Dal is healthy, but are you eating at a right time? Dietician explains how pulses can affect health (2024)

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New Delhi: Indian food is incomplete without dal – be it a north Indian thali or a South Indian. In the form of dal makhani or in the form of sambhar, dal baati or basic dal fry – this super delicious preparation is found on every dinner table in India. Yet, little do we realise how healthy this preparation is. Across its varieties, pulses are some of the best sources of protein, fibre, healthy carbohydrates and other essential nutrients.

On the nutrition front, a 30-gram serving of pulses gives 100 kcal and 7g proteins. For those trying to enhance the nutritional value of this food, sprouting or germination of legumes and dals can help. Doing so enhances vitamin C value, a nutrient that is practically absent in dry pulses; folic acid also increases threefold. Sprouting decreases flatus-forming compounds originally present in non-germinated pulses and deactivates anti-nutritional factors such as trypsin inhibitors thus making them easy to digest.

Yet, much like every other food, eating certain varieties of dal at the wrong time can result in gas and bloating. Strange as it may sound, there is indeed a right time to eat dal.

What are the health benefits of pulses?

In an interaction with Times Now Digital Shalini Garwin Bliss, Head Dietician at Manipal Hospital, spoke about the benefits of this super-healthy group of grains.

“Pulses are an important component of our diet. According to the Indian food pyramid at least 2 servings of pulses/ legumes need to have daily. The high fibre content of dal and high protein content help with weight loss, this is one of the reasons why the food item is strongly recommended for heart patients and diabetics. Dal is a very good food source which can help you shed the extra kilos and can reach a normal BMI naturally,” she said.

On the health benefits front, the expert credited this food for the following positive effects:

1. High fibre content induces a sense of satiety
2. The iron content helps relieve anaemia
3. Supports formation of healthy cells

Is there a right time to eat dal?

Dt Bliss said that dal is a very important part of the Indian balanced diet, which gives wholesome health benefits through its nutrients which include energy, protein, iron, folic acid and minerals like copper and magnesium.

The expert said that one can consume dal with lunch and dinner as well, but at night one should have light varieties of dal that are easy to digest, like moong dal. Heavy dal like chana, urad, legumes like rajma, lobia should be avoided for dinner as they are gas-forming.

Disclaimer: Tips and suggestions mentioned in the article are for general information purposes only and should not be construed as professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor or a dietician before starting any fitness programme or making any changes to your diet.