5 common Indian breakfast foods that are actually unhealthy
What's the story
Breakfast is an important meal of the day and offers a fresh burst of energy. However, it could do more harm than good if you savor food items that are pretty common but exceptionally unhealthy to kick-start your day. We got in touch with Aakash Bansal, certified dietician, founder, and fitness expert at FormFit, who revealed five such common unhealthy breakfast offerings.
Punjabi essential
Aloo puri
"Having deep fried puris with potatoes isn't the best idea in the morning. The meal has negligible protein and packs a lot of calories," shares Bansal with NewsBytes. On asking for a better alternative, the certified dietician and fitness coach says, "Instead of aloo puri, have chhole (chickpeas) with puris that are fried in a healthy cold-pressed oil."
South Indian favorite
Sambhar vada
"Just because these deep fried vadas are made of dal, some consider them healthy, on the contrary, they are not. The black lentils used to prepare vadas can be heavy and difficult to digest for many in the morning," reveals Bansal. Instead, "Have idlis with sambhar, since they are steamed and contain very few calories compared to vadas," suggests Bansal.
Busting myth
Packed fruit juices and sealed cut fruits
Just because they involve fruits, doesn't mean they are wholesome. "Packed fruit juices are processed liquids devoid of nutrients and with a lot of added sugar. And many fruits lose their nutrients when they are cut and packed in boxes for future consumption," tells Bansal. As a better way out, "Have freshly procured fruit juices or fruits as they contain fiber," he suggests.
Bread dread
White bread with jam
Now you may wonder why we have bread on our list. Well, "This common meal has little or no nutritional value. There is white bread which is processed wheat, and jam which is full of extra sugar, color, and preservatives," reveals Bansal. He urges people to switch to whole wheat bread and replace jams with fresh veggies or peanut butter.
No nutritional value
Cereals or cornflakes
"Pre-packaged and ready-to-eat cereals are high in sugar, and salt, and have low to no nutritional value of the original grains they are made from," shares the fitness coach. As for cornflakes, "They will give you far from any nutrients of corn. Having them is actually doing you a lot more harm than good," he says. He suggests eating muesli, granola, or oats.