From “Samosa Girl” to a “Fit Mom”: The inspiring transformation of Postpartum Nutritionist Pooja Batla

Early life and childhood

Born and raised in Ghaziabad, close to the food capital—Delhi, Pooja grew up surrounded by various delicious foods. She was a foodie and loved to try new and tasty dishes.

To her luck, Pooja’s mother believed in her kids learning essential life skills like cooking as early as possible. This allowed Pooja to experiment with dishes that caught her attention as she tried to cook them herself. Pooja recalls her school days when her friend group would share their tiffins at lunch. Whenever a dish stole her heart, she would try to recreate it at home.

Pooja’s father was just as fond of cooking, and some of her fondest childhood memories are in the ones where she and her father cooked together.

Despite her exceptional cooking skills, Pooja was surprised to find herself married to a family that was a step ahead of her when it came to cooking. Her in-laws were passionate towards food and would often prepare multi-course meals. Her husband, a huge foodie and an excellent cook, inspired Pooja to expand her skills in the kitchen.

Samosa girl

Now nutritionist Pooja revealed how she was the “Samosa girl” back at home.

“I was known as the 'Samosa Girl' in my family because I was such a huge fan of samosas. You could name any shop, and it was impossible that I hadn't tried their samosas. I even used to bribe my neighbours to go and get samosas for me every evening. I would call one of the boys, who used to play near our house, over and give them 5 rupees: 4 rupees for the samosas and 1 rupee as their commission. It became a daily ritual for me. Every evening, I would eat at least two extra samosas apart from my regular meals. You can imagine the kind of lifestyle I had back then! All my friends and family started calling me 'Samosa Girl.' Anytime I showed up, it was a given that we’d have to eat samosas. Nothing else was acceptable. It was almost like my identity!”

The Turning point

Pooja’s eating habits led to health issues that started affecting her life. As Pooja learned to cook delicious but unhealthy junk foods at home post-marriage, she gained significant weight from her indisciplined eating habits. This weight gain soon led to PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome). Her world turned upside down when she experienced two miscarriages in a row. When Pooja consulted a gynaecologist regarding this, she very plainly told Pooja not to try to conceive again unless she got her weight under control.

This broke her heart but hardened her spirit. Pooja decided to adopt a healthier lifestyle. She consulted several dietitians and went on a number of diet plans to speed up her weight loss process. However, this led to her leaving all her favourite food items (including her beloved samosas). She found herself starving, trying to satiate herself with the bland bird-sized meals. It wasn’t long after that she realised this plan of action wasn’t entirely sustainable. This realisation motivated her to take matters into her own hands.

Initially, her family was against this shift. They declined the idea of a restrictive eating habit, but Pooja’s husband Ankur recognised this need and extended his support to her in these dire times.

Pooja went on to research about how these diet plans actually work. This landed her in several courses, diplomas and Nutritional Health and Education certifications. Pooja began experimenting and inventing her recipes that were healthy and yet fulfilling. Her main focus was to create meals that left her satisfied but not regretful. She let go of eating out and completely shifted to home-cooked meals. Today, after eight years into this heartbreaking yet inspiring journey, she is not only a “Fit Mom” but a Postpartum Nutritionist helping mothers and to-be mothers become “Fit Moms”.

Pooja not only overcame her own health isuues but trained herself to become a professional so that she can help others like her.

Food for Fitness

Pooja revealed that she believes in creating diet plans personalised to the individual.

“If you love a specific flavour or ingredient, you can’t give it up, at least not without being completely miserable. So, I try to create diet plans that are not far from the client's preferences. Rather, I offer dishes with that same flavour or ingredient that minimise the side-effects and maximise the nutrition values and health benefits.”

“There is no need to compromise on taste when shifting to a healthier diet.”

Pooja strongly believes in curating diet plans that are not only effective but also sustainable. She makes sure her recipes are healthy and tasty by trying them out herself first. She expresses her gratitude towards everyone who motivated her to change her lifestyle. Pooja described how her discipline and fitness have helped her become a role model for her kids. “When the kids see their moms eat healthy, they are motivated to do the same without fussing. They look up to me, see Mama being healthy and fit, and want to follow. It gives me great joy to see that. At the end of the day, it's not about the quantity of time you spend with your children but the quality of the time.”

Pooja's current favorite snack to eat is an avocado toast.

This is how she makes her Avocado Toast

Everyday challenges

Pooja recently returned to work after her maternity leave. She has also ventured into YouTube, documenting the recipes she creates for use by thousands of people worldwide. Her five-year-old son acts as her assistant, helping her record these videos.

Pooja loves developing recipes and cooking them but finds the technical aspect of this job challenging. Regardless of the setbacks, she is determined to become more consistent with her posting and plans on expanding her recipe collection for the mothers out there.

A word of recognition

To our joy, Pooja took some time to express her gratitude towards the Chefadora platform and our founder, Sanjam, for our efforts,

“I really appreciate the Chefadora platform. What I love most about it is the sense of permanence it offers. I remember telling my mother-in-law to note down her recipes so I could pass them on to my children, ensuring they stay in the family. But with Chefadora, I feel secure; just one link and all my recipes are preserved forever.

Honestly, I don’t know what kind of magic this platform is for me, but when I think about Sanjam, I feel like she came into my life as an angel at the perfect time and for the perfect purpose. She’s always ready to help, even though she doesn’t know me personally, and I don’t know her well either. Her support is incredible.

When Sanjam approached me with the idea of putting my recipes on this platform, I wasn’t interested. As a new mother, I felt overwhelmed and thought I couldn’t manage it. But Sanjam put so much thought and effort into creating a strategy for me. She understood my situation as a mother and helped me find a purpose. She made me believe I could still do something meaningful, even during such a busy phase of my life.

I bothered her so much, but she remained patient and supportive. She’s truly a beautiful soul who helps without expecting anything in return. Her guidance has always been focused on my benefit, with no ulterior motives. For me, she is like an angel who entered my life when I needed her the most.

Even for other things, I’ve asked for her support, and she’s always said, “I’m here for you.” Sometimes, I wonder why someone would go out of their way to help me like this. I feel so lucky to have such kind and supportive people around me.”

What now

Pooja Batla is planning on giving more time to helping her clients in their weight management journey in 2025.

Pooja is all set to invest more time in creating healthy recipes and posting frequently. Her resolution for 2025 is to invest more time in her goals.

Looking back, she acknowledged her husband's role in inspiring her to cook healthier and expressed gratitude for finding such a supportive life partner. At the same time, she also expressed her pride in her journey from a food enthusiast to a health-conscious recipe creator.

We asked her what advice she would like to give to aspiring recipe creators and someone who loves food but is also highly health conscious. To which she said,

“The answer to healthy eating habits lies in moderation, not restriction.”

Pooja also emphasises that everybody is different, and people should be conscious about what suits them. Individuals should build a strong awareness of themselves and plan their diet accordingly. “One size cannot fit all” is what she has to say about diet rules that claim to be universal.

Pooja is entering a new phase of her life and is excited to embark on this journey. Her main aim is to create personalised diet plans and recipes for her clients. She is very particular about building a strong bond with her clients and pays special attention to understanding them before helping them. Pooja Batla is an inspiration for people who want to adopt a healthier lifestyle and truly believes anyone and everyone can do it, “If I can go from Samosa girl to a healthy, full-time Postpartum Nutritionist, anyone can do anything!”

Want to try out Pooja Batla's recipes? Click here for her recipes.

Updated on 20 Jan 2025