Because the qualities of pitta dosha are
- hot
- sharp
- and oily
the foods that bring balance should have qualities that are cooling, soothing, and more dry than oily.
Fruits
| Favor | Avoid |
| Apples (sweet) Applesauce Apricots (sweet) Berries (sweet) Cherries (sweet) Coconut Dates Figs Grapes (red, purple, black) Limes Mangos (ripe) Melons Oranges (sweet) Papaya Pears Pineapple (sweet) Plums (sweet) Pomegranates Prunes Raisins Strawberries Watermelon | Apples (sour) Apricots (sour) Bananas Berries (sour) Cherries (sour) Cranberries Grapefruit Grapes (green) Kiwi Lemons Mangos (green) Oranges (sour) Peaches Persimmons Pineapple (sour) Plums (sour) Tamarind |
Vegetables
Pitta can usually digest raw vegetables better than vata and kapha , but mid-day is often the best time of day to have them because digestive strength is at its peak.
| Favor | Avoid |
| Avocado Artichoke Asparagus Beets (cooked) Bell Peppers Bitter Melon Broccoli Brussels Sprouts Burdock Root Cabbage Carrots (cooked) Cauliflower Celery Cilantro Collard Greens Cucumber Dandelion Greens Green Beans Jerusalem Artichoke Kale Leafy Greens Leeks (cooked) Lettuce Mushrooms Okra Olives (black) Onions (cooked) Parsley Parsnips Peas Peppers (sweet) Potatoes Pumpkin Radishes (cooked) Rutabaga Spaghetti Squash Sprouts (not spicy) Squash, Summer Squash, Winter Spinach (raw) Sweet Potatoes Watercress Wheat Grass Zucchini | Beet Greens Beets (raw) Corn (fresh) Daikon Radish Eggplant Garlic Green Chilies Horseradish Kohlrabi Leeks (raw) Mustard Greens Olives, green Onions (raw) Peppers (hot) Radishes (raw) Spinach (cooked) Tomatoes Turnip greens Turnips |
Grains
| Favor | Avoid |
| Amaranth Barley Cereal (dry) Couscous Crackers Durham Flour Granola Oat Bran Oats Pancakes Pasta Quinoa Rice (basmati, white, wild) Rice Cakes Seitan Spelt Sprouted Wheat Bread Tapioca Wheat Wheat Bran | Buckwheat Corn Millet Muesli Polenta Rice (brown) Rye Yeasted Bread |
Legumes
Legumes are generally astringent in taste and are therefore largely pitta pacifying, so feel free to enjoy a wide variety of them.
| Favor | Avoid |
| Adzuki Beans Black Beans Black-Eyed Peas Garbanzo Beans (Chickpeas) Kidney Beans Lentils Lima Beans Mung Beans Mung Dal Navy Beans Pinto Beans Split Peas Soy Beans Soy Cheese Soy Flour Soy Milk Soy Powder Tempeh Tofu White Beans | Miso Soy Meats Soy Sauce Urad Dal |
Dairy
| Favor | Avoid |
| Butter (unsalted) Cheese (soft, unsalted, not aged) Cottage Cheese Cow’s Milk Ghee Goat’s Milk Goat’s Cheese (soft, unsalted) Ice Cream Yogurt (homemade, diluted, without fruit) | Butter (salted) Buttermilk Cheese (hard) Frozen Yogurt Sour Cream Yogurt (store bought, or with fruit) |
Nuts & Seeds
| Favor | Avoid |
| Almonds (soaked and peeled) Charoli Nuts Coconut Flax Seeds Halva Popcorn (buttered, without salt) Pumpkin Seeds Sunflower Seeds | Almonds (with skin) Brazil Nuts Cashews Chia Seeds Filberts Macadamia Nuts Peanuts Pecans Pine Nuts Pistachios Sesame Seeds Tahini Walnut |
Meat & Eggs
| Favor | Avoid |
| Buffalo Chicken (white) Eggs (white only) Fish (freshwater) Rabbit Shrimp Turkey (white) Venison | Beef Chicken (dark) Duck Eggs (yolk) Fish (saltwater) Lamb Pork Salmon Sardines Seafood Tuna Fish Turkey (dark) |
Oils
Due to the tendency for toxins to accumulate in fats, purchasing organic oils may hold greater significance than purchasing organic fruits and vegetables.
| Favor | Avoid |
| Coconut Oil Flax Seed Oil Ghee Olive Oil Primrose Oil Sunflower Oil Soy Oil Walnut Oil | Almond Oil Apricot Oil Corn Oil Safflower Oil Sesame Oil |
Sweeteners
| Favor | Avoid |
| Barley Malt Date Sugar Fructose Fruit Juice Concentrates Maple Syrup Rice Syrup Sucanat Turbinado | Honey Jaggary Molasses White Sugar |
Spices
The spices that should be favored are only mildly heating, aid in maintaining a balanced digestive fire without provoking pitta, and in certain instances, exhibit active cooling in nature.
| Favor | Avoid |
| Basil (fresh) Black Pepper (small amounts) Cardamom Cinnamon (small amounts) Coriander (seeds or powder) Cumin (seeds or powder) Dill Fennel Ginger (fresh) Mint Neem Leaves Orange Peel Parsley Peppermint Saffron Spearmint Tarragon Turmeric Vanilla Wintergreen | Ajwan Allspice Anise Basil (dry) Bay Leaf Caraway Cayenne Cloves Fenugreek Garlic Ginger (dry) Hing (Asafoetida) Mace Marjoram Mustard Seeds Nutmeg Oregano Paprika Pippali Poppy Seeds Rosemary Sage Salt Savory Thyme Trikatu |
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