We are roti people. In India, especially in Gujarat, we consume a lot of wheat. While Gujarat is a land of diverse cuisines, and we’ve wholeheartedly embraced food culture from neighbouring states like Rajasthan, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh, at heart, we’re still a sugar-loving, dough-craving community. A good overview of what we eat daily is available on the Gujarat Tourism website.
Our current lifestyles, agricultural resources, government subsidies, and other factors have made whole-wheat rotis a staple in the Gujarati Thali. However, in most households, daily cooking includes just three to four items: a bit of vegetables, some lentils, rice, and rotis. This emphasis on rotis has led to an imbalance in our diets.
Though wheat has been cultivated in India since prehistoric times, it only became widely consumed after independence. According to research by D. A. Patil and Y. A. Ahirrao, titled Origin and History of Godhuma (Wheat) in India, before foreign influence, Indians mainly consumed rice, millets, barley, and legumes. Post-independence, India relied on foreign food aid for many years, so the government prioritized developing high-yield strains of grains to feed the population, sparking the Green Revolution. This initiative succeeded, making India one of the largest consumers and exporters of rice and wheat.
The Green Revolution had a multidimensional impact. Functional foods like millets and barley are now only marginally consumed. It’s worth noting that ancient texts by Charak, Sushrut, and Dhanwantari considered wheat an inferior grain compared to millets and barley.
Today, wheat is everywhere, and it might be doing us more harm than good. For many Gujaratis, there’s a sense of contentment after consuming rotis, similar to how sugar satisfies cravings. Wheat is packed with carbohydrates (energy) that cause blood sugar levels to spike almost instantly, making it comparable to sugar. This overconsumption of “sugar” in the form of wheat is driving up diabetes rates.
Here’s the catch: wheat is a high-glycemic-index food. And there’re many more.
| Grains / Starches | Vegetables | Fruits | Dairy | Proteins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rice Bran – 27 | Asparagus – 15 | Grapefruit – 25 | Low-Fat Yogurt – 14 | Peanuts – 21 |
| Bran Cereal – 42 | Broccoli – 15 | Apple – 38 | Plain Yogurt – 14 | Beans, Dried – 40 |
| Spaghetti – 42 | Celery – 15 | Peach – 42 | Whole Milk – 27 | Lentils – 41 |
| Corn, sweet – 54 | Cucumber – 15 | Orange – 44 | Soy Milk – 34 | Kidney Beans – 41 |
| Wild Rice – 57 | Lettuce – 15 | Grape – 46 | Fat-Free Milk – 32 | Split Peas – 45 |
| Sweet Potatoes – 61 | Peppers – 15 | Banana – 54 | Skim Milk – 37 | Lima Beans – 46 |
| White Rice – 64 | Spinach – 15 | Mango – 56 | Chocolate Milk – 41 | Chickpeas – 47 |
| Cous Cous – 65 | Tomatoes – 15 | Pineapple – 59 | Fruit Yogurt – 36 | Pinto Beans – 55 |
| Whole Wheat Bread – 71 | Chickpeas – 33 | Watermelon – 72 | Ice Cream – 61 | Black-Eyed Beans – 59 |
| Muesli – 80 | Cooked Carrots – 39 | |||
| Baked Potatoes – 85 | ||||
| Oatmeal – 87 | ||||
| Taco Shells – 97 | ||||
| White Bread – 100 | ||||
| Bagel, White – 103 |
This layout keeps the categories side by side and preserves the alignment to mirror the original format, with each item listed alongside its Glycemic Index value.
For nearly a decade, I wondered why I felt sleepy after a heavy lunch, despite getting enough rest at night. Wheat (along with other foods that spike blood sugar) turned out to be the culprit.
Let’s break down what happens when we consume high-glycemic-index foods:
- Rapid spike in blood sugar
- Rapid drop in blood sugar
- Increased food cravings and overeating
- Weight gain and obesity
- Insulin resistance
- Increased risk of chronic diseases
- Immediate impact on mood and energy levels
- Drowsiness after a heavy meal
What is the Glycemic Index?
In 1981, Professor David Jenkins and his colleagues set out to measure how foods with different carbohydrate levels affect blood sugar after consumption. They assigned each food an index between 0 and 100, with pure glucose at 100.
They discovered that foods affect blood glucose levels differently and termed this measure the Glycemic Index. In short, high-glycemic foods cause blood sugar levels to rise quickly, requiring the body to work hard to manage the sudden increase.
Now, what does the body do with all this sugar and refined-carbs?
First, refined carbohydrates and sugars are quickly absorbed by the body and pushed into the bloodstream. Within 30 minutes of consumption, the blood glucose levels begin to spike.
In response to this the pancreas starts secreting a significant amount of insulin. Insulin, a hormone, takes the glucose to the cells and asks them to store it for energy or storage.
And because more insulin is produced after consuming a HGI meal, and a lot of glucose is sent to the cells, there is also a big drop in blood glucose levels later on, often called the Subsequent Hypoglycemia. If the cells refuse to accept any more glucose for energy or storage, we call it insulin-resistance.
How to Reinvent Your Meals?
Simply put, a daily diet of 5-7 rotis (a lot of dough, indeed), paired with a small amount of vegetables, lentils, and rice, is not balanced. The solution is simple: eat fewer rotis, breads, and increase your intake of vegetables, lentils, and have a little rice.
There’s an even better alternative to wheat, with no restrictions on how much you can eat—millets. Ideally, a Gujarati Thali includes a balance of everything, allowing you to choose what and how much to eat.
Millets are the missing ingredients in our meals. We do consume millets from time to time, but not enough. First, to be clear, we are not trying to completely avoid carbs. They’re an important and good source of energy. We’re only trying to balance them through a better diet with nutritional benefits of millets.
Of the many vernacular names of the millets available in India, the most popular are;
- Sorghum (Jowar)
- Pearl Millet (Bajra)
- Finger Millet (Mandua, Ragi)
- Little Millet (Kutki, Gajro)
- Kodo Millet ( Kodon, Kodra)
- Foxtail / Italian Millet ( Kangni, Kang)
- Barnyard Millet (Sanwa, Jhangon, Sama)
- Proso Millet (Barre, Cheno)
Millets should be central to Indian cuisine. They’re easier to cultivate, require less water, are cost-effective, and come in a wide variety. You could eat a different millet every day or mix them, without worrying about glucose spikes.
That’s the beauty of a Gujarati Thali. Need a lot of energy? You have rotis and sweets. Exercising daily? Include more pulses and lentils. Have a cough or cold? Add turmeric and garlic to your meals. Ultimately, a Gujarati Platter combines natural medicines, herbs, carbs, and starches, provided you understand what you’re eating and how it benefits you.