Poha is among the most popular breakfast choices across the country, as not only is it economical, but is filling, readily available, and keeps you feeling satiated for long. But have you ever wondered how many calories a serving of Poha contains? And is it particularly healthy for you? In today's Know-Your-Calories blog, we'll take a look at that.
Ingredients:
Prepared using flattened rice, onions, a bunch of spices, curry leaves, and peanuts, the ingredients here are pretty clean. However, in order to reduce the cooking time, restaurants are known to add extra vegetable oil to speed up the cooking process.
Carbohydrates:
Rich in starch, this dish packs in 45 grams of carbohydrates or 180 KCAL, most of which are derived from the flattened rice itself. While this may not seem like a lot for someone who works out, it can end up causing an insulin spike among the aged and those who are diabetic, or those who need to lose weight.
Fats:
Of the 8 grams of fat or 72 KCAL, 5 grams of it comes from refined vegetable oil or palm oil that is used in the preparation of the dish, while the remaining 3 grams of fat comes from the peanuts, and these fats are the healthy fats that you should be consuming.
Protein:
Typical of the Indian diet, and as we've covered at great lengths before, protein is often found in the lowest quantity here at a mere 3 grams or 12 KCAL. Moreover, the protein here is an incomplete one, as it is lacking more than one essential amino acid.
While Poha may not be the unhealthiest dish that we've covered, there are smarter and better ways to prepare it. For one, you can reduce the amount of flattened rice that you use. You can reduce the amount of oil as well and add nutritious beans and legumes to the dish to increase its nutritional value.
As breakfast is often considered the most important meal of the day, you must start by eating healthy and nutritious foods that will help fuel your body.
Questions?