Food Exchange List for Indians – Ultimate List

Staying healthy and fit is a dream of all. We do want to be worry-free and healthy to prevent any diseases or health conditions. But it all comes with time and effort.

Food habits and eating are the underlying factors that are the essential elements to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Diets as per one’s health conditions, body weight, and other goals, etc. are important to pay attention to.

Some common questions and doubts regarding dieting come up generally. The most important questions revolve around food choices and lists of healthy food items. Today we will help you clear some of these questions with our Ultimate Food Exchange List for Indians.

What is a Food Exchange list?

In straight words, a Food Exchange List is a list of food items that are grouped into categories as per a specific measure of nutritional availability.

It helps one to exchange a certain food item for another food item from the same list. You are made aware of the myriad of healthy food choices that are available for you.

Veggie causing Diabetes

There are numerous food items such as vegetables, fruits, legumes, grains, lentils, baked goods, etc. that can be exchanged with one another to gain the same amount of nutrients.

Many definite Food Exchange lists have been tested and created to match the needs of different diet restricted lifestyles. You can find the solutions to your problems in these food exchange lists.

Importance of Food Exchange lists

The goal of a Food exchange list is to help people following various diets and eating habits to have a wide range of healthy options.

It is most beneficial for patients who are suffering from diabetes. They are recommended to follow strict diet patterns with minimum amounts of calories and carbohydrates.

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Diet focused meals can also be hard to oblige to when there are fewer options. It is easier and more incentivizing when the list includes variety as well as health.

Thus, the Food Exchange list can be your saviour! It is your assistant in food planning that will help you to incorporate a balance in your meals. You can have access to a wider variety of food items with already counted calories and healthy nutrients.

How to use this Food Exchange list?

Well, it is no hard task to pay attention to your meal quality and quantity with the Food exchange list.

You can make use of the list by taking into consideration your body weight and health issues.

Often one’s BMI (Body Mass Index) is used to find calories according to your health. It is grouped and followed like so:

Sl. No. Body Mass Index Range Daily Calorie allowance
1. Normal BMI range (18.5 to 24.9) 1,800 – 2,000
2. Overweight BMI range (25 to 29.9) 1,400 – 1,600
3. Obese BMI range (30 to 29.9) 1,200 – 1,400

The Ultimate Food Exchange List

  1. List 1 – Cereal Exchange List

The-Ultimate-Food-Exchange-List-Corn-Flakes

100 calories, 20 g carbohydrates, 2 g protein

Sl. No. Cereals Amount Calories
1. Corn Flakes 30 g (uncooked) 100
2. Oatmeal 30 g (uncooked) 100
3. Rice flakes 30 g (uncooked) 100
4. Dalia 30 g (uncooked) 100
5. Sabudana 30 g (uncooked) 100
6. Vermicelli 30 g (uncooked) 100
7. Ragi 30 g (uncooked) 100
8. Maize dry 30 g (uncooked) 100
9. Rice 30 g (uncooked) 100
10. Wheat flour 30 g (uncooked) 100
11. White flour 30 g (uncooked) 100
12. Bread 2 slices (40 g) 100
13. Chapati 1 and ½ (44 g) 100
14. Jowar roti ½ (55 g) 100

 

  1. List 2 – Common Indian Breakfast Exchange List

Common Indian Breakfast Exchange List

100 calories, 20 g carbohydrates, 2 g protein

Sl. No. Breakfast items Amount Calories
1. Corn flakes 30 g (uncooked) 100
2. Dosa 1 number 120
3. Idli 2 numbers 100
4. Upma ½ bowl (75 ml) 100
5. Poha ½ bowl (75 ml) 100

 List 3 – Pulses and Legumes Exchange List

100 calories, 15 carbohydrates, 6 g protein

Chickpea (white Kabuli Chana)

Sl. No. Pulses and Legumes Amount Calories
1. Bengal gram 30 g 100
2. Bengal gram flour (Besan) 30 g 100
3. Kidney beans (rajma) 60 g 100
4. Cow gram (black-eyed pea) 30 g 100
5. Horse gram 30 g 100
6. Red gram 30 g 100
7. Chickpea (white Kabuli Chana) 30 g 100
8. Moth beans 30 g 100
9. Lentils 30 g 100
10. Dried pea 30 g 100

 

  1. List 4 – Vegetable Exchange ListVegetable-Exchange-List

50 calories, 10 g carbohydrate

 

Sl. No. Vegetables Amount Calories
1. Potato 45 g 50
2. Sweet potato 30 g 50
3. Onion

–         Big

–         Small

 

–         1 (90 g)

–         2 (75 g)

50
4. Carrot 105 g 50
5. Peas 45 g 50
6. Beetroot 75 g 50
7. Colocasia (Arbi) 45 g 50
8. Tapioca 30 g 50
9. Yam 45 g 50
10. Singhara 45 g 50
11. Double beans 50 g 50
12. Broad beans 90 g 50
13. Cluster beans 90 g 50
14. Jackfruit (raw) 105 g 50
15. Jackfruit seeds 30 g 50
16. Leeks 60 g 50
17. Sabzi (cooked vegetable) 75 ml 50
18. Sambhar 35 ml 50

Leafy and other vegetable exchange list

Leafy and other vegetable exchange list

These vegetables have fewer calories and carbs that are almost negligible. They do not have any harmful effects on the body, and rather enrich it with many necessary nutrients.

They are as follows:

  • Cabbage
  • Brussels sprouts
  • Bitter gourd
  • Coriander leaves
  • Spinach
  • Curry leaves
  • Brinjals
  • Drumsticks
  • Pumpkin
  • Raw mango (green)
  1. List 5 – Fruits Exchange List

Fruits Exchange List

50 calories, 10 g carbohydrates

Sl. No. Fruits Amount Calories
1. Apple 1 small (75 ml) 50
2. Banana ¼ medium (30 ml) 50
3. Mango 1 small (90 ml) 50
4. Orange 1 small (90 ml) 50
5. Melon ¼ medium (270 ml) 50
6. Watermelon ¼ small (175 ml) 50
7. Lemon 1 medium (90 ml) 50
8. Pineapple 1.5 round slices (90 ml) 50
9. Strawberry 40 (105 ml) 50
10. Tomato 4 medium (240 ml) 50
11. Gooseberry (Amla) 20 medium (90 ml) 50
12. Grapes 20 (105 ml) 50
13. Grapefruit ½ big (150 ml) 50
14. Jackfruit 3 medium cloves (90 ml) 50
15. Custard apple ¼ (50 ml) 50
16. Cashew fruit 2 medium (90 ml) 50
17. Figs 20 (105 ml) 50
18. Dates 3 (30 ml) 50
19. Papaya 2 medium (120 ml) 50
20. Pear 1 medium (90 ml) 50
21. Plum 4 medium (120 ml) 50
22. Peach 1 medium (135 ml) 50
23. Sweet lime (mosambi) 1 medium (150 ml) 50
  1. List 6 – Milk and dairy products Exchange List

50 calories, 2.5 g protein

Milk

Sl. No. Milk and milk products Amount Calories
1. Cow milk 2/3rd glass (90 ml) 50
2. Buffalo milk 1/3rd glass (45 ml) 50
3. Skimmed milk 1 glass (130 ml) 50
4. Skimmed milk powder 15 g 50
5. Coffee + 75 ml milk 75 ml 50
6. Tea + 75 ml milk 75 ml 50
7. Curd 2/3rd glass (105 g) 50
8. Buttermilk 3 glasses (375 ml) 50
9. Cheese 1 small cube (15 g) 50
10. Khoya 15 g 50
  1. List 7 – Non-vegetarian and Fleshy Food Exchange List

70 calories, 10 g protein

Egg

Sl. No. Non-vegetarian food Amount Calories
1. Egg (hen) 2 numbers (60 g) 100
2. Liver, sheep 60 g 70
3. Chicken 1 breast (60 g) 70
4. Mutton, muscle 3 piece (60 g) 100
5. Beef 1 slice (60 g) 70
6. Pork 1 slice (60 g) 70
7. Fish 1 piece (60 g) 70
8. Crab 120 g 70
9. Prawn 5 to 7 numbers 70
  1. List 8 – Oils and fatty products Exchange List

50 calories, 5.5 g fat

Sl. No. Oils and fat product Amount Calories
1. Ghee (clarified butter) 1 tsp. (5.5 g) 50
2. Butter 1.5 tsp. (7.5) 50
3. Oil (mustard, sunflower, cottonseed, sesame, coconut, groundnut, corn) 1 tsp. (5.5 g) 50
4. Hydrogenated fat (Vanaspati) 1 tsp. (5.5 g) 50
5. Cashew nuts 10 g 50
6. Almonds 7.5 g 50
7. Groundnut (roasted) 10 g 50
8. Pistachio 7.5 g 50
9. Walnuts 7.5 g 50
  1. List 9 – drinks Exchange list

Sl. No. Drinks and juices Amount Calories
1. Mango juice 1 big glass (200 ml) 150
2. Apple juice 1 big glass (200 ml) 100
3. Orange juice 1 big glass (200 ml) 30
4. Grape juice 1 big glass (200 ml) 80
5. Tomato juice 1 big glass (200 ml) 30
  1. List 10 – Beverage Exchange List

Sl. No. Beverages Amount Calories
1. Vodka 30 ml 65
2. Beer 150 ml 65
3. Wine dry 30 ml 30
4. Wine dessert 30 ml 40
5. Ginger ale 30 ml 9
6. Whisky, Rum, Brandy, Gin 30 ml 65
  1. Other sweets and fast foods

Food items such as desserts, sweets, fast fried foods, etc. are best avoided to maintain a healthy diet. But they can be taken seldom in controlled quantities.

Sl. No. Fast Food and sweets Amount Calories
1. Potato chips 50 g 430
2. Samosa 1 (40 g) 130
3. Soft drinks 1 bottle (300 ml) 120-135
4. Vada 1 150
5. Cake 50 g 150
6. Pastry 50 g 250-400
7. Rasgulla 150 g 140
8. Gulab Jamun 25 g 200
9. Ice-cream 150 g 380

You can make alterations in your diet as per your diet and needs. It is best to take advice from your medical team, dieticians, doctors, etc.

References

  1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30585248/
  2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11424545/
  3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28924423/
  4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12826028/
  5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30875784/
  6. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27935853/
  7. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6259925/
  8. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28857604/
  9. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31290030/
  10. https://www.diabetes.co.uk/bmi/food-exchange.html

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/exchange-lists

Dr Sharon Baisil MD

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