If you love Chole bhature, you’re not alone.
This delicious dish is popular street food in many parts of India.
Although it is known as a typical Punjabi dish, it was initially a culinary dish of Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.
Chole bhature is a fried bread often served with chickpea curry. It is a delicious and hearty meal mostly enjoyed for breakfast or lunch.
However, as delicious as Chole bhature is, it is not a healthy dish.
In fact, it is one of the unhealthiest street foods that you can eat.
In this post, I have compiled a list of 4 reasons why Chole bhature isn’t healthy for you.
But first, let’s look at its nutritional value.
Also read: Is Upma Healthy? 8 Benefits Of This Forgotten Breakfast
Nutrition in Chole bhature
One plate serving (a bowl of chole and two bhature) provides you with:
- Calories: 500
- Carbohydrates: 70g
- Sugar: 3g
- Fat: 19g
- Protein:12g
- Fiber: 7g
- Sodium:
- Cholesterol: 11mg
Note: These are approximate nutritional values for chole bhature because they can vary depending on the ingredients and cooking technique.
4 Reasons Chole bhature is not healthy
1. Chole bhature is high in calories
A single serving of chole bhature may contain upto 500 calories, making it a high-calorie dish.
Although this amount is only 1/4 of the recommended daily calorie intake, people often eat other oily, fried, and processed foods that make their diets high in calories overall.
Calories are crucial but consuming too many of them, especially from fried or processed foods, can lead to weight gain, excess fat, and diabetes (mainly if you aren’t active enough).
2. Chole bhature is deep fried
One of the potential health risks associated with Chole bhature is the oil in which they are deep fried.
Bhature is fried in the same oil over and over again.
Heating the same oil for extended periods creates free radicals, and consuming food cooked in that oil can have harmful effects on your health[1].
Most Chole bhature vendors use the same oil the next day, which increases the risk of atherosclerosis, a disease that causes bad cholesterol levels to rise in the body.
Studies have shown that reusing frying oil can lead to the formation of harmful compounds in oil, such as acrolein, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and acrylamide[2][3].
These compounds are carcinogenic that have been linked to cancer.
Furthermore, reused oil is also high in trans fats, which can lead to heart disease and other chronic health conditions.
Deep frying saves money for the vendors, but eating foods cooked in such oils can put you at risk of cancer.
TIP: If the oil is dark in color and smells sour, it’s possibly rancid and would not be healthy to consume foods cooked in it.
Also read: Is Dhokla Healthy? 8 Reasons To Include In Your Diet
3. Chole bhature is made from maida
The bhature is made from refined wheat flour or maida, an ingredient that is highly processed and low in nutrients.
As per studies, eating refined grains such as maida has been associated with type-2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke, hypertension, and cancer[4].
In addition, being made from maida, Chole bhature is high in glycemic index and, therefore not an ideal choice for people with diabetes.
In fact, Chole bhature is not healthy for anyone looking to maintain good health.
4. Chole bhature can cause digestion problems
Chole bhature is made from maida, due to which eating it for breakfast can disrupt your digestion.
Maida is hard to digest because it doesn’t have any fiber in it. This can cause acidity, heartburn, and congestion, slowing the digestive system.
Is Chole bhature good for weight loss?
Chole bhature is not good for weight loss as it is made from maida which is high in calories. In addition, it is deep-fried in oils.
Studies have shown that fried foods, are never weight-loss friendly.
Eating such foods will not only make you gain weight but will also result in other serious health issues.
Healthy breakfast alternatives to Chole bhature
Chole bhature is a popular choice for breakfast, but it’s not healthy.
However, there are various other delicious options that are healthy and also pocket friendly to include in your morning meal. These includes:
Idli Sambar: A popular South Indian dish made with steamed rice cakes and a lentil-based vegetable stew. It’s a healthy and filling breakfast that will keep you going all morning.
Upma: Another popular South Indian dish made with semolina flour and vegetables. It’s a hearty and filling breakfast that will give you sustained energy throughout the day.
Poha: A popular dish made with flattened rice and vegetables.
Aaloo ke paranthe: without use of refined oil or ghee alongside chole and salad.
Oats: Oats with milk is also a very healthy and filling option that you can go with.
Also read: Is Idli Healthy? 7 Benefits You Need To Know
FAQs about Chole bhature
Made from maida and deep fried in oil Chole bhature is a junk food.
Bhatura is made with refined flour, whereas puri is made with wheat flour, making it better option to bhatura. However, when eaten on the streets, both are unhealthy because they are deep-fried in reused oil.
It’s not a healthy choice to eat Chole bhature on daily basis as it might result in serous health issues.
A single bhatura can contain upto 200 calories and around 400 in two.
Eating street side Chole bhature is not a good option during pregnancy. Although you can eat Chole bhature occasionally if you make at home.
