Even during her busy shooting schedules, Hema ensures she eats homemade food. She prefers carrying her lunch from home rather than depending on on-set meals. While her family cook prepares dishes in his own style, she enjoys South Indian delicacies like rasam, a light, tangy soup rich in flavor and health benefits. She also enjoys kadhi, both South Indian and Gujarati versions, appreciating regional diversity in vegetarian cooking. Her brother’s Gujarati wife often prepares traditional Gujarati dishes she loves.
A Strictly Vegetarian, Balanced Diet
Coming from an orthodox Iyengar family, Hema has always followed a pure vegetarian diet. She avoids non-vegetarian food completely and pays close attention to balance, never mixing rice and chapati in the same meal. Her focus remains on light, easily digestible foods and fresh vegetables, often opting for boiled or lightly cooked preparations without excess oil or salt. This disciplined approach, along with yoga, dance, and meditation, has kept her body and mind youthful over the decades.