Ditching rotis on a weight lss diet ? Do you really need to ! Is roti good or bad for you when you’re looking to lose weight ? How many rotis should you ideally have ? These are some of the questions which we’ve tried to answer in this article. Often when we’re on a weight loss diet, we completely eliminate an important source of carbs from our diet. Read on to clear some of the very common misconceptions which exist.
How many rotis should we eat in a day ?
- Roti is an important source of carbs in the Indian diet
- As per the dietary guidelines, carbs make up upto 45-60 % of our daily calories requirement
- Carbs are the most essential and integral part of a balanced diet
- Comparison of whole wheat and millet roti
| Whole Wheat Roti | Millet Roti | |
| Calories | 80-100 | 100-120 |
| Carbs | 20-22 g | 22-24 g |
| Fibre | 2-3 g | 3-4 g |
| Protein | 2.5-3 g | 3-4 g |
| Fat | 0.8 g | 0.8 g |
Factors determining if roti is good or bad
- Simple or complex carbs
- Complex carbs are high in fibre and are thus healthy
- On a glycemic index of 1-100, complex carbs means below 55 and simple carbs above 55
- Glycemic index of whole wheat roti is 52
- Glycemic index of millet roti is 45
- Glycemic index of bread is 70 (simple carb)
- This simply shows that consuming bread which is a simple carb is not good compared to whole wheat roti which if consumed in the correct quantity is actually good for you
- Is gluten bad for us ?
- Gluten is a protein which provides elasticity and softness to the dough
- Wheat flour feels soft, sticky and raises when it’s baked
- Refined flour has more gluten. In breads and cakes, extra gluten is added to make it soft and raise the dough
- Only people allergic or sensitive to gluten should avoid it
- Preparation and digestibility is related
- How well you knead the flour dough makes all difference
- Rest it for some time and let it become soft and more digestible
- Always eat roti from a freshly prepared dough
- Roti made from cold refrigerated dough are difficult to digest
- Avoid keeping dough for more than 5-6 hours
- Add herbs and spices to increase digestion
Don’t consume roti in all your meals
- Add variety to include more nutrients in your diet
- Eating roti in every meal can make you lazy and put pressure on your digestive health
When is the best time to eat roti ?
- I personally don’t eat roti in breakfast (for variety and easy digestion)
- You can consume roti for lunch and dinner
- In dinner, try to eat rotis 2-3 hours before the bed time
- Try including millets in the diet
Can we replace roti with whole wheat bread ?
| Brown Bread (whole wheat) | Whole wheat roti |
| More processed | Less processed |
| More gluten | Less |
| Many other additives and preservatives | Single ingredient food |
| Made in a factory | Homemade |
| High glycemic index | Low glycemic index |
- Check the ingredient list, brown bread mostly have maida as the first or second ingredient
- You can still have bread once ina while, don’t make it your staple diet
Your source of whole wheat flour
- Support the local small mills, but whole wheat and get fresh atta milled for you
- Enjoy the cultural and traditional food in the diet
- Portion size and eating in moderation is the key
- How many rotis in a day
- Number of rotis in a day totally depends on your age, gender, activity level, digestive health and your hunger level
- Use the plating method (1/4 plate)
- Veggies are also carbs with low glycemic index