5 Protein-Packed Healthy Paranthas to Try at Home

Parantha has been part of our traditional menu for a long time. It's the ultimate comfort food. But it is easy to go overboard with paranthas, and end up taking in far too many calories and fat, and thus undo the goodness they can actually deliver.

Stuffed parantha can definitely be part of a healthy diet. In fact stuffed parantha is a great way to make some really healthy, otherwise missed ingredients a regular part of our diet. Below are my top 5 healthy parantha stuffings that you can try home. One big bonus is that all these stuffings will make your parantha meal high in protein value too.

Peas Parantha

Peas are a good source of potassium and magnesium, two essential minerals for our body. Their vitamin C content is pretty impressive too. And they are a protein packed vegetable too. 100 gm gives 3gm protein for just 40 calories and 2.5 gm fibre. A good deal for sure.

Lentil Parantha

Here one can be spoiled for choice. There are so may dals to choose from, and each will add multiple nutrients and lots of protein. In fact when dals are had with wheat parent then the grain plus lentils combination delivers complete protein all the essential amino acids. I personally love to stuff my parantha with channa dal and green moong dal. Most 100 gm lentils will give you 9 grams of protein.

Beetroot Parantha

Not many go us eat beets regularly and thats a pity. They are delicious, nutritious and low in calories (200 gm provides only 85 calories). Plus they are loaded with fibre - almost 6 grams per 200 gm. They are a surprisingly good source of good quality protein (200 gm provides more than 3 grams) too; in fact beets are one of the few rare vegetarian sources of complete protein, that means they contain the full spectrum of essential amino acids (all 8 essential amino acids). And they deliver lots of antioxidants and a mega dose of folate and potassium, two nutrients are diets are usually shortchanged in.

Sattu Parantha

This is a supremely under rated super super food. It provides instant energy, and is a brilliant source of vegetarian good quality protein (100 grams delivers close to 20 grams of protein). Has a lot of fibre, most of which is insoluble fibre, which is great for our gut and helps cleanse out the stomach and detox the body. It is a wonder food for those who are suffering from gas, acidity and constipation too. Plus it delivers calcium (yes, it’s good for our bones) too.

Avocado Parantha

They are delicious mashed as guacamole, and are a great addition to salads, but try them as a parantha stuffing too. Besides lots of blood pressure friendly potassium and heart healthy oleic acid, 100 gm gives 2 gm protein, and 7 gm fibre too.

Two Ways to Make the Parantha Smarter

Add a lots of healthy and immunity-boosting spices (garam masala, turmeric, ajwain, roasted zeera, ginger) to the stuffing and to the atta dough.

Don’t fry it in too much oil. To make them healthier smear some ghee on top after cooking the parantha right at the end.

(Kavita is a nutritionist, weight management consultant and health writer based in Delhi. She is the author of Don’t Diet! 50 Habits of Thin People (Jaico), Ultimate Grandmother Hacks: 50 Kickass Traditional Habits for a Fitter You (Rupa) and Fix it with foods.)