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Reconnecting Roots: Sattvic Temple Food as a Model for Sustainable Mental-health Supportive Hospitality
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Supritam Basu *   |
| Sheraton Grand Hotel Dubai, Dubai, UAE , supritambasu1991@gmail.com |
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Abstract: (11 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]. |
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| Keywords: Sattvic food, Temple cuisine, Sustainable hospitality, Nutritional psychiatry, Guest experience, Life cycle assessment, India |
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Full-Text [PDF 477 kb]
(6 Downloads)
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Article type: Research |
Subject:
Nutrition
Received: 2026/05/9 | Accepted: 2026/06/9
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- 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
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