Reconnecting Roots: Sattvic Temple Food as a Model for Sustainable Mental-health Supportive Hospitality

Basu, Supritam

[Home ] [Archive]

Nutrition and food in health and disease

Main Menu

Home

About Journal

Peer-Review Policy

Editorial Board

Author Guidelines

Editorial policies

Publication ethics

Registration

Contact us

Site Facilities

Creative Commons License

This Journal under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Open Access Policy

cope

Registered in

Volume 13, Issue 2 ( Apr-Jun 2026)

Nutr Food Health Dis 2026, 13(2): 1-8

Back to browse issues page

Reconnecting Roots: Sattvic Temple Food as a Model for Sustainable Mental-health Supportive Hospitality

Supritam Basu ^*

Sheraton Grand Hotel Dubai, Dubai, UAE , supritambasu1991@gmail.com

Abstract: (269 Views)

Escalating mental health disorders and environmental degradation have renewed interest in traditional food systems that integrate nutrition, spirituality and ecological care. This article investigated sattvic and sacred culinary traditions in Indian temple contexts, focusing on Mahaprasad, Chappan Bhog and associated offerings to investigate how they support sustainable well-being and mental health. Using mixed methods design, the study combined focused ethnographic fieldwork in temple kitchens with nutritional analysis of key sattvic dishes and life cycle assessment of associated cooking practices. Ethnographic data showed that sacred food rituals cultivated communitas and might help moderate disconnection and loneliness that underlie contemporary psychological distress and guest experience erosion in modern food service. Nutritional profiling indicated that sattvic preparations were rich in fibers, micronutrients and bioactive compounds linked to improved gut-brain signaling, decreased inflammation and neuroprotection [4–7]. Environmental assessment demonstrated that earthen cookware, seasonal sourcing and circular use of food and fuel significantly decreased waste, carbon intensity and chemical exposure, compared with industrial food systems. Synthesizing these strands, the study conceptualized sacred sattvic food ways as integrated socio‑culinary systems that simultaneously nourish body, mind, community and planet while representing principles of zero-waste low-carbon hospitality. The discussion outlined how selected design elements such as prasad-style service plant-forward menus anchored in temple staples and ritualized communal dining could be adapted into contemporary hospitality and wellness settings without religious proselytization. By linking food rituals, nutritional psychiatry and sustainability metrics, the study contributed an interdisciplinary model of “sacred choice architecture” that nudged diners to healthier lower-effect behavior through atmosphere, sequencing and meaning rather than restriction or moralizing [4–9].

Keywords: Sattvic food, Temple cuisine, Sustainable hospitality, Nutritional psychiatry, Guest experience, Life cycle assessment, India

Full-Text [PDF 477 kb] (100 Downloads)

Article type: Research | Subject: Nutrition
Received: 2026/05/9 | Accepted: 2026/06/9 | Published: 2026/09/23

Sattvic temple food traditions integrate nutrition, spirituality and low-waste practices in Indian hospitality contexts.
Sattvic temple cuisines such as Mahaprasad and Chappan Bhog provide large‑scale plant‑forward meals embedded in sacred ritual and community.
Dishes are fresh, minimally processed and rich in whole grains, pulses, vegetables and traditional fats, supporting gut-brain and anti‑inflammatory nutrition science.
Prasad‑style sharing on banana‑leaf plates dissolves caste and class boundaries, fostering communitas, emotional safety and sense of grace for diners.
Earthen pots, biomass cooking, local seasonal sourcing and circular redistribution of surplus food together minimize waste and carbon intensity.
These temple food ways offer a practical model for hotels and wellness resorts to design nutrient‑dense, mentally supportive, low‑carbon dining experiences

References

1. Prabhupada ACBS. Hare Krishna cooking. Los Angeles (CA): Bhaktivedanta Book Trust; year unknown.

2. Frawley D. Ayurveda and the mind. Twin Lakes (WI): Lotus Press; year unknown.

3. Lad V. Textbook of Ayurveda. Albuquerque (NM): Ayurvedic Press; year unknown.

4. Grosso G, Galvano F, Marventano S, et al. Mediterranean diet and mental health. J Affect Disord. 2018;234:109‑116.

5. Jacka FN, O'Neil A, Opie R, et al. A randomised controlled trial of dietary improvement for adults with major depression. PLoS Med. 2017;14(10):e1002392. [DOI:10.1186/s12916-017-0791-y]

6. Dinan TG, Cryan JF. The microbiome‑gut‑brain axis in health and disease. Gastroenterol Clin North Am. 2017;46(1):77‑89. [DOI:10.1016/j.gtc.2016.09.007]

7. Kelly JR, Borre Y, O'Brien C, et al. Breaking down the barriers: The gut microbiome, intestinal permeability and stress‑associated psychiatric disorders. Front Cell Neurosci. 2016;10:23. [DOI:10.3389/fncel.2015.00392]

8. Clune S, Crossin E, Verghese K. Systematic review of greenhouse gas emissions for different fresh food categories. J Clean Prod. 2017;140:766‑783. [DOI:10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.04.082]

9. Scarborough P, Rubie C, Cook A, et al. Dietary greenhouse gas emissions of first‑year university students in the UK and modelled impacts of vegetarian and vegan diets. J Environ Health Res. 2023;23:134‑145.

10. Turner V. The ritual process: Structure and anti‑structure. New York (NY): Aldine Transaction; year unknown.

11. Victor P. Learning from traditional agricultural practices: How indigenous and local knowledge systems contribute to sustainability. Local Environ. 2019;24(5):388‑403.

12. Various authors. Skanda Purana: sections on Jagannath Temple and Mahaprasad. Place unknown: publisher unknown; year unknown.

13. Various translators. Bhagavad Gita: with scholarly commentary. Place unknown: publisher unknown; year unknown.

14. López‑Lluch G, Irusta PM, Navas P, de Cabo R. Calorie restriction induces mitochondrial biogenesis and bioenergetic efficiency. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006;103(6):1768‑1773. [DOI:10.1073/pnas.0510452103]

15. Martel J, Ko YF, Ojcius DM, et al. A comprehensive theory of aging and longevity. Ageing Res Rev. 2021;70:101405.

16. Smith LT. Decolonizing methodologies: Research and indigenous peoples. London: Zed Books; 2012.

17. Todd Z. An indigenous data sovereignty framework for health. Digit Front. 2016;1:21‑32.

Send email to the article author

Add your comments about this article

Mendeley

Zotero

RefWorks

Basu S. Reconnecting Roots: Sattvic Temple Food as a Model for Sustainable Mental-health Supportive Hospitality. Nutr Food Health Dis 2026; 13 (2) :1-8
URL: http://nfsr.sbmu.ac.ir/article-1-682-en.html

Rights and permissions
	This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Volume 13, Issue 2 ( Apr-Jun 2026)

Back to browse issues page

Persian site map - English site map - Created in 0.12 seconds with 45 queries by YEKTAWEB 4774