts Squash, Winter Tomatoes (cooked) Turnips Watercress Wheat Grass | Avocado Cucumber Olives Parsnips Pumpkin Squash, Summer Sweet Potatoes Tomatoes (raw) Zucchini |
Legumes
Legumes are generally astringent, which is one of the tastes that balances kapha. Kapha can enjoy a wide variety of legumes, but they should generally be well-cooked and well-spiced to make them more digestible.
Favor
Avoid
| Favor | Avoid |
| Adzuki Beans Black Beans Black-Eyed Peas Garbanzo Beans (Chickpeas) Lentils or Dal Lima Beans Mung Beans Mung Dal Navy Beans Pinto Beans Split Peas Soy Milk Soy Meats Tempeh Tofu (served hot) Toor Dal White Beans | Kidney Beans Miso Soy Beans Soy Cheese Soy Flour Soy Powder Soy Sauce Tofu (served cold) Urad Dal |
Dairy
Dairy products are best minimized when trying to reduce kapha because they tend to be heavy.
Favor
Avoid
| Favor | Avoid |
| Buttermilk Cottage Cheese (ideally from skim goat’s milk) Ghee Goat’s Cheese (unsalted, not aged) Goat’s Milk (skim) Yogurt (fresh and diluted) | Butter Cheese Cow’s Milk Frozen Yogurt Ice Cream Sour Cream Yogurt (store-bought) |
Nuts & Seeds
Nuts and seeds tend to be heavy, dense, and oily and are generally not terrifically balancing for kapha.
Favor
Avoid
| Favor | Avoid |
| Almonds (soaked and peeled) Charole Nuts Chia Seeds Flax Seeds Popcorn (without salt or butter) Pumpkin Seeds Sunflower Seeds | Brazil Nuts Cashews Coconut Filberts Macadamia Nuts Peanuts Pecans Pine Nuts Pistachios Sesame Seeds Tahini Walnuts |
Meat & Eggs
| Favor | Avoid |
| Chicken (white) Eggs (not fried, and in moderation) Fish (freshwater) Shrimp Turkey (white) Venison | Beef Buffalo Chicken (dark) Duck Fish (saltwater) Lamb Pork Salmon Sardines Seafood Tuna Fish Turkey (dark) |
Oils
| Favor | Avoid |
| Almond Oil Corn Oil Flax Seed Oil Ghee Sunflower Oil | Avocado Oil Apricot Oil Coconut Oil Olive Oil Primrose Oil Safflower Oil Sesame Oil Soy Oil Walnut Oil |
Sweeteners
Fruits for Kapha
Vegetables for Kapha
As the sweet taste is not particularly supportive to kapha, most sweeteners are better avoided.
| Favor | Avoid |
| Fruit Juice Concentrates Honey (raw and unprocessed) | Artificial Sweeteners Barley Malt Date Sugar Fructose Honey (cooked, heated, or processed) Jaggary Maple Syrup Molasses Rice Syrup Sucanat Turbinado White Sugar |
Spices
| Favor | Avoid |
| Ajwan Allspice Anise Basil Bay Leaf Black Pepper Caraway Cardamom Cayenne Cinnamon Cloves Coriander (seeds or powder) Cumin (seeds or powder) Dill Fennel Fenugreek Garlic Ginger (fresh or dried) Hing (Asafoetida) Mace Marjoram Mint Mustard Seeds Neem Leaves Nutmeg Oregano Paprika Parsley Peppermint Pippali Poppy Seeds Rosemary Saffron Savory Spearmint Tarragon Thyme Trikatu Turmeric Vanilla Wintergreen | Salt |
