How healthy is Indian food?

How healthy is Indian food? (Thinkstock photos/Getty Images)

With delectable flavors and fragrant spices, Indian cuisine is undoubtedly famous around the world. In addition to its wide variety of rich flavors, a traditional Indian diet also boasts a wide variety of nutrients in a balanced quantity.

We love our dal-chawal, roti-subzi, idli-sambhar, macch-bhaat. Not only is Indian food diverse, but it also changes every 10 kilometers. Enriched with different varieties of dals, sabzis, rotis, rice, and an infinite category of fruits, Indian cuisine is colorful in every aspect.

According to our ancient Indian science, Ayurveda, Indian food is complete and enough for our bodies. The dependence on foreign foods is not required as our legumes, beans, grains, fruits, and vegetables provide ample amounts of fiber, fat, carbohydrates, proteins, and vitamins and minerals. Next

How healthy is Indian food?

By - TNN | Sep 8, 2020, 19:00 IST

How healthy is Indian food?

How healthy is Indian food? (Thinkstock photos/Getty Images)

Even though we are predominantly a vegetarian nation, our foods are sufficient to make us nutritionally efficient. Even though we may be obsessed with our rice and roti, our traditional Indian diet comprises healthy ingredients. However, on the flip side, obesity and diabetes continue to be a significant public health concern for India. The country is considered to be the Diabetes capital of the world, and we are seeing people report problems such as heart diseases, weight gain, high cholesterol levels over the years. PCOS, PCOD, infertility are on the rise too. The medical journal did a detailed study. The Lancet mentioned that Indians tend to consume more carbohydrates, sugar, minuscule protein, and plant protein than recommended for a sample adult population base, despite having access to diversified dietary sources.

The burden of diseases and the health risks it brings makes one question: is our Indian diet thatSo, what hurts our nutrient quotient, our grandmother's recipes, or new modern living techniques? Let us find:

The staple Indian diet consists of roti, rice, dal, chutney, pickle, beans, and legumes, along with meat or chicken, or fish. These can vary from region to region with the addition of several other components, but listing them here will be an impossible task

Let's look at the nutrient quotient of some of these everyday food items we consume

- Roti: 85 calories per roti with a 6" diameter. Fat content - 0.5gms

- Dal (urad) with tadka: 154 calories per 150gms. Fat content - 6gm

- Rajma/chana/Sophia: 153 calories per 150gms. Fat content - 5gm

- Average mixed vegetable: 142 calories per 150gms. Fat content - 15gms (based on oil usage

- Average chicken curry: 300 calories per 100gms. Fat content - 15 to 35gms (based on oil and types of cut - skinless, lean, etc

- Plain dosa: 125 calories per medium dosa. Fat content - 3gm

- Idlis: 132 calories for two. Fat content: 3gm

- Curd rice: 190 calories per 100gms. Fat content: 7gm

- Coconut rice: 368 calories per 100gms. Fat content: 15gm

By now, it is clear enough that an average day's diet is mainly balanced with the proper amount of carbs, fats, fiber, and proteins. Curd, beans, lentils, chicken, fish, or meat not only provide essential amino acids but are also good sources of healthy fats and are low in calories. Therefore, it is safe to say that a typical Indian meal comprises good carbs, healthy natural protein, and resistant starch, which is beneficial in weight loss.