How many calories does one Besan Paratha have?

One Besan Paratha gives 151 calories. Out of which carbohydrates comprise 115 calories, proteins account for 27 calories and remaining calories come from fat which is 13 calories.  One Besan Paratha provides about 8 percent of the total daily calorie requirement of a standard adult diet of 2,000 calories.

Click here to view Besan Paratha recipe. Roasted besan has a rich and appetising aroma, a property that is usually used well in the realm of sweets. However, we have innovatively used roasted besan along with taste givers like ginger-green chilli paste, as the stuffing for whole wheat parathas.

This simple yet tasty Besan Paratha is also healthy as it is loaded with fibre, iron and vitamin B complex. You just need to make sure that you serve this Zero Oil Besan Paratha immediately on preparation, while it is still fluffy and soft, as it tends to get dry upon cooling.

Serve with Fatless Maa ki Dal or Rajma Saagwala or just plain Low Fat Curds .

Is Besan Paratha Healthy?

Yes, this is healthy. But restrictions apply to some. Made from besan and whole wheat flour, both are healthy. 

Let's understand the Ingredients.

What's good.

1. Whole Wheat flour : Whole wheat flour is excellent for diabetics as they will not shoot up your blood sugar levels as they are a low GI food.  Whole wheat flour is rich in Phosphorus which is a major mineral which works closely with calcium to build our bones. Vitamin B9 helps your body to produce and maintain new cells, especially increase red blood cells. See detailed 11 benefits of whole wheat flour and why it's good for you.

2. Curd + Low fat Curds :  Curds help in digestion as it has very good bacteria. Probiotics in curds acts as a mild laxative but, in case of diarrhoea and dysentery, it is a boon, if curd is used with rice. Curd is one of the richest source of protein, calcium and minerals. They help in weight reduction, good for your heart and build immunity. Being low in sodium, it is safe to be eaten by individuals with high blood pressure. The only difference between curds and low fat curds is the fat level. Read the benefits of curds to include in your daily diet. 

3. Besan : Besan has more good fat than whole wheat flour and also higher protein content. Rich in complex carbohydrates and with a low glycemic index, besan is good for diabetics too. Besan is high in Folate or folic acid, which is important for rapid growth and multiplication of red blood cells and white blood cells (WBC) in the bone marrow. See 10 detailed benefits of besan and why it's good for you. 

4. Coriander (kothmir, dhania) : Coriander is a fresh herb often used as a flavour enhancer in Indian cooking. It is mainly used as a garnish. This is the best way to use it - no cooking. This preserves its vitamin C content which helps to build our immunity and bring that sparkle to the skin. The antioxidants vitamin A, vitamin C and the quercetin present in coriander works towards strengthening our immune system. Coriander is a fairly good source of iron and folate – the 2 nutrient which help in the production and maintenance of red blood cells in our blood. Good for reducing cholesterol and good for diabetics. Read 9 benefits of coriander to understand details. 

Can diabetics, heart patients and over weight individuals have Besan Paratha?

Yes, this recipe is good for diabetics, heart and weight loss. Besan has more good fat than whole wheat flour and also higher protein content. Rich in complex carbohydrates and with a low glycemic index, besan is good for diabetics too.

Can healthy individuals have Besan Paratha?

Yes. Whole wheat flour is excellent for diabetics as they will not shoot up your blood sugar levels as they are a low GI food.  Whole wheat flour is rich in Phosphorus which is a major mineral which works closely with calcium to build our bones. 

8 Pointers to get healthy on a Indian diet

1. Eat healthy and say yes to good home cooked food. Prefer whole grains like oatmeal, quinoa, buckwheat, barley and healthy flours like bajra flour, jowar flour, quinoa flour, wheat flour etc. rather than refined ones like maida. Have healthy Indian fats like ghee, coconut, coconut oil in your diet.

2. Opt out of junk food, packaged food, deep fried foods. Prefer steamed snacks and other non-fried snacks. Check out some Healthy Indian Snacks. Remember to eat small frequent meals through the day as that will keep you always full and prevent your blood sugar from dropping. By starving your body through some diet, will not help you one bit. In fact, dieting will make you binge on 2 to 3 meals which is not good. 

Skip having Indian junk foods like pav bhaji, bata vada, pakoras, gulab jamun as they cause your body to have insulance resistance. The resultant is your body will store more carbohydrates as fats, causing storage of fat in the stomach causing a paunch and slowing down of our fat burning process. So its a bad cyle which causes you more more hunger and fatigue every time you eat junk food. 

3. Have 4 to 5 servings of vegetables and 2 to 3 servings of fruit is a must. Follow the logic of a vegetable in each main meal of the day and a fruit in-between meals. Check out a few Healthy Indian Soups and Healthy Indian Salads  recipes using this food group.           

4. Cut down on sugar and salt in your diet and pick honey ( very small amounts) or dates to sweeten your food. Slowly cut the sugar habit as this is not going to happen over night. Sugar  is also called white poison. It is a simple carbohydrate with zero nutritional value. On intake, sugar will cause inflammation of the body which will last for many hours. It will spike your blood sugar level and shut down the fat burning process. This also causes high blood sugar levels in your body. The development of prediabetes comes from uncontrolled eating sugar and refined food products for many years and the classic symptom is if you have excess belly fat. This leads to diabetes and further onwards to heart attack, high blood pressure, strokes, impotence and kidney damage. 

Salt and blood pressure. Apart from stress and obesity, one of the main reasons for high blood pressure is excessive sodium and salt intake. Most people find it difficult to limit the amount of salt in their cooking, thinking it will affect the taste of their favourite dishes. 

This is not true. Bajra and jowar are rich in potassium and critical for those with High Blood Pressure as it lessens the impact of sodium. Eating more Potassium Rich Foods will remove more sodium from your body through urine. So include the basic bajra roti and jowar roti in your daily diet to have with Lower Blood Pressure Subzis Recipes. 

5. Befriend a few healthy seeds and nuts like chia seeds, flax seeds, sesame seeds, walnuts and almonds. 

6.  Sprouts are called ‘living food’. They are high is most nutrients and easy to digest as well. Let them feature in your meals at least thrice a week. Also Read : All Benefits about Sprouts. 

7.  Exercise 45 minutes every day. No excuse. You can walk fast, run, do weights, play your favourite sport or go to the gym. No activity reduces muscle tissue which will lead to muscke loss and all kinds of problems with that. 

8.  Sleep early and get up early. Get your body into rhythm and it will function best. Sleep helps your body to recover and makes you look much younger. Also getting good sleep prevent muscle loss. 

Besan Paratha is high in

1. Fiber : Dietary fiber reduce the risk of heart disease, prevent the spike in blood sugar levels and hence super for diabetics. Consume more fruits, vegetables, moong, oats, matki, whole grains.

2. Phosphorous : Phosphorous works closely with calcium to build bones. 

3. Vitamin B1 : Vitamin B1 protects nerves, helps in carbohydrate metabolism, prevents heart diseases and helps produce red blood cells. 

Note : a recipe is deemed high in a Vitamin or mineral if it meets 20% and above the recommended daily allowance based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

How to burn 151 calories that come from one Besan Paratha?

Note: These values are approximate and calorie burning differs in each individual