Food exchanges- composition with its Caloric Value & Principles for selecting a Diet.

Ayurveda for a healthy life- 55/2025 on 16.6.2025

3.  Food exchanges

Food is divided into 12 categories known as food exchanges. The food items in each exchange are fairly similar in composition and caloric value. As it is difficult to remember the exact caloric value of each food item, the practical solution is to remember the food value in the form of exchanges.

3A.   Milk exchange : An exchange of milk contains about 8 gms to 12 gms of protein, 10 gms of carbohydrates, 10 gms to 12 gms of fat and provides 160 to 170 calories. One cup, i.e. 200 ml. of buffalo’s milk, 1½ cup of toned milk, 1¼th cup of cow’s milk, 1/3rd cup of ice cream, 1½ cup of curds, 6 cups of buttermilk, 2 ounces (60 gms) of cheese, 2 ounces of milk powder prepared from cow’s milk, 8 teaspoonfuls of khava and 7 ounces (200 ml.) of goat’s milk, each constitute one exchange of milk.

3B.   Vegetable exchange

3B 1.   100 gm of each of the vegetables namely, cabbage, palak (Spinach), radish, kushmanda (Ashgourd), karela (Bitter gourd), brinjal, cucumber, french beans, ghosale (Sponge gourd), giant chillies, tondali (Ivy gourd), nolkol, lady finger, parvar, kelphul (Banana flower), pumpkin, shirale (Ridge gourd), padval (Snake gourd), green tomato, turnip, beetroot, carrot, onion and lettuce contain approximately one gram of protein and provide 20 calories.

3B 2.   100 grams of each of the vegetables namely, math (Tender amaranth), spined amaranth and ajamoda (Celery) leaves supply 6 gms of protein. Coriander leaves, methi (Fenugreek leaves), ambadi (Gogu), betel leaves and drumstick pulp supply only 2.5 gms of protein and 20 calories. Raw mangoes, gavar (Cluster beans), suran (Yam), sword bean and tender jackfruit, each contain approximately 2 to 4 gms of protein and provide 40 calories.

3B 3.   100 gm of each of the vegetables namely, carrot leaves, cauliflower leaves, drumstick leaves, beans, papadi (Double beans), jackfruit seeds, matar (Green peas), soya leaves and shingada (Water chestnut) contain approximately 5 gm to 7 gm of protein and provide 80 calories.

3B 4.   Roots and tubers : 100 grams of each of the vegetables namely, alu (Colocasia), potato, sweet potato, tapioca, arrowroot and sago approximately contain one gram of protein and provide 125 calories.

3C.   Fruit exchange :One small apple, one medium apricot, four halves of dry apricot, half of a big banana / one small banana, 10 to 12 badara (Berries), one cup of black berries, one cashew, ten large or small cherries, raspberries, strawberries, one sapota, one small rock melon, two dates, two large fresh figs, two dry figs, ¼th cup of grape juice, 10 to 12 pieces of jackfruit, 5 to 6 jam (water apple), 15 to 20 small karavanda (conkerberry), 1½ cup of star fruit, ½ of a small mango, one small orange, ½ cup of orange juice, 1/3rd of a medium papaya, one small pear, ½ cup of pineapple juice, two tablespoonful (Levelled) of raisins, ¼th small piece of Ramphal (Annona reticulata), ¼th small piece of sitaphal (custard apple), a small piece of kapittha (Woodapple), one big slice of watermelon, one pomegranate and one sweet lime, each provide approximately 10 gms of carbohydrates and 40 to 60 calories.

3D.   Non-vegetarian exchange : It is further divided depending on the protein content and caloric content as given ahead.

3D 1.   Fish exchange : 100 grams of crabs, snails, fish, shark or prawns contain approximately 15 gms of protein and provide 80 calories.

3D 2.   Meat exchange : 100 grams of each of chicken (Fowl), pork (Muscle), beef (Muscle), duck, mutton contain approximately 22 gm of protein and provide 115 calories.

Egg exchange : 100 gm of eggs of a hen or a duck contain approximately 15 grams of protein and provide 100 calories.

3D 3.   Meat exchange : 5 to 6 pieces of beef, pork, ham, liver, meat of a fowl and lamb, an egg and one ounce (30 gm) of cheese, each contain approximately 7 gm of protein, 5 gm of fat and provide 75 calories.

3E.   Cereal exchange : 30 gm of wheat flour, 2 slices of bread without butter, 1 chapati without ghee, 3 small phulkas without ghee, one small bhakri with one teaspoonful of fat, 2 small puris, 6 teaspoonfuls of rava lapshi, one medium sized paratha, one medium cup of cooked bhakri of jowar, bajri, wheat, rajgira, kodru, maize or any other cereal, one medium cup of cooked rice, 3 handfuls of poha (Flattened rice), two small idlis, 1½ cup of sambhar, one small rava ladu, one jalebi, one small tender corn, one cup of corn flakes, ¼th cup of oats and 28 gm of vermicelli, each contain approximately 3 gm of protein, 22 gm of carbohydrates and supply 100 calories.

3F.   Pulse exchange : 100 gm of chana dal (Bengal gram), udid dal (Black gram), mung dal (Green gm), kulattha (Horse gm), masur dal (Lentil), peas, tur dal (Red gm) and rajmah, each contain approximately 22 gm to 25 gm of protein and provide 350 calories. 100 gm of soyabean contain 43 gm of protein and provide 430 calories.

3G.  Fat exchange : One teaspoonful of oil, ghee, vanaspati, butter, margarine, cream or six groundnuts, each contain approximately 5 gms of fat and provide 45 calories.

3H.   Dry fruit exchange : 12 almonds, 8 cashewnuts, one tablespoonful of peanuts or peanut butter or two tablespoonfuls of walnuts approximately contain 3 gm of protein, 8 gm of fat and give 100 calories.

3I.    Sweet exchange : One cup of khir of vermicilli, rice or suji, 3/4th cup of rabdi or kulfi, 2¼th cup of shrikhand, 1½ cup of bread pudding, 2 cups of custard, 3 cups of ice cream, 3/4th cup of halva with milk or 10 chocolate pieces provide approx. 600 calories.

3J.   Sugar exchange : One teaspoonful each of sugar, jaggery, honey and murraba provide 20 calories.

3K.   Condiment and spice exchange : As we consume condiments and spices in a very small quantity, it is not worthwhile to consider this exchange while calculating calories.

3L.   Beverage and alcoholic drink exchange : One bottle (200 ml.) of Coca-cola, Fanta, Limca, Gold Spot or ginger ale,1/2 litre of tender coconut water, one glass of sugarcane juice, 2½  cups of tea or coffee, one glass of nira, one glass of beer, 1½ glass of wine, one glass of champagne, two ounces (60 ml.) of whisky and one ounce (30 ml.) of rum provide 100 calories each. Tea and coffee by themselves do not provide any calories. Their caloric value depends on the amount of milk and sugar added to it.

The caloric and protein requirements are primarily determined by the physical activity undertaken by a person.

4.  Principles for selecting a Diet

The caloric and protein content of the commonly used food items are mentioned under the approximate food exchange. As several cheap as well as costly food items have a comparable nutritive value, even the poor people can select cheap food items and yet have a well-balanced diet. For example, the meat exchange can be substituted by the pulse exchange to get adequate proteins in the diet. Ripe banana, potatoes, arrowroot, tapioca, sweet potatoes and sago are cheap food items which are rich in calories.

The diet should be selected according to the family tradition – vegetarian or non-vegetarian. Punjabis may prefer to eat wheat as compared to rice while South Indians may prefer rice. The diet selected should be such that it is freely available locally. Seasonal fruits and fresh vegetables should be included in the diet.

A physician should modify the diet according to the weight of the person, his constitution, country, age, digestive power, tolerance, likes and dislikes, season, pregnancy, and the disease state.