(5) Food is classified into three groups - Saatwik, Rwajasik and Taamasik. (Vide 17th chapter of Geetaa). There are references in scriptural works on the list of foods coming under the three categories. There are three types of Dosh (afflictions) affecting the foods -

1. Jaati Dosh - Garlic, onion etc vegetables come under Jaati Dosh (species)
2. Nimitta Dosh - Nimitta Dosh is because of external impurities like dust, hairs or unsanitary handling. Nimitta Dosha can be avoided. Cleanliness removes this Dosh.
3. Aashraya Dosh - Foods cooked or handled by persons of bad character get affected because of evil psychic vibrations and this is called Aashraya Dosh. The solution is to offer the food to God before taking it and then taking it as Prasaad if it becomes unavoidable to take such food.

Some people consider that red colored vegetables or Daal like tomato, beetroot, carrot and Red lentils and foul smelling vegetables such as onion and garlic are not Saatwik but medically these vegetables and fruits have their own merits also.

Pure and Impure Food
Bhakshya Dosh
Bhakshya means worth eating means food, and Dosh means fault or defect. The term is used, not as regards the quality of food so much as the place where it is eaten, with whom it is eaten, and in whose presence it is eaten. Some consider that their food is polluted by being taken out of the Chaukaa (where the food is cooked) or that enclosed space where it is cooked and so forth.

Who eat "Chaukaa food" they draw a line from flour, or soft coke or chalk to enclose themselves and eat in that space only. while they eat in that space nobody can go in there or touch anything inside it. If they have to take any thing from outside, either they take it before entering it, or somebody has to pour it in their bowl or plate. If anything is touched anyhow, they leave the food then and there considering it impure. In fact this happens with "Kachchaa food" (Rotee or Phulkaa, Daal, rice) not with vegetables, or yogurt preparation etc.

Food Items    see also   Vegetables,     Fruits,     Cereals
There are some other food items which cannot be put under the categories of Vegetables, Fruits and Cereals, but still are food items. Those are given here -