Grapes are one of those fruits people eat mindlessly by the handful, and each handful is about 50-70 calories. A small bowl (200g) is 138 calories. Not heavy, but the speed at which grapes disappear means you can eat 300g (207 cal) in 10 minutes without realising. They are the peanuts of the fruit world: … Read more
Papaya is 43 calories per 100g with excellent digestive enzymes (papain) and high vitamin A content. A bowl of papaya (200g) is just 86 calories. It is one of the best fruits for digestion and weight loss, and during Indian summers, it is cheap, available everywhere, and refreshingly light. Papaya is genuinely one of the … Read more
Watermelon is 92% water and 30 calories per 100g. A large slice (300g) is just 90 calories. You could eat a full kilogram and consume only 300 calories. It is the closest thing to a ‘free food’ that exists in Indian summers. If you want volume, sweetness, and hydration for minimal calorie cost, watermelon is … Read more
Mango is the fruit that makes Indians abandon all calorie awareness for three months every summer. At 60 calories per 100g, a medium mango (200g edible flesh) is about 120 calories. That is reasonable. The problem is nobody eats one mango. They eat two, plus a mango shake, plus aamras with puri. Here is how … Read more
One medium apple is about 95 calories. Per 100g, that is only 52 calories, making apple one of the lowest-calorie fruits per gram. The ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’ saying has survived centuries because it is roughly correct. High fibre, low calories, decent vitamins, and the crunch keeps you chewing long enough … Read more
One medium banana is 89 calories. Two bananas is 178. That makes a banana roughly the same as one roti in calorie terms. The internet can’t decide if bananas are a superfood or a sugar bomb. The truth: they are a moderate-calorie fruit with excellent potassium, and the only way they make you fat is … Read more
Lobia (black-eyed peas) is the underappreciated middle child of Indian pulses. Not as famous as rajma or chole, but nutritionally excellent: 9g protein, 6g fibre, and 200 calories per bowl. The high fibre makes it extremely satiating. One bowl with rice or roti and you are genuinely full for hours. This is the complete calorie … Read more
Chana dal (split Bengal gram) has the highest protein among commonly cooked dals. One bowl gives you 10g protein for 140 calories. It takes longer to cook than moong or masoor, but the protein payoff is worth the extra pressure cooker time. Chana Dal is genuinely one of the smarter choices in Indian food if … Read more
Peanuts are a nutritional paradox. They have 26g protein per 100g (excellent) and 567 calories per 100g (terrifying). A small handful (30g) is 170 calories. A ‘just snacking’ session where you eat 100g without thinking costs you 567 calories. Peanuts are healthy in a handful. They are a calorie bomb in a bowlful. Peanuts is … Read more
50g of dry soya chunks, when cooked, gives you 26g protein for 170 calories. That protein count is higher than 100g of chicken breast (31g for 165 cal) gram-for-gram, and soya costs a fraction of the price. For vegetarians struggling to hit protein targets, soya chunks are the single most powerful tool available. Soyabean is … Read more