Prime Minister Narendra Modi turns 76 today, and his fitness routine has often been a topic of interest. Yoga, exercise, and long working hours are a familiar part of the conversation around his health. His food habits, however, are much simpler. There is no elaborate diet chart that defines his meals, but his inclination towards traditional Indian food, home-cooked meals, local ingredients, and periods of fasting is not secret.
Moringa Paratha Makes A Regular Appearance
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One of the most specific foods linked to Modi's diet is moringa paratha. During the 2020 Fit India Dialogue with nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar, he revealed that he makes parathas using moringa, also known as drumstick leaves. He said he eats them once or twice a week. It is a fairly simple way of adding the leafy vegetable to a familiar Indian meal. Moringa is also rich in nutrients, including fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
During the same conversation, he recalled his mother regularly asking him whether he was taking haldi, reflecting his preference for familiar Indian ingredients.
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His everyday food philosophy is rooted in the kind of meals found in Indian homes. The 2020 Fit India conversation touched on roti, sabzi, dal, rice, poha and upma, as well as regional dishes. The larger message was to eat more freshly cooked food and cut down on packaged and processed foods. That also explains his references to dal-chawal and ghee not presented as trendy health foods, but as familiar parts of traditional Indian cooking.
Fasting Is A Major Part Of His Routine
His fasting practices are much more restrictive. In his 2025 conversation with Lex Fridman, Modi spoke in detail about fasting during Chaturmas and Navratri. He said that during Chaturmas, which for him runs from around mid-June until after Diwali, he follows a practice of eating only once in 24 hours.
During Navratri in September or October, he said he completely abstains from food for nine days and drinks only hot water.
During Chaitra Navratri, he follows a different routine. He eats one particular fruit once a day for nine days. He gave papaya as an example, saying that if papaya is chosen, that is the only fruit he eats during the fast. He also said these fasting practices have been part of his life for around 50 to 55 years. Hot water is a long-standing habit.
Hot water is another constant in his routine. Modi has said that he drinks hot water regularly and that the habit goes back to his early years. It also becomes the only intake during his nine-day Navratri fast.
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Local Food Remains Central
His 2020 Fit India interaction highlighted regional cooking, local produce and traditional meals. The idea was not to replace familiar Indian food with fashionable diets but to value what is already cooked in Indian homes.
That makes his food habits fairly easy to sum up. There is dal, rice, roti, vegetables, poha, upma, regional food and moringa paratha, along with turmeric and other traditional ingredients. Then there are periods of strict fasting that are tied to his religious practices.