Maggi has been a popular instant noodles brand in India for over three decades. It is unanimously one of the favourite food for people who grew up in the 80s and 90s.
Many of us learned to cook with this dish, so it has a special place in our hearts.
However, in recent years, people have become more health conscious and have realized that instant maggi is a maida-based product, which is not good for one’s health.
As a result, many people have started replacing regular Maggi with Atta Maggi, thinking that it is healthier. Even the company promote Atta Maggi as a healthier alternative to regular Maggi.
But what’s the truth? Is Atta Maggi healthy?
While Atta Maggi may be a better and healthier option than regular Maggi, it is not entirely healthy for you. From being high in trans fats, to sodium and made with chemical additives, there are many reasons that make it unhealthy for you.
In this post, I have compiled a list of 5 reasons why Atta Maggi is not healthy for you.
Let’s start with the ingredients in Atta Maggi.
Ingredients in Atta Maggi
The key ingredients that are found in Atta Maggi include Wheat flour, Palm oil, Iodised salt, Thickeners(508, 412), and Humectants(451(i),452(i)), and Acidity regulators(501(i),500(i)).
Let’s see each of the ingredients in detail.
Wheat flour
Wheat flour is the main reason people prefer Atta Maggi over regular Maggi, and it has 85% of wheat flour.
Palm oil
Palm oil is a type of vegetable oil extracted from the palm tree’s fruit. It is a popular ingredient in many processed foods as it is relatively inexpensive and has a long shelf life.
Iodised salt
Iodised salt is a type of salt that has been treated with iodine. It is used in food to help people get enough iodine in their diets.
Thickeners
Thickeners are substances added to food to increase viscosity or thickness. This can be done for a variety of reasons, such as to improve the texture of food or to make it easier to spread or mix.
There are various type of thickeners used in food, but two common thickeners that are used in Atta Maggi includes:
- Potassium chloride (408)
- Guar gum (412)
Humectants
Humectants are substances that are used in food to help preserve moisture. They work by absorbing water from the air and keeping it in the food. This helps to keep food from drying out and becoming stale.
Are humectants safe to consume? Yes
Acidity regulators
Acidity regulators are substances that are added to food to control its acidity or alkalinity.
There are many reasons why acidity regulators are used in food, such as to improve food taste, preserve it for longer, or make it easier to process.
Two common acidity regulator used in Atta Maggi includes:
- Potassium carbonate(501(i))
- Sodium carbonate(500(i))
Nutritional value of Atta Maggi
When it comes to nutrition, Atta Maggi may sound like a better alternative to regular Maggi. However, both the Maggi variants have almost the same nutritional value.
A 72.5gm or one packet serving of Atta Maggi has:
- Calories: 314
- Protein: 5.8 gm
- Carbohydrates: 46.3 gm
- Sugar: 1.4 gm
- Fiber: 3.6 gm
- Fat: 11.7 gm
- Sodium: 803 mg
- Iron: 2.7 gm
5 Reasons Why Atta Maggi Is Not Healthy
High in Trans fat
While Atta Maggi is quick and easy to prepare, making it a convenient choice for busy people, it is not a healthy option due to its high trans fat content.
Trans fat is a type of fat that is found in processed foods. It is made by adding hydrogen to vegetable oil, making the fat solid at room temperature.
According to studies, trans fats are bad for your health because they can raise your LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels and increase your risk of developing heart disease and other health problems.
As per American Heart Association, the daily intake limit of trans fat is only 2 grams, but a packet of Atta Maggi has 5.2 gm of fat which is more than double the daily limit.
This makes Atta Maggi extremely bad for your heart.
High in sodium
Not only the Atta Maggi but all the other variants of the Maggi also have high sodium levels.
While sodium is an essential mineral that our bodies need in small amounts, too much of it can lead to many health issues such as:
- High blood pressure
- Heart disease
- stroke
- Dehydration
- Headaches
- Calcium loss
You only need a small amount of sodium in your diet, which can be found naturally in many foods. Even foods that don’t taste salty can still contain sodium, so why eat Maggi?
Increase risk of weight gain
Most people forego their meal and eat Atta Maggi instead, thinking it is light and will help them maintain weight. However, this is just a myth.
A single packet of Atta Maggi has 314 calories, which is a huge amount when it comes to burning. While calories are necessary for the human body to survive, too much of it can lead to excess fat, weight gain and, in extreme cases, obesity.
Additionally, consuming calories from processed foods requires less energy to digest and absorb compared to natural foods.
Thus, calories of processed food end up being more net calories than calories of natural food.
So if you are someone looking to maintain a healthy weight, Atta Maggi is not the healthy choice for you.
Use of Chemical additives
While using chemical additives such as Thickeners agent, Humectants, and acidity regulators makes Atta Maggi delicious to eat, eating in excess amount can cause problems to your health.
For example, using the thickener Guar gum in Atta Maggi may cause gas and intestinal discomfort if eaten in excess.
Also, if you are ill or recovering from disease, it is best to avoid Atta Maggi as these additives may conflict with your health.
Instead, it’s better to stick to natural and unprocessed foods to speed up recovery.
Not gluten-free
Atta Maggi is not gluten-free, and it might not be a good option for people who cannot tolerate gluten.
Gluten can be found in whole grains and is not harmful to healthy people who can tolerate it.
However, for some people, it can cause fatigue, bloating, constipation, and diarrhoea.
Healthy breakfast alternatives to Atta Maggi
Many people look for a convenient way to start their day with something healthy, easy and quick to make.
And while Atta maggi may save you time in the morning, it is clear from the above points that it is not healthy.
Here are some healthier alternatives to Atta maggi for breakfast.
- Oats
- Whole wheat Dalia
- Poha
- Quinoa
- Egg bhurji with chapati
Starting your day with these food options will provide you with a lot of nutrients and keep you full until at least lunch, which Atta maggi fail to do.
Final words
After reading this post, you may stop eating Maggi or at least limit its consumption.
While some of you may find this post funny, it is ultimately up to you whether you want to consume something processed that is high in trans fat and sodium levels.
So, the next time you eat Atta Maggi, remind yourself that it is not healthy and has almost the same nutritional value as regular Maggi.
The only difference is that it contains Atta.
Maggi may be delicious, but it’s certainly not as Nutrilicious as it is marketed.
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