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Quick answer: Rice, ghee and sugar do not need to be banned from a healthy diet. Celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar argues they belong in traditional Indian meals in sensible amounts. Evidence broadly supports moderation: watch rice portions, use a little ghee because it is high in saturated fat, and keep added sugar low. People with diabetes should be stricter and track their HbA1c level.
With so many diet trends, calorie counters and weight-loss challenges, many people feel pressured to drop familiar foods from their plates. Rice is labelled fattening, ghee is avoided because of its fat, and sugar is treated as something that must be removed completely. But is cutting out these foods always necessary for a healthy lifestyle?
Mumbai-based nutritionist and author Rujuta Diwekar, known for books such as Don't Lose Your Mind, Lose Your Weight and Indian Superfoods, has challenged several popular food myths. In her books, talks and social media posts she encourages people to rethink restrictive eating and to value traditional, local Indian food. Her approach stresses balanced meals, sensible portions and a relaxed, sustainable relationship with food.
This article summarises her views on rice, ghee and sugar as she has expressed them publicly, and sets each one against current nutrition evidence, so you can decide what fits your own health, especially if you have diabetes, high cholesterol or are trying to lose weight.
Rice, ghee and sugar are not nutritionally alike. Rice mainly provides carbohydrate, ghee supplies fat, and sugar provides energy with almost no other nutrients. Understanding their different roles helps you make better choices without fearing any one ingredient.
| Food | Rujuta Diwekar's view (summary) | What the evidence suggests | Extra care if you have diabetes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rice | A local staple; no need to drop it to lose weight; eat it with dal, curd or sabzi | Fine in sensible portions; white rice in large amounts is linked with higher type 2 diabetes risk; whole or less-polished rice is better | Measure portions (about one small katori cooked), pair with dal and vegetables, check post-meal sugar |
| Ghee | A traditional good fat; about a teaspoon per meal adds taste and satiety | Calorie-dense and high in saturated fat; small amounts fit most diets, large amounts may raise LDL | Keep to small amounts; heart risk is already higher with diabetes, so watch LDL |
| Sugar | Small amounts in homemade food or chai are acceptable; prefers it to packaged sweets and artificial sweeteners | Added sugar is not needed; WHO advises free sugars under 10% of energy, ideally under 5% | Limit added sugar strictly; jaggery and honey raise sugar the same way; follow your doctor's plan |
Let us look at each food in turn: why it can have a place in a balanced diet, and what to keep in mind when eating it.
Rice is a staple in many Indian homes. From dal-chawal and curd-rice to khichdi and vegetable pulao, it is part of countless traditional meals. Yet it is often the first food removed from weight-loss diets because it contains carbohydrates.
Rujuta Diwekar has repeatedly said that rice, especially the local variety grown in your region, does not need to be given up for weight loss. Her argument is that generations of Indians ate rice daily, and that the problem lies more with overeating, processed food and inactivity than with rice itself.
Rice does not automatically cause weight gain. Weight change depends on overall energy intake, physical activity, portion size, sleep and other individual factors.
Eating large portions of rice regularly, without balancing the rest of the diet, can make calorie control harder. However, cutting out rice completely is not necessary for everyone. A practical approach is to eat a portion that suits your appetite and health needs and combine it with dal, vegetables, curd, beans or another protein source.
Rice is digested into glucose. Polished white rice has a high glycaemic index, and large studies, including research in Indian and Chinese populations, link high white-rice intake with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes. The amount eaten, the variety, cooking method and the rest of the meal all affect how blood sugar responds.
Combining rice with vegetables, pulses and protein makes the meal more balanced and somewhat slows the sugar rise. Cooked-and-cooled rice also contains more resistant starch. But none of this cancels the effect of carbohydrates on blood sugar.
People with diabetes can often include some rice, but portion size, total carbohydrate, medicines and their own glucose response matter. A simple way to see your response is a post-meal blood sugar test two hours after a usual rice meal. Follow your doctor's dietary advice.
Ghee is a traditional ingredient in many Indian homes, added to dal, khichdi, roti, rice and many regional dishes. It is often dropped entirely in weight-management diets, yet some dietary fat is an essential part of a balanced eating pattern.
Rujuta Diwekar is one of the best-known defenders of ghee. She has described it as a "good fat" and suggested that a teaspoon or so with each meal improves taste, satiety and digestion, and that adding ghee to rice or roti may soften the blood sugar rise from the meal. Some of these points have partial support: adding fat to a carbohydrate meal does slow digestion and can modestly reduce the post-meal sugar spike. Claims that ghee lowers cholesterol or actively burns fat, however, are not supported by good-quality evidence.
Ghee is calorie-dense (about 45 kcal per teaspoon) and roughly 60% of its fat is saturated. Eating large amounts raises saturated fat intake, which can increase LDL cholesterol in many people. Ghee should not be treated as a food that can be eaten without limits.
Consider your overall diet, the other fats you eat, your cholesterol levels and your health needs. A small amount for flavour suits many people, while those with high LDL, heart disease or diabetes may need more specific guidance. A lipid profile test shows whether your current fat intake is affecting your cholesterol.
Not necessarily. Weight management depends on your overall eating pattern and lifestyle rather than on removing a single ingredient. You can enjoy traditional food made with modest amounts of ghee while watching portions and balancing your meals. The aim is a sustainable, nutritious diet that suits your health, not the belief that every source of fat is harmful, nor that ghee is a health food to be eaten freely.
Sugar is perhaps the most misunderstood ingredient in healthy-eating debates. It helps to distinguish between natural sugars in whole foods and added sugars in sweets, drinks and packaged products.
Rujuta Diwekar has said that a little sugar in homemade food, such as a teaspoon in chai or a traditional sweet made at home for a festival, is acceptable, and that it is preferable to packaged "sugar-free" products and artificial sweeteners. Her main target is ultra-processed food and drinks rather than the occasional homemade laddoo.
Whole fruits provide natural sugars together with fibre, vitamins, minerals and other protective compounds. Added sugar in soft drinks, mithai, biscuits and desserts provides energy with very few nutrients.
A balanced diet does not require avoiding everything sweet. Whole fruits belong in a healthy eating pattern, and traditional desserts may be enjoyed occasionally if their portion and frequency fit your needs. This does not mean added sugar is nutritionally necessary, or that eating it often in large amounts is harmless.
Too much added sugar makes it easy to exceed your energy needs and is linked with weight gain, tooth decay, fatty liver and higher risk of type 2 diabetes. Watch common sources:
The World Health Organization recommends keeping free sugars below 10% of daily energy, which is about 50 g (around 10–12 teaspoons) on a 2,000-kcal diet, with a further cut to below 5% for extra benefit. Free sugars include sugar, jaggery (gur), honey and fruit juices; jaggery and honey are not "safe" alternatives for blood sugar.
Amount and frequency matter. If you take sugar in tea or coffee several times a day, gradually reducing it is a good start; taste buds adapt within a few weeks. Homemade desserts can be enjoyed occasionally, but homemade does not automatically mean low in sugar or calories. The practical message: separate whole, nutrient-rich foods from foods with a lot of added sugar, and do not make large amounts of sugar a daily habit.
One useful lesson from the traditional-food movement is that healthy eating does not have to rely on imported "superfoods" or complicated meal plans. Many Indian meals already combine several food groups:
Recipes vary a lot, so nutritional value depends on ingredients, portions, cooking methods and what else you eat in the day. The aim is not to call every traditional food healthy because it is traditional; deep-fried farsan and syrupy sweets are traditional too. Build meals with variety, balance and suitable portions.
You do not need an extreme diet to eat better. A few practical changes help:
Rather than a large plate of rice alone, combine a moderate portion with vegetables and a protein source such as dal, beans, curd, eggs or paneer. Choose portion size according to your appetite, activity level and health needs. Starting the meal with salad or sabzi also helps.
Enjoy the flavour of ghee without adding it heavily to every dish. Think about your total saturated fat from ghee, butter, cream, malai, fatty meats and fried foods. For most people, a teaspoon or two a day fits within healthy limits.
Read food labels and notice sugar in drinks, packaged snacks and desserts. If you add several teaspoons of sugar to drinks, cut down step by step.
Cutting out entire food groups without a clear reason makes a diet hard to maintain and reduces variety. If you have a medical condition, food intolerance or special nutritional need, seek individual advice rather than following general rules from social media, including from any celebrity expert. Our post on why there is no single diet plan for all explains why.
Eat regular, balanced meals and notice how hungry or satisfied you feel. Hunger cues are useful, but they should be considered alongside medical needs, portion awareness and any dietary advice you have received.
Although rice, ghee and sugar fit into many eating patterns, health conditions change how much is appropriate:
There is no single portion size or diet that is ideal for everyone.
Rather than relying on opinions, including Rujuta Diwekar's or ours, lab tests can show how your current eating habits are affecting your body:
See a doctor or registered dietitian before major diet changes, and promptly if you have:
Rice, ghee and sugar are often treated as foods that must be cut out for better health. Rujuta Diwekar's message is that they can stay in a traditional Indian diet, and the evidence partly agrees: they play different roles, and their place depends on amount, overall eating pattern and individual health. Rice can provide energy, ghee can add fat and flavour, and added sugar can be an occasional treat rather than a daily staple. None of these foods should be judged in isolation, but none should be eaten freely either, particularly by people with diabetes or high cholesterol.
The most practical approach is balanced meals, sensible portions, variety and sustainable habits, checked with regular tests. At VIP Labs, we encourage informed health decisions and a balanced approach to wellbeing rather than following every new food trend.
Not necessarily. Rice can be part of a weight-loss diet if portions are controlled and it is eaten with dal, vegetables and protein. Total calorie intake, food quality and physical activity matter more than removing rice altogether.
A small amount, such as one or two teaspoons a day, can fit into a balanced diet for most people. Ghee is high in calories and saturated fat, so larger amounts may raise LDL cholesterol, and people with heart disease or high LDL should follow their doctor's advice.
Many people with diabetes can have a small, measured portion of rice with dal and vegetables. A little ghee may slightly slow the sugar rise but adds calories and saturated fat. Portions, medicines and personal glucose response matter, so follow your doctor's or dietitian's plan.
Only marginally. Jaggery and honey contain traces of minerals but raise blood sugar in much the same way as white sugar and count as free sugars under WHO advice. People with diabetes should limit them just as strictly as sugar.
No good evidence shows that ghee lowers cholesterol. Because it is rich in saturated fat, eating large amounts may raise LDL cholesterol in many people. A lipid profile is the best way to see how your diet is affecting your cholesterol.
Rujuta Diwekar has said that small amounts of sugar in homemade food or tea are acceptable and preferable to packaged sweets and artificial sweeteners. Evidence supports limiting added sugar to under 10% of daily calories, and people with diabetes need stricter limits.
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Disclaimer: This article is for general awareness only and is not a substitute for medical advice. Please consult a qualified doctor for diagnosis and treatment.