Kapha-Balancing Foods

Updated 2022

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Kapha can be brought back into balance by eating the right foods. Read below to find
out what you can eat to help pacify this dosha. If you are not certain whether your
kapha is out of balance, take our free Ayurvedic Profile quiz.

Fruits
Fruits that pacify kapha will generally be somewhat astringent and only mildly sweet.
Dried fruits are acceptable, on occasion, but should only be enjoyed in small
quantities because they are so dense and concentrated.

Fruits to avoid are those that are exceptionally sweet or sour (like oranges or grapes),
and any that are especially heavy, dense, or watery—like bananas, coconut, dates,
melons, pineapple, or plums.

And remember, fruits and fruit juices are best enjoyed alone—30 minutes before, and
ideally at least 1 hour after, any other food. This helps to ensure optimal digestion.

Note: this rule does not apply to fruits that we typically consider vegetables
(avocados, cucumbers, tomatoes, etc.). You will find these fruits listed among the
“vegetables.”

Favor Avoid

Apples Bananas

Applesauce Cantaloupe

Apricots Coconut

Berries Dates

Cherries Figs (fresh)

 Cranberries Grapes (green)

Figs (dry) Grapefruit

Grapes (red, purple, black) Kiwi

Lemons Melons

Limes Oranges

Mango Papaya

Peaches Pineapple

Pears Plums

Persimmons Rhubarb

Pomegranates Tamarin

Prunes Watermelon

Raisins

Raspberries

Strawberries

Vegetables
Vegetables that pacify kapha will generally be pungent, bitter, and astringent. Most
vegetables include some combination of these tastes, so vegetables are an important
centerpiece of any effective kapha-balancing diet.

Cooked vegetables are generally easier to digest than raw ones, so it’s best to have
raw veggies, salads, and kapha-aggravating vegetables in small quantities and at
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 mid-day when digestive strength is at its peak. Raw vegetables are often more
appropriate for kapha in the spring and summer seasons.

The only vegetables for kapha to reduce or avoid are those that are particularly heavy,
dense, oily, or watery – like avocado, cucumber, olives, and the other vegetables
listed in the reduce or avoid column below.

Favor Reduce or Avoid

Artichoke Avocado

Asparagus Cucumber

Beet Greens Olives

Beets Parsnips

Bell Peppers Pumpkin

Bitter Melon Squash, Summer

Broccoli Sweet Potatoes

Brussels Sprouts Tomatoes (raw)

Burdock Root Zucchini

Cabbage

Carrots

Cauliflower

Celery

Chilies

Cilantro
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 Collard Greens

Corn

Daikon Radish

Dandelion Greens

Eggplant

Garlic

Green Beans

Horseradish

Jerusalem Artichokes

Kale

Kohlrabi

Leafy Greens

Leeks

Lettuce

Mustard Greens

Okra

Onions

Peas

Peppers, Sweet & Hot

Potatoes, White

Radishes

Rutabaga
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 Spaghetti Squash

Spinach

Sprouts

Squash, Winter

Tomatoes (cooked)

Turnips

Watercress

Wheat Grass

Grains
Grains that pacify kapha are light, dry, and rough. In general, grains tend to be staples
in our diets because they are somewhat heavy and nourishing. But when it comes to
balancing kapha, these qualities are best minimized, so reducing grain consumption
overall can be a huge benefit.

Avoid grains that are exceptionally heavy, moist, or dense (like wheat, flours, breads,
cooked oats, and pastas) as much as possible, and eat smaller quantities of
appropriate grains. It often works well to supplement meals with extra vegetables or
legumes, which are nutritionally rich, but also more balancing for kapha.

Favor Avoid

Amaranth Oats (cooked)

Barley Pancakes
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 Buckwheat Pasta

Cereal (unsweetened, cold, dry) Rice (brown, white)

Corn Wheat

Couscous Yeasted Bread

Crackers

Durham Flour

Granola

Millet

Muesli

Oat Bran

Oats (dry)

Polenta

Quinoa

Rice (basmati, wild)

Rice Cakes

Rye

Seitan

Spelt

Sprouted Wheat Bread

Tapioca

Wheat Bran
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 Legumes
Legumes are generally astringent, which is one of the tastes that balances kapha.
Kapha can enjoy a wide variety of legumes, but they should generally be well-cooked
and well-spiced to make them more digestible. Even well-cooked tofu, tempeh, and
warm, spiced soy milk are acceptable. The only beans that don’t work for kapha are
simply too heavy or oily to be balancing.

Favor Avoid

Adzuki Beans Kidney Beans

Black Beans Miso

Black-Eyed Peas Soy Beans

Garbanzo Beans (Chickpeas) Soy Cheese

Lentils Soy Flour

Lima Beans Soy Powder

Mung Beans Soy Sauce

Mung Dal Tofu (served cold)

Navy Beans Urad Dal

Pinto Beans

Split Peas

Soy Milk

Soy Meats

Tempeh
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 Tofu (served hot)

Toor Dal

White Beans

Dairy
Dairy products are best minimized when trying to reduce kapha because they tend to
be heavy, unctuous, and can increase mucus production. As a rule, dairy milks should
be taken at least one hour before or after any other food.

Ideally, milk is boiled and served hot with a pinch of turmeric or ginger—to make it
more digestible and less congesting. Goat’s milk and goat’s milk products are the
best options for kapha because they are lighter, but are best in moderation. Almond
and rice milks are good substitutes.

Favor Avoid

Buttermilk Butter

Cottage Cheese (ideally from skim goat’s milk) Cheese

Ghee Cow’s Milk

Goat’s Cheese (unsalted, not aged) Frozen Yogurt

Goat’s Milk (skim) Ice Cream

Yogurt (fresh and diluted) Sour Cream

Yogurt (store-bought)
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 Nuts & Seeds
Nuts and seeds tend to be heavy, dense, and oily and are generally not terrifically
balancing for kapha. But there are a few types of nuts and seeds that are acceptable
in small quantities. When trying to balance kapha, nuts and seeds are best enjoyed
only on occasion.

Favor Avoid

Almonds (soaked and peeled) Brazil Nuts

Charole Nuts Cashews

Chia Seeds Coconut

Flax Seeds Filberts

Popcorn (without salt or butter) Macadamia Nuts

Pumpkin Seeds Peanuts

Sunflower Seeds Pecans

Pine Nuts

Pistachios

Sesame Seeds

Tahini

Walnuts
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 Meat & Eggs
Kapha does best with animal foods that are light and relatively dry (like chicken or
freshwater fish), as opposed to those that are heavy, oily, or especially dense (such as
beef, pork, or duck). Eating less meat all around is generally beneficial. In fact, kapha
can be easily pacified without any animal foods, if your diet doesn’t already include
them.

Favor Avoid

Chicken (white) Beef

Eggs (not fried, and in moderation) Buffalo

Fish (freshwater) Chicken (dark)

Shrimp Duck

Turkey (white) Fish (saltwater)

Venison Lamb

Pork

Salmon

Sardines

Seafood

Tuna Fish

Turkey (dark)
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 Oils
Most oils are a bit heavy and, well, oily for kapha. However, in very small quantities,
the oils in the favor column are acceptable, if they are of good quality. Because toxins
tend to concentrate in fats, buying organic oils may be more important than buying
organic fruits and vegetables.

When trying to balance kapha, you can minimize reliance on oil by sautéing foods in
water instead of oil or by simply steaming them. For those occasions when a tad of
oil is needed, the best oils for kapha are corn oil, sunflower oil, or ghee.

Favor Avoid

Almond Oil Avocado Oil

Corn Oil Apricot Oil

Flax Seed Oil Coconut Oil

Ghee Olive Oil

Sunflower Oil Primrose Oil

Safflower Oil

Sesame Oil

Soy Oil

Walnut Oil

Sweeteners
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 As the sweet taste is not particularly supportive to kapha, most sweeteners are better
avoided. Honey on the other hand – which is dry, light, and heating—is the one
exception, when used in small quantities. Honey also scrapes toxins and fat from the
tissues, so it benefits kapha on multiple levels.

However, heating or cooking with honey creates toxins, so only raw and unprocessed
honey should be used. Foods and drinks that contain refined sugars or corn syrup can
be especially detrimental and should be avoided as much as possible.

Favor Avoid

Fruit Juice Concentrates Artificial Sweeteners

Honey (raw and unprocessed) Barley Malt

Date Sugar

Fructose

Honey (cooked, heated, or processed)

Jaggary

Maple Syrup

Molasses

Rice Syrup

Sucanat

Turbinado

White Sugar
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 Spices
Most spices are wonderful for kapha, so feel free to experiment with a wide variety of
new and exotic spices. Kapha is the only dosha that can usually handle fiery hot
foods. Even if those don’t suit you, a variety of mild spices will help to strengthen the
digestive fire and can improve overall metabolism.

In particular, the pungent and digestive qualities of onions, garlic, ginger, black
pepper, chili pepper, and cayenne pepper benefit kapha.

Favor Avoid

Ajwan Salt

Allspice

Anise

Basil

Bay Leaf

Black Pepper

Caraway

Cardamom

Cayenne

Cinnamon

Cloves

Coriander (seeds or powder)

Cumin (seeds or powder)

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 Dill

Fennel

Fenugreek

Garlic

Ginger (fresh or dried)

Hing (Asafoetida)

Mace

Marjoram

Mint

Mustard Seeds

Neem Leaves

Nutmeg

Oregano

Paprika

Parsley

Peppermint

Pippali

Poppy Seeds

Rosemary

Saffron

Savory

Spearmint
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 Tarragon

Thyme

Trikatu

Turmeric

Vanilla

Wintergreen

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug
Administration. Banyan Botanicals products are not intended to
diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The information on this
website is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for
medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. For more information
pertaining to your personal needs please see a qualified health
practitioner.

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