An online Indian dietitian for Sydney, by video or phone

Who this is for

This page is for people of Indian background living in Sydney who want dietetic advice that starts from the food they actually cook, rather than a plan that has to be translated or adapted after the fact. That might mean a first consultation entirely in Hindi or Punjabi, or simply not having to explain what dal, sabzi or paratha are before getting to the actual health question. The clinical goal — managing diabetes, cholesterol, weight or digestive symptoms — comes first; language and food are how the plan gets made practical.

How an online appointment from Sydney works

The appointment itself is a video or phone consultation, booked the same way as any other Karma Nutrition appointment: no GP referral needed to book privately. One practical detail: the practice is based in Queensland, which doesn't observe daylight saving, while Sydney does. Appointment times are given in Queensland time. From the first Sunday in October to the first Sunday in April, Sydney is an hour ahead, so a 10:00am Queensland appointment is 11:00am in Sydney. It's worth double-checking the time when you book.

Beyond that, the consultation structure is the same as an in-person one: a review of your current diet, health history and any referral information, then a practical, prioritised plan rather than a generic handout. See the full consultation approachfor what that looks like session to session.

What we help with

Common reasons Sydney clients book includediabetes and prediabetes,weight management,cholesterol and heart health, andIBS and digestive symptoms — often with a family history or existing diagnosis that makes a generic meal plan unhelpful. Pregnancy and women's health nutrition is also available by video. If your situation needs examination, testing or another clinician's assessment, that should still happen through your GP or specialist — a dietitian works alongside that care, not instead of it.

Indian food, done specifically

"Eat healthier" is not useful advice on its own, and neither is a meal plan built around foods your household doesn't actually eat. What matters more is the detail — and that detail genuinely differs between North and South Indian eating patterns, which a plan should account for rather than flatten into one generic "Indian diet."

Dal — moong, masoor, toor or chana — is a strong, everyday source of protein and fibre regardless of region. The preparation matters more than the dal itself: a tadka finished with a spoon of ghee or oil adds meaningfully less fat than one built on a heavy tempering, and that's an easy, low-effort adjustment once you know to look for it.

Roti and paratha are not the same food, nutritionally. A plain roti cooked dry or with a light brush of ghee is a different meal from a layered, pan-fried paratha — useful to know when deciding how often each one makes sense, rather than treating "bread" as one category.

Rice portions are where North and South Indian households often look quite different. In many North Indian meals, rice is one dish among several — roti, dal, sabzi — eaten in a moderate serve. In many South Indian households, rice is the daily staple across more than one meal: idli and dosa batters, rice with sambar or rasam, curd rice to finish. Neither pattern is wrong, but the practical advice — portion size, what else is on the plate, how often — needs to match which pattern your household actually follows, not an assumption based on the word "Indian."

Ghee and oil show up differently too — North Indian cooking leans on ghee for tempering, parathas and sweets; South Indian cooking often uses coconut oil, mustard oil or sesame oil, plus coconut itself in chutneys and curries. Both are fine in reasonable amounts; the useful question is how much and how often, not which fat is "better."

Chai, had two or three times a day with milk and sugar in many households, is an easy source of added sugar to overlook simply because it isn't "a meal." It doesn't need to be cut out — knowing it's there is often enough to make a small, real difference.

Festival sweets — barfi, ladoo and gulab jamun in North Indian households; payasam, mysore pak and other South Indian mithai around Pongal or other celebrations — don't need to be avoided altogether. A portion-and-timing approach around Diwali or other festivals works better than an all-or-nothing rule, and actually gets followed. See diabetes-friendly festival eating and rice vs roti for diabetes for more on both of these in practice.

Booking from anywhere in Greater Sydney

The appointment is online, so it reaches wherever you are in Greater Sydney, including Bella Vista, Baulkham Hills, Parramatta, Blacktown, Strathfield and Harris Park — and just as easily anywhere else in Sydney or further afield.

Medicare and referrals

Appointments can be booked privately with no GP referral at all. If your GP has set you up with a GP Chronic Condition Management Plan, you may be eligible for a Medicare rebate on a dietitian consultation by video — eligibility, current item numbers and what your GP needs to provide can change, so check directly with your GP or see the referring GPs page for the pathway. For current private fees and how Medicare, DVA and private health rebates fit together, see the fees and funding page.