When it comes to eating well, yogurt with fruit and granola is a western staple of a healthy breakfast. But when we examine it through the eyes of digestibility, it may not be as healthy as it seems.

According to Ayurveda, there are certain foods that you don’t want to combine because their digestibility is incompatible. Unfortunately, yogurt and fruit (especially banana!) do not mesh well together. Let’s dive in a bit deeper as to why.

Each food carries a primary taste (Rasa) which is then associated with its Virya (potent energy). Virya is what determines whether a food is cooling or warming to the body and whether is hinders or kindles agni (the digestive fire). Yogurt is naturally sour while fruit is naturally sweet. Sour foods are often cooling to the body and slow ones agni (digestive fire) while sweet foods increase heat and kindle agni. Understanding the effect of Virya, we can see that these two foods blending into a single meal may be hard on the digestive fire, as we are simultaneously stoking and dampening agni.  

Fruit is often easier to digest in comparison to yogurt, which causes another issue. Coming back to Virya again, we see that yogurt digests more slowly due to its rasa (sour) while fruit creates a warming effect allowing digestion to be quick and easy. Therefore, we are holding back our digestion of the fruit and keeping it in the digestive track longer than it should be because of the slowing aspect of yogurt.

Ayurveda isn’t the only one recognizing the incompatibility of foods such as fruit and yogurt. Western nutritionists are beginning to see the incompatible food links as well.  So while it may still be a common “healthy” food choice, now you know it is best to eat your yogurt and fruit separately for optimal digestion and health.

If you still long for a healthy yogurt-based breakfast, go for just yogurt and granola or try one of the recipes below!

Yogurt & Mint Lassi (https://www.joyfulbelly.com/Ayurveda/recipe/Yogurt-Mint-Lassi/264)

Radish Yogurt Raita (https://www.joyfulbelly.com/Ayurveda/recipe/Radish-Yogurt-Raita/4899)

Chai Spiced Yogurt (https://www.joyfulbelly.com/Ayurveda/recipe/Chai-Spiced-Yogurt/730)

As always, thanks for reading and share a comment if you feel called to.

With Love & Gratitude,

Charlotte McFarlin

Magic Mamma Medicine