Tusshar Kapoor says he lives to eat, always has, always will. "Though I no longer eat like a pig, food continues to hold a sacred place in my life. It's in my DNA," he says. Dieting? Absolutely out of the question. A true lover of food, he's simply learnt to embrace mindfulness instead. That's his mantra now, eating the right food in the right quantity, without ever losing the joy of it. For him, food is comfort, nostalgia, and a powerful love language. From tiffin boxes packed with care, to college-time cravings and now gluten-free cakes shared with his son, it's been quite a journey. And the best part? He's still hungry for more.
Growing Up Kapoor At home, our meals were always simple. We grew up on Punjabi food but not the typical rajma-chawal or butter chicken. Our plates were filled with parathas, rice, roti, chicken, mutton and dal. Breakfasts would sometimes be sandwiches, sometimes dal pakwan. And lunch? Never complete without a stuffed paratha, aloo, gobhi, paneer, you name it, we had it. My all-time favourite was pomfret cooked in green masala. I used to wait for it like a kid at a candy store. Mixing the masala with rice and digging in, that's still comfort food to me. I honestly don't think anything beats kadhi chawal or dahi chawal with a sabzi on the side. It was my mom, (Shobha Kapoor) who decided what was cooked every day. And thank God for that. Our food was always Indian, always balanced. Dal, sabzi, phulka, chicken... It was never greasy, never heavy. My dad was health-conscious and even though he was busy with shoots, the food at home was always clean and wholesome. We were food lovers, yes, but there was no "party food" on a daily basis. The School Tiffin Gang In school, my tiffin for the short recess always had a simple white bread butter sandwich. I still remember how excited I used to be to open that box. For lunch, hot food would arrive from home, dal chawal, or roti with chicken. I was close to Abhishek Bachchan and his cousin Namrata. We'd wait for our sisters after school, since their classes ended later. Then Abhishek, Namrata, Ekta and I would sit in a small shed on the school terrace and eat lunch together. Those were such warm, innocent days. We had a little gang, including Aarti Patkar, who's now married to Shaad Ali. We'd spend hours just chatting and playing. Food and friendship went hand in hand. College = Junk Food Madness Then came college, and all hell broke loose! I went mad with food. Coke, Pepsi, Frankies... Shiv Sagar was our go-to place. In the '90s, Chinese food was just becoming popular and Manchurian was our big discovery. We used to hang out more outside college than in it and food was the glue. Vada pav, Frankies, samosas from stalls near college... that was the good life. I got about Rs 200-300 as pocket money and I blew most of it on food. We weren't particularly disciplined. But honestly, it was fun. Later, when I went to the University of Michigan, I had to be more mindful. Everything was in dollars and I was living off the money my parents sent. Tuition was expensive, so I had to control every other expense. I became a little more disciplined. But weekends were another story. It was all about beer, vodka, dorm parties and pizza. I'd gained a lot of weight by then. From school to college, then America, it was all junk food, all the time. Frozen meals were our reality. Nutrition didn't exist in our vocabulary. The only thing that mattered was taste. But there were joys too, like midnight pizza slices for a dollar from campus stores. That's something I still remember fondly. Those late-night study breaks had a charm of their own. Turning the Corner When I came back to India in 1999, things changed. I started working out and became more conscious of what I was eating. My sweet tooth was legendary, I loved desserts growing up. Sooji ka halwa, aate ka halwa, moong dal halwa... I was obsessed with Milkmaid. I could eat it by the spoonful. Back then, there was no fear of weight. Now, I can't even think of indulging like that. I still enjoy desserts but even my cheat days are gluten-free. I've grown to enjoy that slightly different flavour. These days, I avoid milk completely, it just doesn't suit me anymore. My daily meals are pretty structured now. Breakfast is eggs. Lunch is paneer with rice and vegetables. Dinner is high-protein, chicken or fish. I snack on nuts between meals. It's about balance. I eat less, I eat better. Dining Out and Dining Right I used to frequent Indigo Deli in Andheri but now I prefer healthier options like Farmers Café. There was this charming Italian place in Juhu, Don Giovanni, run by an Italian gentleman. It's shut now, but I loved it. I'm not too fond of Asian food, especially in Mumbai's humid weather, it just doesn't sit well. Italian is more my vibe. Pizza, pasta, penne, grilled chicken, salmon steak, I love it all. When I dine out now, I look at the ambience first, then the food, and finally, the pricing. I hate overspending on fo