Think Indian’s Not the Healthiest of Foods? Then it Could Be Time to Reconsider!

"Saturday Night Thali for Two." (CC BY 2.0) by SteveR-

After all the excesses of the Christmas season, you’re probably going to be looking forward to a January of gym visits, long walks, no alcohol and trying to stick to all those resolutions. Plus, of course, you’ll be aiming to join the rest of Bristol, and probably the UK, in trying to eat a bit healthier too. But if what you’ve got in mind is an endless round salad washed down with a herb tea, think again. That’s because if you’re a fan of the takeaway tikka or the dansak from Deliveroo we’ve got some very good news for you. The fact of the matter is that there’s a great deal to recommend Indian food health-wise, especially if you steer clear of the dishes with thick, buttery sauces and tasty deep-fried appetisers like onion bhajis and vegetable samosas.

It’s a bold claim to make, but it’s true – and here’s why.

It's balanced

The first reason is the perfectly balanced diet that a carefully selected Indian meal can represent. For example, you’ll be getting the carbs you need from the rice and naan bread with proteins from meat and seafood too. Fat’s also important, in moderation, so the ghee that is used for cooking provides this and, finally, there’s fibre in beans and pulses that you’ll find in dishes like chana dal.

It's fresh

Secondly, many Indian dishes include a wide range of fresh vegetables and even fruit, cooked in a wide range of ways included steaming and baking that help to lock in all those vitamins and nutrients before they’re combined with all the other ingredients that go to make up your favourite curries and side dishes. A great example is a saag or spinach, that’s widely used – and if it was good enough for Popeye it’s certainly going to do the trick for you.

It's simple

Because of its simple traditions, Indian food usually also uses fresh ingredients and dishes tend to be made from scratch without the use of chemicals, preservatives and flavour enhancers like monosodium glutamate that you find in other cuisines like Chinese – and it’s generally acknowledged that the fewer additives that you have in your food, the better it can be for you.

It's packed full of health-giving ingredients

"Yum! Indian spices" (CC BY 2.0) by umseas

Then there are the classic Indian spices like turmeric, cumin, coriander, ginger, garlic and chilli which don’t just add unique flavours to the dish, they also offer health-giving properties too. For example, ginger and turmeric are packed with anti-oxidants that work to protect the cells in your body while capsaicin, the heat giving element in chillies, can lower the level of your blood sugar.

Last, but by no means least, we’ve all seen the ads on TV for the yoghurts with “healthy bacteria” that are said to keep our gut in good working order and the same can be said for the yoghurt in Indian sauces as well as in dips like cucumber raita. Plus it’s also a good sauce of calcium, vital for healthy bones and teeth.

So next time you’re having a toss-up between whether to have a mozzarella and tomato salad or a madras for tea remember that appearances can be deceptive, especially when it comes to healthy eating.