The South Asian/Indian Diet: Client Scenarios
How cultural curiosity shapes dietary assessment and intervention
Fathima outlines the culturally sensitive nutrition education approach’s she would use in clinical scenarios:
- A 52-year-old South Asian woman (Indian Gujrati heritage) who is vegetarian, lives in a multi-generational household with a strong attachment to traditional foods and diagnosed with type 2 diabetes
- How would you modify her meals while respecting her food traditions?
- How would you approach portion control with shared family meals?
- A 48-year-old South Asian male (Pakistani heritage), eats traditional foods. Meals are prepared by his wife; he does not cook. Strong family history of heart disease with high Chol LDL and TG
- What would you focus on in the education intervention?
- What are some substitution options that would work for him?
- He doesn’t do the cooking - so how could this advice be implemented best?
- A 24-year-old student from India following a strict vegetarian diet presents with fatigue
- What nutrients of concern should you assess?
- How would you approach supplementation if needed?
- A family (parents in their 40s and two teenage children) attend together. Meals are cooked communally and eaten with extended family. Rice, roti, and rich curries are central to meals. They would like weight management advice.
- How can you suggest portion modifications and balanced plates without undermining family traditions?
- How could you incorporate culturally relevant physical activity suggestions?
- Which South-Asian specific strategies for increasing vegetable and legume intake could you use?
We recommend watching The South Asian/Indian Diet as background to these clinical scenarios
You may also be interested in Understanding the African diet
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About the Presenter
Fathima Abdoola, APD has over 12 years of experience in both Zambia and Australia. Through her practice Cultural Dietitian she helps women from diverse cultural backgrounds achieve sustainable weight loss while honouring their cultural foods and traditions.
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