Should You Eat Fruits with Meals? Ayurveda Explains the Right Way

Eating fruits are beneficial for our body, but many people consume fruits alongside their regular meals. Nowadays, it is common practice in wedding feasts or restaurants to serve fruits as an accompaniment to the main course. Consequently, people often consume fruits with their meals without giving it a second thought. But is combining meals and fruits actually beneficial? You may have noticed that fruits served at hotels or events are often chilled frequently having been retrieved directly from cold storage. Such fruits can be detrimental to health; let us explore how.

According to Ayurveda, cooked foods such as lentils (dal), flatbreads (chapati), rice, and similar items take a considerable amount of time to digest. Fruits, on the other hand, are soft in texture and packed with various nutrients; however, they require a different digestive process than cooked food. Consequently, instead of both types of food being digested efficiently, they begin to ferment within the digestive system.

As a result, the body fails to derive full nutritional benefit from either. This leads to issues such as gas, constipation, a sensation of heaviness in the stomach, and sour belching. Furthermore, it results in an increased accumulation of toxins within the body, thereby heightening the risk of various diseases.

One can derive the full nutritional value from both fruits and regular meals only if they are consumed at separate times. Both fruits and regular cooked meals are considered wholesome forms of sustenance; therefore, consuming them at different intervals is the more appropriate approach. According to Ayurveda, food is not merely for sensory pleasure; it is a science in itself. It places equal emphasis on three key factors: the timing of consumption, the quantity consumed, and the proper combination of foods.

The morning and evening hours are considered the best times to consume fruits. You may eat fruits in the morning on an empty stomach; however, it is advisable to avoid acidic or sour fruits at that time, as they can trigger gas and a burning sensation in the stomach. You may also consume fruits in the evening, ideally before sunset. However, it is essential to keep one thing in mind: fruits should not be consumed with milk or yogurt. In Ayurveda, this is considered an incompatible food combination.

Furthermore, one should refrain from eating a meal for at least one hour after consuming fruits. It is considered more appropriate to have the next meal only after the fruits have been fully digested.