Sattvic Diet (Hindu Dietary Tradition)

The Sattvic Diet, sometimes called a yogic diet, is a plant-based diet within Ayurveda that classifies food into three qualities, with sattvic foods considered pure, natural, and vital, as distinct from tamasic foods thought to decrease the energy of the body and rajasic foods thought to increase it. It emphasizes seasonal foods, fruits, nuts, seeds, oils, ripe vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and non-meat proteins, along with dairy from cows that are well fed and treated, and because it embodies the principle of ahimsa, meaning not harming other living beings, many who follow the diet are also vegetarian. The concept draws on the older idea of mitahara, meaning moderation in eating, described in ancient and medieval yoga literature, where the sattvic diet is recommended as a form of treatment in Ayurvedic texts.