How many calories does one serving of Usal have?

One serving of Usal gives 98 calories. Out of which carbohydrates comprise 42 calories, proteins account for 13 calories and remaining calories come from fat which is 43 calories.  One serving of Usal provides about 5 percent of the total daily calorie requirement of a standard adult diet of 2,000 calories.

98 calories for 1 serving of Usal (Healthy Subzi), Cholesterol 0 mg, Carbohydrates 10.4g, Protein 3.2g, Fat 4.8g. Find how much fibre, iron, calcium, zinc, magnesium, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, folic acid is present in Usal (Healthy Subzi).

Click here to view.  Usal recipe. A traditional Maharashtrian preparation made healthier using an assortment of sprouted pulses. Sprouting not only increases the protein content but also makes the dish easier to digest and richer in calcium. While some methods of preparation use kokum, we have used tomatoes for tang so that it can be made easily by everybody, even in regions where kokum is not available.

Is Usal healthy?

Yes, this is healthy. 

Let's understand the Ingredients.

What's good.

1. Sprouts ( mixed sprouts) : Sprouts contain enzymes that aid digestion and are alkaline in nature. Sprouting increases the availability of proteins. For example, on sprouting, the protein content of moong increases by 30%.  On sprouting, the seed becomes a veritable nutrient factory with a greater concentration of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin K and B-complex. Sprouts are a good source of fibre , good for diabetic and heart friendly. See detailed health benefits of sprouts. 

2. Onions (pyaz, kanda) :  Raw onions are a very valuable source of vitamin C – the immune building vitamin. Along with other phytonutrients from onions, it helps to build WBC (white blood cells) which serves as a line of defence against illness. Yes, it’s a source of many antioxidants, the most important one amongst them being Quercetin. The quercetin which promotes production of HDL (good cholesterol) and lowers total cholesterol in the body. The sulphur in onions act as a blood thinner and prevents blood clotting too. This in turn would lower blood pressure and good for heart,  diabetics. Read the benefits of onions. 

3. Tomatoes : Tomatoes are extremely rich source of Lycopene. Tomatoes are a powerful antioxidant, super rich in Vitamin C, good for heart. Tomatoes are a Pregnant women's friend and are rich in Folate or Folic Acid which helps your body to produce and maintain new cells, especially red blood cells. Read about 13 amazing benefits of tomatoes.   

4. Coriander (kothmir, dhania) : 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 for diabetics. Read 9 benefits of coriander to understand details. 

Can diabetics, heart patients and over weight individuals have Usal  ?

Yes. Sprouts are a good source of fibre , good for diabetic and heart friendly. The quercetin in onions which promotes production of HDL (good cholesterol) and lowers total cholesterol in the body. Usal is good for diabetics, heart patients and weight loss. 

Can healthy individuals have Usal ?

Yes, sprouts are always healthy. 

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. 

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. 

 Usal  is high in

1. Vitamin C :  Vitamin C is a great defence against coughs and colds.

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 98 calories that come from Usal?

Walking (6 kmph) = 29 mins

Running (11 kmph) = 10 mins

Cycling (30 kmph) = 13 mins       

Swimming (2 kmph) = 17 mins

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