Hey everyone,
People who’ve been eating Indian diet for decades like Roti and lentils and all the unhealthy carb full snacks, how are you guys adjusting in keto? I’m still having hard time going full keto. I’ve lost around 8-10 lbs because my carb intake is very less but still I’m sneaking in carb snacks (like haldiram bhujia {corn crisps deep fried}, Indians will know this) and drinking milk with rose syrup and stuff. I’ve switched to a combination of fair life whole milk that has half the sugar and I’ve been using almond milk unsweetened as well.
I’ve been meaning to make sugar free syrup at home but just haven’t had time to experiment it.
At one pint of time was was in ketosis by checking via urine strips but now it isn’t the case. I go to my mom’s house and she feels upset when I don’t eat roti and I end up eating one.
Thanks everyone.
Indian Folks on Keto?
Following this one. I love Indian food and haven’t been able to figure out how to have it, other than tandoori chicken. I have a feeling it’s going to be a matter of using Indian spices on things like riced cauliflower or meat or leafy veggies, as both the breads and the legumes are out.
ETA: someone on another thread made what i thought was a good suggestion: if you have a mom who loves to cook and sees it as an expression of love and care toward you, give her a recipe for something you can eat.
I had an Indian restaurant I used to go to at least once a week for lunch. I haven’t been back since starting keto. The owner probably figured I’m dead.
Love all Indian foods and have tried to adjust by using cauliflower as a rice substitute. Love making chicken spinach curry etc. Headbanger’s kitchen has some good substitutes.
Yeah. I know all that. Whether you chose to go full keto or not is your choice. But having bhujia, roti, rose syrup etc is kinda the anti-keto solution 
. I don’t know if you are veg or non-veg - i do know that I don’t have the solution for Indian vegetarian keto.
As for your mother making you rotis - I had to deal with the same stuff when I visited India for a month. It’s your health, and if you explain it properly as a choice between you eating her Rotis for a few years, or being alive a lot more years by NOT eating rotis, I think the right choice can be made. I ate no rice rotis chaat bhujiya namkeens etx when I was there for a month. It’s do-able if you are sufficiently motivated
I’m Indian too (yay keto Indians! ha ha!), and I haven’t eaten Indian food since starting keto but I really like the idea of using cauliflower rice (or I’ve also found steamed shredded cabbage has a nice texture and I add it to Thai curries). I’ll have to get brave and try getting some of my Indian faves back into my diet, once my current 72-hour fast ends.
It’s so true how moms and grandmoms try to feed you. But one thing I found interesting is that when my mom (who grew up in India) decided to lose some weight, she didn’t consult any experts, she just cut way back on the rice. And when my sister-in-law (also grew up in India) decided to lose weight, she did exactly the same thing. So it seems like they naturally “get” that rice is fattening. Plus, Indians of that generation are very accustomed to periodic fasting as a healthy habit.
It’s their job and purpose in life to feed you but maybe if they know you’re 100% resolved they’ll offer you more food that’s keto-friendly? My mom is already conditioned to know that I’m stubborn (she still wishes I became a doctor instead of a vet), so she hasn’t complained about my WOE, not yet. You’ve probably been a more ideal Indian daughter (son?) than I have, so it might take more convincing on your part. 
Make suggestions. Indian vegetarian - like my Jain family? Just green vegetables made with tons of ghee, or deep fried. karela, spinach, green leafies, cabbage, cauliflower, okra, green beans, etc. no need for something to ‘have it with’. amazing how delish and filling it can be. Just list the no no’s - root vegetables, peas, all things harvested by a combine, candy (fruit), etc. and let them have the satisfaction of figuring it out and making a truly keto meal for you.
non-veg - you dont need help with that one…
I’m south Indian, so sadly all the dopamine-inducing comfort “tiffin” foods of my youth are now off the table. Poori with potato and pea curry, idli, uppama, masala dosa, etc. Then again, I think in my grandparents’ day, they would eat small amounts of these and be satisfied, not the 7 or 8 poori that I can put away in a single sitting.
Rasam, fish curry
7-8 pooris? Amateur. I could easily do 15-20 bedmis w the required potato curry, and finished with sooji Halva
300lbs - do not try this at home!
OMG, you totally made me laugh out loud. See, what happens is my mom (or grandma or whoever) stays at the stove making pooris for everyone while they’re eating so every new one is still hot, right? So there’s some pressure to be finished so they don’t have to keep standing (or sitting if it’s my grandmother in her kitchen in India with the stove on the floor) making more and more and more.
One of my great-aunts makes an amazing gongura pickle, I’ll have to try it on other foods and see how it tastes as a condiment. I miss it.
Wow you def have more will power than me of of RIGHT NOW. Yes I’m non vegetarian so i can do keto easier than harder. My wife is vegetarian and it is much more difficult for her to do keto. Being an Indian vegetarian, we don’t eat fish either so yeah.
But hey thanks for your input as it matters a lot.
Good luck, and I’m sure you’ll figure it all out. It may help to remember that the ketogenic diet is for the long term, so these glitches getting started won’t keep you from ultimate success.
HI Lakshay. I am too new to keto diet but I am an Indian vegetarian (yes to veggies and dairy, no to eggs and meat). So here is what I did for 3 weeks. I lost a few inches (I was not overweight 5ft 3inches, 56kg woman 33yrs - went down to 53kgs and lost 6-7cm around the waist). It has been only 2 weeks since I am out and have not gained anything back yet. However, there are people who think I wasnt in ketosis at all thought the urine sticks showed positive. This is what worked for me.
breakfast- aubergine baked with lots of cheese, tomatoes and basil / plain greek yogurt with chia seeds / cauliflower poha
lunch - keto roti (check out growfit - they have keto flour made from almonds, flax seeds and the likes) with palak paneer/ paneer butter masala/ tomato sabzi.
snack - peanuts roasted/almonds/walnuts/britannia cheese block pieces, milk tea without sugar, coconut pieces
dinner - salad with lots of veggies, olives, greens, almonds and some small pieces of apple for taste.
i found bread recipes which were keto and without egg and baked them for a few days. sometimes, i would make a baked dish out of most of the allowed stuff/ toast zucchini and other vegetables and eat them.
dessert - I cheated with 70% cocoa lindt chocolate 1 piece and did not snap out of ketosis. I added fresh coconut water as well.
Hope this helps!! I think the key is creativity otherwise boredom will definitely pull you down.
Thank for your reply!
Yes boredom is the word for sure. Especially when you don’t have time to cook home daily. You are in almost in same boat as my wife as she is vegetarian but she does eggs and dairy and stuff. Thanks for your menu options as well.
On our lazy nights, we pop cauliflower pizza frozen from costco in the oven but other than that, we usually end up cooking something healthy which isn’t exactly carb free but low on carbs. I’m not sure what part of India you are from but I’m from Delhi and my wife is from Punjab so we enjoy cold milk with rose syrup on our cheat days too 