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Be it a rush in the morning or a slight hunger in the evening, the one dish that is most in demand in most of the houses in India is Poha. Light, tasty and prepared in minutes, this traditional breakfast has been the pride of our plates for centuries. But, when it comes to a diabetic or sugar patient, the story changes a bit. There is a fear associated with every bite that ‘will this increase my blood sugar level?’. In such a situation, the question arises whether Poha is really a safe and healthy option for sugar patients? To solve this dilemma, when the country’s most favorite and well-known chef Sanjeev Kapoor was consulted, the things he told are very important for every sugar patient.

Is Poha safe in diabetes?

Before we move on to Chef Sanjeev Kapoor’s special advice, it is important to understand how poha is made and what effect it has on our body. Poha is actually prepared by pounding and drying paddy (rice). Since it is a form of rice, it has a good amount of carbohydrates. Carbohydrate intake is a sensitive matter for any diabetes patient, because it gets converted into glucose as soon as it enters the body. But, one specialty of Poha makes it different from ordinary white rice. During the processing to make poha, it is partially boiled and then dried. Due to this, the amount of resistant starch increases in it, which slows down the digestion process a bit.

Chef Sanjeev Kapoor’s opinion

Famous chef Sanjeev Kapoor believes that nothing in food can be made a complete ‘villain’ or ‘hero’. Everything depends on how you are cooking it and in what quantity you are eating it. In the podcast with Smita Prakash, Sanjeev Kapoor had told that those who think that Poha is a very healthy breakfast, then it is wrong. When spoiled rice is not fit to eat then how can Poha made from it be healthy to eat? Sanjeev further said, ‘This can be harmful for diabetes patients. The glycemic index (GI) of ordinary poha can be high, causing a sudden spike in blood sugar.

Sugar patients should avoid these 3 mistakes while eating poha.

Often people unknowingly make some mistakes while making or eating Poha, due to which it becomes like ‘poison’ for health. Take special care of these things:

Avoid adding potatoes: Potato is used in traditional Kanda-Batata Poha. Potatoes contain a lot of starch, which is not at all good for diabetes patients.

Stop topping of sev or bhujia: Many people have the habit of eating poha by adding namkeen, sev or dalmot on it. It not only increases calories but the unhealthy fat and flour present in it can spoil the sugar level. Use lemon juice and green coriander instead.

Less use of refined oil: While making Poha, use very small amount of mustard oil, olive oil or peanut oil instead of heavy cooking oil.