Cooling vs. Heating Foods

The following lists outline the foods and ingredients that are considered to have a more heating or cooling action in the body, according to Ayurveda. Keep in mind that these are general guidelines—Ayurveda encourages listening to the body and honoring your individual needs first and foremost.

Whether to eat heating or cooling foods, or a mix of both, depends on many factors, including the time of year, your Ayurvedic constitution, and your current state of imbalance. If you do not yet know your dosha, we encourage you to take our free Ayurvedic Profile™ quiz.

Fruits

Cooling	Heating
Apple Avocado Dates Figs Grapes (red, purple, black) Honeydew Lime Melons Pears Pomegranate Prunes Raisins Raspberries Strawberries Watermelon	Apricots Banana (ripe) Cantaloupe Cherries Cranberries Grapes (green) Grapefruit Kiwi Lemon Oranges Papaya Peaches Pineapple Plums Tamarind

Vegetables

Cooling	Heating
Asparagus Beets Beet Greens Broccoli Cabbage Cauliflower Celery Cilantro Cucumber Green beans Kale (and most bitter greens) Lettuce Okra Parsnip Peas Potatoes Rutabaga Spinach (raw) Sprouts Squash (summer) Zucchini	Artichoke Brussels Sprouts Burdock Root Carrots Chilies Corn Dandelion Greens Eggplant Leeks Mushrooms Mustard Greens Olives Onion Peppers Radishes Spinach (cooked) Squash (winter) Tomatoes Turnips

Grains

Cooling	Heating
Amaranth Barley Oats Pasta (wheat) Quinoa Rice, Basmati* Tapioca Wheat	Buckwheat Corn Millet Rice, Brown Rye Seitan Spelt

*If a food is processed into something else, the quality changes. For example, rice vinegar, and all vinegars, have a heating action in the body due to the fermentation process.

Legumes

Cooling	Heating
Azuki Beans Black-Eyed Peas Garbanzo Beans (Chick Peas) Lentils, Red Mung Beans Pinto Beans Soy Beans Tofu White Beans	Kidney Beans Lentils, Brown Miso Navy Beans Tempeh Tur Dal Urad Dal

Nuts

Cooling	Heating
Almonds (soaked and peeled) Coconut	Almonds (with skin) Brazil Nuts Cashews Macadamia Nuts Peanuts Pecans Pine Nuts Pistachios Walnuts

Dairy Products

Cooling	Heating
Buttermilk Cow’s Milk Goat’s Milk Ghee Yogurt (homemade)*	Butter Cheese** Sour Cream Yogurt (store-bought)*

*The reason for the difference here has to do with the age of the product and freshness versus prolonged fermentation.
**Paneer and other kinds of soft cheeses have a light, gentle quality to them that is more balancing to vata and pitta than other cheese varieties.

Meats & Other Animal Foods

Cooling	Heating
Buffalo Rabbit Turkey Venison Egg Whites	Beef Chicken Duck Egg Yolks Fish Lamb & Mutton* Pork Shrimp

*Our Ayurvedic resources don't mention goat meat, but it likely has a heating quality as well.