Mix veg is the catch-all Indian sabzi. Whatever is in the fridge goes in the pot. At 160 calories per bowl, it is moderate. But the calorie count depends entirely on which vegetables dominate. A mix heavy on beans, carrots, and capsicum: 130 cal. A mix heavy on potato and paneer cubes: 220 cal. Same … Read more
Palak sabzi is one of the lightest curries in Indian cooking. At 120 calories per bowl with 5g protein and 4g fibre, it is what weight loss looks like in an Indian kitchen. Compare that to palak paneer at 240 calories. Same spinach base, double the calories because of paneer and cream. The palak was … Read more
Baingan (brinjal/eggplant) is 25 calories per 100g raw. One of the lowest-calorie vegetables in existence. But baingan bharta with generous oil: 200 cal per bowl. Baingan fry: 250 cal. Begun pora (Bengali roasted): 100 cal. The same vegetable, four different calorie outcomes. The preparation method matters more than the vegetable itself. Baingan (Brinjal) is genuinely … Read more
Bhindi is one of the lightest Indian sabzis at 150 calories per bowl. The vegetable itself is just 33 calories per 100g with excellent fibre. The problem: bhindi absorbs oil like a sponge. The same 200g bowl goes from 100 cal (air-fried) to 250 cal (deep-fried kurkuri bhindi). The vegetable is innocent. The cooking method … Read more
Aloo gobi is the default Indian sabzi. The one that shows up when nobody planned dinner. At 180 calories per bowl, it is moderate. Not light, not heavy. But the calorie count swings wildly based on how much oil goes in. Home aloo gobi with 1 tbsp oil: 150 cal. Dhaba-style swimming in oil: 280 … Read more
Air-popped popcorn without butter is 375 calories per 100g. That sounds high until you realise that 100g of popped popcorn is an enormous bowl. A typical snack serving is 25-30g: 95 to 115 calories for a big, satisfying bowl of crunchy snack. Compare that to 30g of chips (160 cal). Popcorn gives you 3x the … Read more
Oats are the imported ‘health food’ that has actually earned its reputation in India. 40g dry oats cooked with water = 155 cal with 7g protein and 4g fibre. That is a better nutrition profile than most Indian breakfasts. The trick: cook them the Indian way (masala oats, oats upma, oats chilla) instead of the … Read more
Makhana (fox nuts / lotus seeds) has become India’s trendiest diet snack, and for once the trend is justified. At 350 calories per 100g with 9g protein and 14g fibre, it is significantly lighter than chips (530 cal) and peanuts (567 cal). A 30g serving (105 cal) with chai is one of the best snack … Read more
A single scoop of ice cream is about 130 calories. A double scoop cone: 260. A Cornetto: 260. A medium cup from a parlour: 300-400. A milkshake with ice cream: 450+. Ice cream is dessert that people eat as a snack, which is exactly why it wrecks diets. One scoop is a dessert. Two scoops … Read more
A Dairy Milk (38g bar) is 200 calories. A Dairy Milk Silk (150g) is 800. A ‘small’ KitKat (2 finger) is 105. Chocolate is one of the most calorie-dense foods in existence at 535 cal per 100g. But unlike most calorie-dense foods, chocolate actually provides genuine pleasure per calorie. The strategy is not elimination. It … Read more