Love Rice and Roti? Small Changes to Keep Them on Your Plate

Love Rice and Roti? Small Changes to Keep Them on Your Plate

October 09, 2026

“Do I have to stop eating rice and only eat salad every day?” Not at all!

You can still enjoy rice, roti, curry, dhal, puttu, string hoppers and other foods you grew up with.

Healthy eating is not about giving up your culture. It is about making a few small changes to how much you eat, what you put on your plate, and when you eat your bigger meals.

For many South Asian families, the food itself is not the problem. Sometimes, it is the eating pattern that can make a difference.

Maybe breakfast is very small or skipped. Lunch gets missed because the day is busy. Then by dinner, you are very hungry and your plate becomes mostly rice, roti or puttu.

Sound familiar?

When we get too hungry, it is easy to eat more than we planned. Having regular, balanced meals can help you feel more satisfied and make it easier to manage your portions. Eating large, carbohydrate-heavy meals late at night can also make it harder to manage blood glucose and body weight.

So, what can you do instead?

Start by spreading your meals more evenly across the day.

Try to have a regular balanced breakfast and lunch. This can help you arrive at dinner feeling less hungry and more in control of your portions.
You can still enjoy rice or puttu. Try starting with around 1 cup cooked, then build the rest of your meal around vegetables and protein.
 
Aim for:
  • Half your plate: non-starchy vegetables
  • One quarter: protein such as fish, chicken, eggs, dhal, lentils or beans
  • One quarter: rice, roti, puttu or another carbohydrate food
The verdict: Keep the culture. Start with small changes.
You do not have to eat salad if you do not enjoy it. Cooked vegetables, vegetable curries, stir-fries and soups all count. You could also try having your larger rice-based meal at lunch time and choosing a lighter dinner. For example, try dhal with vegetables, eggs with cooked vegetables, or a small roti with protein and vegetables.
 

Your 2kg Challenge

The goal is not to remove your cultural foods. It is to keep the foods you love and make your meals work better for you.

Small changes to your portion size, plate balance and meal timing can help move you closer to your 2kg Challenge goal.

For more ideas on healthy South Asian eating, watch the short video below.