Last Updated on November 21, 2020 by Dr Sharon Baisil MD
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.
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.
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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.
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
List 1 – Cereal Exchange List
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 |
List 2 – 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
| 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 |
List 4 – Vegetable 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
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)
List 5 – 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 |
List 6 – Milk and dairy products Exchange List
50 calories, 2.5 g protein
| 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 |
List 7 – Non-vegetarian and Fleshy Food Exchange List
70 calories, 10 g protein
| 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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30585248/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11424545/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28924423/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12826028/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30875784/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27935853/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6259925/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28857604/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31290030/
- https://www.diabetes.co.uk/bmi/food-exchange.html
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/exchange-lists
