Idli is a popular traditional South Indian dish made from steamed rice and black lentils. It is a popular snack that is typically served with chutney and sambar.
Idli has many benefits that make it healthy for you, such as being a good source of nutrients, being light on your digestion, and improving blood sugar levels and heart health. Additionally, it can be made with any lentils or rice, and there is no need for oil.
In this post, I have compiled a list of 7 benefits showing that having Idli in your diet is quite healthy.
Let’s start with its nutritional value.
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Nutrition value in Idli
One Idli (40g) can provide you with up to:
- Calories: 40
- carbs: 8g
- Fat: 0.5g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 2g
- Sodium: 65mg
- Cholesterol: 0
- Iron: 1.1mg
7 Benefits that make Idli healthy for you
Idli is a good source of protein
Being made from black gram, Idli is an excellent source of protein. Eating just 4-5 Idli’s a day can provide you with upto 10g of protein.
This is a great addition to anyone on a muscle-building diet or simply looking to increase daily protein intake.
Additionally, the protein you get in Idli is a complete protein containing all essential amino acids.
Idli is good for digestion
Idli is rich in fiber, making it very beneficial for smooth digestion. Just one Idli can contain upto 2g of fiber, and eating 4-5 Idlis can provide you with 36% of your daily fiber value.
Including enough fiber in your diet promotes regularity and helps to prevent digestive issues like constipation.
Additionally, Idli is the result of a fermentation process that helps break down the nutrients in food, making them easy to absorb and digest.
Idli is a good way to start your day
Many people these days have turned to packaged breakfast foods like cornflakes and chocos. These breakfast options may fill the stomach but are often high in sugar, sodium, and other unhealthy additives.
However, Idli is one of the popular and healthiest ways to start your day without using oil, salt, and other unhealthy additives.
Starting your day with Idli delivers a balanced diet of good carbs and proteins. Plus, it is rich in nutrients like fiber which helps you stay full and satisfied throughout the day.
This is one of the reasons Idli’s are one of the go-to breakfasts for people in south India.
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Idli can help regulate blood sugar levels
Idli is a low-glycemic food, meaning that it breaks down slowly and does not cause sudden spikes in your blood sugar levels.
Plus, it is rich in soluble fiber, which can help control people’s blood sugar [1].
This makes Idli a good choice for people with diabetes who need to monitor their blood sugar levels carefully.
Also, people with diabetes can replace white rice with brown rice or other ingredients like jowar, bajra, and ragi, making Idli the healthiest food they can consume.
Idli improves gut health
Idli is made by first soaking the rice and lentils in water for several hours. The soaked rice and lentils are ground into a fine paste and left to ferment overnight. The next morning, the fermented batter is steamed in special idli molds to make the idlis.
This fermentation process of Idli not only gives it its unique flavor, but also makes it more nutritious.
As per studies[2], fermented foods can help improve gut health, boost the immune system, and even prevent cancer. They are also a great source of probiotics, beneficial bacteria that help keep the gut healthy.
Idli is excellent for heart health
The lack of oil, saturated fat and cholesterol, and high fiber content make Idli an excellent food to keep your heart healthy.
Additionally, idlis are good sources of potassium, magnesium and folate, which helps to keep heart disease at bay.
Furthermore, many studies have found that fermented foods are associated with a significantly decreased risk of cardiovascular disease[3].
Also read: Is Dhokla Healthy? 8 Reasons To Include In Your Diet
Idli is a rich source of Iron
As Idli is made from lentils, it is a rich source of Iron. Eating 4-5 Idli in your diet can provide you up to 4mg of Iron, which is approximately 45% of the daily recommended intake.
As it is rich in Iron, Idli is a healthy choice for women undergoing menstruation and pregnancy.
Is Idli good for weight loss?
The Idli is a low-calorie and low-fat steamed food that can benefit people trying to lose weight.
It is also high in fiber and protein, which are essential for weight loss.
Furthermore, the Idli is a fermented food, and fermentation has been linked to weight loss. Fermented foods like the idli help to increase the number of good bacteria in the gut, aiding digestion and improving your overall weight loss efforts.
So if you’re looking for healthy and delicious food to help you slim down, the Idli is an excellent option.
Additional tips to make your Idli even healthier
Even though Idli is a very healthy dish, there are a few things that you can do to make it even healthier?
Here are a few tips:
- Add some vegetables to your Idli batter. This will increase the fiber and vitamin content of your Idli.
- Use brown rice instead of white, as it has more fiber, vitamins and minerals.
- Use less salt while making your Idli
- Soak the rice and dal for a longer time. This will help reduce the glycemic index of your Idli, making it a healthier option for diabetics. Also increasing soaking time increases the level of B vitamins in your batter[4].
- Add other healthy ingredients to your Idli batter, such as oats, quinoa, or ragi flour. This will boost the nutritional value of your Idli.
These simple tips can make your Idli a healthier and more delicious breakfast option. Give them a try the next time you make Idli!
Final words
Whether you are a child, adult or grown-up, including Idli in your diet has many health benefits. It is low in calories and fat and packed with various vitamins and minerals.
This makes it one of the healthiest ways to start your day with.
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