Cannot find it? Find a swap.

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• Chira with yogurt and banana
• Puffed rice (muri) with milk
• Whole-wheat roti with vegetables

Want the fibre and slow-digesting carbs of oats? Chira-doi-banana or whole-wheat roti with vegetables does much the same job.

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• Puffed rice (muri) with peanuts
• Roasted chira

Cornflakes often carry a lot of sugar. Plain muri with a few peanuts fills you up with less sugar.

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• A little fresh coconut
• Peanuts
• Cooking in mustard or soybean oil

For healthy fats, nuts, sesame, mustard or soybean oil and fish are all local. Keep portions small.

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• Peanuts (with skin)
• Roasted chickpeas
• A small til laddu

Nuts are mainly protein, fat and fibre. Peanuts and chickpeas do the same cheaply.

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• Brown rice
• Whole-wheat atta
• Masoor or mung dal khichuri

For quinoa's protein and fibre, eating dal and rice together gives a similar nutrient mix.

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• Whole-wheat roti
• Semai (less sugar)
• Rice with vegetables

The carbs in pasta are in roti and rice too. Add vegetables and an egg for balance.

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• Whole-wheat roti
• Chapati

Home-made roti has none of the sugar, salt or preservatives of packaged bread.

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• Chitoi pitha
• Egg roti or omelette
• Atta roti with egg

Chitoi or egg-roti fills you up, and without syrup there is less sugar.

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• Plain sour yogurt (doi, no sugar)
• Chhana

Sour doi and chhana have good protein. Pick unsweetened.

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• Eggs
• Dal with rice
• Chicken or fish
• Milk with chickpeas

Most healthy adults can get enough protein from food. Eggs, dal, fish and chicken are cheap and good sources.

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• Hilsa (in moderation)
• Pangas or rupchanda
• Small fish like mola or dhela

For omega-3, hilsa and small fish like mola and dhela are good local sources.

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• Beef bhuna (low oil)
• Mutton (small portion)
• Grilled chicken

If you eat meat, keep portions small and oil low. The cooking method changes calories a lot.

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• Home-made chicken roll (little oil)
• Roti with egg and vegetables
• Jhal muri

Burgers are high in calories and fat. A home roti-egg-vegetable roll is much lighter.

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• Vegetable-egg roti roll
• One small slice with salad

If you crave pizza, have one or two slices with a salad, not the whole pie.

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• Boiled potato chaat
• Roasted chickpeas
• Raw cucumber and carrot

Boiled or lightly roasted instead of fried cuts calories and fat a lot.

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• Lemon water (a little sugar)
• Green coconut water
• Lassi or ghol (less sugar)

One can of cola holds a lot of sugar. Coconut water or plain water are better.

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• Milk tea (less sugar)
• Black coffee or red tea
• Coffee at home

Sweet cafe drinks can easily pass 300 calories. Make it at home with little sugar.

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• Green coconut water
• Lemon-salt water
• One cup of tea or coffee

Energy drinks are high in both caffeine and sugar. Enough sleep and water work better.

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• A piece of jaggery
• 2–3 dates
• A banana

For a sweet craving, pick fruit or dates over packaged bars.

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• Home-made curd with banana
• Small cup of sweet doi
• Chopped fruit

A small cup of doi or fruit is a good cold sweet.

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• Muri
• Roasted chickpeas
• Boiled egg

Biscuits are high in sugar and fat and do not fill you up. Eggs or chickpeas keep you full longer.

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• Spinach (palong)
• Red amaranth
• Puin shaak
• Drumstick leaves

Leafy greens give fibre and vitamins. Local greens are cheap and easy to find.

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• Cauliflower
• Cabbage
• Spinach

Local cruciferous vegetables (cauliflower, cabbage) are nutritious too.

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• Guava
• Amla
• Pomelo (jambura)

Guava is high in fibre. Seasonal local fruit is cheap and fresh.

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• Papaya
• Banana
• Seasonal local fruit

Seasonal local fruit is usually fresh and cheaper.

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• Whole peanuts

Store-bought butters may have added sugar or oil. Whole peanuts are a simple option.

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• Tukma dana (basil seeds)
• Isabgol husk

Tukma (basil seeds) can be soaked like chia and give fibre.

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• Chhana / paneer
• Sour doi

Chhana and paneer give protein. Packaged cheese can be high in salt.

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• Dried fish (a little, low salt)
• Boiled egg
• Small fish bhuna

Fish or eggs give the same protein. Dried fish is salty, so keep it small.

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• Spinach or Swiss chard
• Collard greens

A leafy green that does the same job. Asian stores may carry Malabar spinach.

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• Amaranth greens (Asian or Caribbean store)
• Beet greens
• Spinach

Sold as callaloo or amaranth in Asian and Caribbean stores.

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• Taro leaves (Asian store, boil thoroughly)
• Spinach

Taro leaves must be boiled very well or they itch the throat. Use spinach if you cannot find them.

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• Herring
• Mackerel
• Sardines

An oily fish, close in type. Frozen hilsa is sold in Bangladeshi and Indian stores abroad.

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• Carp
• Tilapia
• Cod (white fish)

A sweet freshwater white-fleshed fish. Carp or tilapia are the closest.

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• Basa / Swai
• Tilapia

Basa or swai are easy to find in supermarkets.

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• Dried anchovies (Asian store)
• Salted cod
• Canned sardines (in curry)

For that strong flavour, use dried anchovy or salted fish.

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• Puffed rice cereal (no sugar)
• Plain popcorn
• Crumbled rice cakes

If you cannot find muri, use puffed rice cereal or plain popcorn with little oil and salt.

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• Rolled oats (soaked)
• Poha (Indian store)

Chira is sold as poha in Indian stores.

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• Jasmine or short-grain rice
• Basmati (everywhere)

Keep the portion the same. Changing the rice type barely changes calories.

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• Jaggery / piloncillo
• Brown sugar (a little)
• Dates
• Maple syrup (a little)

Jaggery is still sugar, so keep the amount small.

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• Clarified butter
• Butter (a little)

Ghee is sold almost everywhere. Use less oil and ghee overall.

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• Plain yogurt (unsweetened)
• Greek yogurt
• Kefir

Choose plain, unsweetened yogurt, not flavoured.

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• Paneer (Indian store)
• Ricotta
• Cottage cheese

Cottage cheese or ricotta come close.

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• Zucchini
• Chayote or squash

A mild, soft vegetable you can swap in curries and soups.

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• Green plantain
• Potato

Green plantain is nearly the same. Find it in Latin or Asian stores.

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• Winter melon (Asian store)
• Zucchini

Chinese stores sell it as winter melon.

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• Bitter melon (Asian store)
• Broccoli rabe

Bitter melon is easy to find in Chinese, Indian and Thai stores.

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• Cilantro
• Parsley (milder)

Cilantro and coriander leaf are the same plant.

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• Serrano
• Thai chili
• Jalapeño (milder)

Heat levels differ, so start with a little.

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• Red lentils
• Yellow split peas

Red lentils are in almost every supermarket.

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• Frozen grated coconut (Asian store)
• Desiccated coconut (unsweetened)

Frozen grated coconut does the same job.

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• Canned young jackfruit (in water)
• Mushrooms (meaty texture)

Choose young jackfruit packed in water or brine.

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• Tamarind paste
• Lime / lemon juice

Lime or lemon juice also gives the sour note.

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• Canola oil with a little ground mustard
• Rapeseed oil

In some countries mustard oil is sold for external use only, so check the label.