Is falafel healthy and how many calories it has

On the one hand it has protein, iron and dietary fiber, and on the other - it is deep fried. And it tastes terrible too. So is Falafel a legitimate choice for people who maintain a healthy diet?

Is falafel healthy and how many calories it has

In the video: Blue and white party celebrating with falafel

Falafel is a very popular and beloved dish in Israel, but it is not considered to be particularly healthy, and is usually accompanied by agony of conscience (and tainting). So we decided to check to see if the time has come to clear the falafel name, and allow ourselves to be pampered every now and then with a quiet heart.

The good news is that falafel contains many healthy ingredients, including dietary fiber and plant protein. "Falafel is made from hummus, which belongs to the legume family, which is why, despite what they think, it is actually rich in important nutritional values ​​such as calcium and iron," explains nutritionist Karen Ann Gaiman. Falafel balls usually also contain vegetable, parsley, which is always good.

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Falafel may be high in calories and we will get to that later, but it will leave you seventy for a very long time. This is because both dietary fiber and protein have been shown to reduce hunger hormone production, such as ghrelin, and to contribute to the feeling of fullness. It is also important to note that the protein that comes to you from falafel is a very high quality protein, since the combination of hummus with pita provides all the nine essential amino acids for the body.

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So what's wrong?

The problem with falafel is not its ingredients, which are really healthy, but the preparation process. "The problem with falafel is deep-frying, which alone is less problematic than shallow-frying, but reusing oil is the main problem," says Gaiman. Deep frying damages some of the nutrients in it and increases the amount of fat and calories in it. In addition, non-substituted oil often releases substances called free radicals that can harm health. The more times the oil heats up, the more it releases toxins and free radicals.

When was the last time they replaced the oil in which they were fried? Falafel balls (Photo: shutterstock)

Falafel (Photo: ShutterStock)

Another problem is that frying increases the saturated fat content in food. Excess consumption of saturated fat over time contributes to excess weight and even tends to accumulate in the arteries and narrow the blood vessels. Both of these results increase the risk of hypertension, diabetes, thyroid disease, and subsequent death in chronic and extreme cases.

In fact, research has shown time and again that people who regularly consume fried foods are more at risk for obesity, heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

How much falafel fats?

A falafel packet containing one pita and about five falafel balls contains about 600 calories. Adding chickpeas, tahini, chips and salad can add about 300 extra calories per serving. To save calories, you can choose half a serving and add fresh salads, such as vegetable salad or cabbage salad. If you found a place to bake the falafel balls instead of frying, or baking them alone at home, you turned the dish into a particularly healthy dish.

Better half a serving. Pita Falafel (Photo: Noam Moskowitz)

Peace Falafel (Photo: Noam Moskowitz)

"The ingredients that accompany the falafel can be dropped or upgraded," explains Gaiman. Asked if she is a dietitian, she sometimes lures with falafel, Gaiman answers. "I rarely eat this dish, and then properly - with whole wheat pita, lots of salad, tahini and some spicy."