Sikhism is a peaceful and enlightening spiritual journey. Here are some religious dietary acknowledgements for being a Sikh and following Second Nature.
Meat
There are no strict rules about meat consumption, though some Sikhs are vegetarian or vegan, especially if they have been baptised.
It’s also recommended against eating meat from animals slaughtered according to other religious guidelines, and therefore Sikhs avoid eating Halal or Kosher meat.
Some Sikhs also avoid beef, stemming from the Hindu influence in India.
If you don’t eat meat as a Sikh, try to include plenty of other protein sources in your diet, such as:
Eggs
Soya
Quorn
Chickpeas
Lentils
Beans
Yoghurt
Nuts
Seeds
Paneer
Seva and Langar
Sikhs thrive in giving. Service, or ‘seva’, is a huge part of religious duty in Sikhism, and every day, hot meals are served to the general public in the Sikh temple called a Gurdwara.
These free community meals are called langar. Meat, fish, and eggs are not served in the Gurdwaras, but other dairy products are used.
If langar comprises much of your weekly diet, remember to consider the balanced plate model of having plenty of salad or vegetable sabji, plus a high-protein part of your thali (plate) such as lentils, yoghurt, soya, or chickpeas.
Consider portion sizes of other carbohydrates, perhaps opting for one roti as a portion or a 1/4 of your thali as rice.
Below is a guide you can use for a balanced thali:
Amritdhari
Those who take Amrit (holy water) are baptised into Sikhism. Sikhs who have been baptised are known as Amritdhari or Khalsa Sikhs.
With this, they are strict vegans and don’t drink alcohol at all. If you’re an Amritdhari Sikh, check out our vegan guide here.
Alcohol
According to the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh holy book, Sikhs should try not to consume alcohol. However, this is a huge part of the Punjabi culture where most Sikhs come from. Alcohol is also a part of Punjabi Sikh celebrations.
Try to moderate your alcohol intake at celebrations and regular intake by:
Choose an option without added sugar (limit the intake of tonic water, juice, fizzy drinks and energy drinks)
If you intend to have more than one drink, try and alternate between an alcoholic beverage and a glass of water or sparkling water
Try to limit yourself to 1-2 alcoholic drinks at a time
When you do drink, have it over a relaxing meal or with friends and enjoy it, rather than mindlessly drinking while distracted
Set a goal before drinking. You may decide only to have a certain number of drinks, stop drinking at a particular time, or stick to non-alcoholic or lower-strength drinks
Have a balanced, filling meal before drinking
Have 1 or 2 alcohol-free days a week. Alcohol-free days allow the liver to recover, break habits around drinking, and reduces the number of units you drink over the week.
Let friends and family know you are cutting down
Try some mindfulness before drinking. Why are you drinking? Are you bored, stressed, tired? Could something else help with how you are feeling right now?
Perhaps rethink your social routine a little. This could be:
Cutting back on social activities that involve drinking
Trying different social activities where drinking isn’t involved as much
Reducing the number of social occasions in the week where you might drink
Going out to the pub or bar later in the evening
Not buying rounds - set a budget and drink at your own pace
Exercise
Consider some traditional ways to keep active, such as:
Kabaddi (rugby)
Gatka (Sikh religious martial arts)
Physical seva, i.e., cleaning up local communities, helping to maintain your local Gurdwara or contributing to cooking and serving Langar
Joining a sports club or hiking group at your local Gurdwara
For further help on following Second Nature as a Sikh, we have a couple more guides you can read:
Following Second Nature the Indian Way
Written by Simi Ryatt