How To Easily Manage Your Weight On A Punjabi Diet

Punjabi cuisine stands out with its rich flavours and richer dishes. It is these very features that bring some challenges in controlling your weight while indulging in all your favourite Punjabi delicacies.

Traditional Punjabi cuisine was based on high-calorie ingredients such as ghee, butter, cream, and full-fat milk products. Moreover, most of the Punjabi recipes use a good amount of oil for preparing and enhancing taste, which increases its calorie content.

Parathas, naan, and rice form the most traditional elements of Punjabi cuisine and are heavy in carbohydrates; hence, they might be certain to result in weight increase if taken in excess. Jalebis, gulab jamuns, and laddoos, traditional Punjabi sweets, are rich in sugar and fats.

Added to this, the large portion sizes are usually the norm with Punjabi food, especially during celebrations and social gatherings. All of these things make it pretty difficult to maintain weight while adhering to a classic Punjabi Diet Plan For Weight Loss. 

However, in today’s blog, we will show you how it’s done and what kind of tweaks and steps you need to take to be at a healthy weight while eating your favourite Punjabi foods.

How to Substitute High-Calorie Ingredients With Healthier Alternatives in Punjabi Dishes

The easiest way to manage your eating habits is to keep away from calorie-dense items and replace them with gut-friendly, low-calorie, and nutrient-dense ingredients. Here’s a simple guide on how to do that with respect to the most common Punjabi dishes and ingredients: 

Full-Fat Dairy Products

• Replace with: Low-fat or fat-free dairy; plant-based milk, like almond milk or soy milk.
• Benefits: These options lower fat content and calories with a creamy texture.
• Usage: Use low-fat instead of full-fat yogurt for raitas and all recipes made of dahi, and try almond milk or soy milk in curries and desserts.

Refined Flour (Maida)

• Replace with: Whole wheat flour, Chickpea Flour or Millet Flour
• Benefits: Whole grains and alternative flours have more fiber and nutrition for good digestion and satiety.
• Use whole wheat flour or a mix of chickpea and millet flours to make rotis and parathas to get in some extra nutrition.

Rice

• Replace with: Brown rice/ quinoa/ cauliflower rice
• Why: Brown rice and quinoa are whole grains and carry more fiber and nutrients; cauliflower rice is low on carbs and calories.
• Use: Brown rice or quinoa with curries and dal; cauliflower rice can be the base for a lighter pulao.

Sugar

• Substitute with: Honey, jaggery, or stevia
• Benefits: Natural sweetener gives sweetness with extra nutrition and less glycemic index.
• Uses: Replace refined sugar in sweets and drinks with Honey or Jaggery for a more healthy sweet taste or Stevia as a zero-calorie substitute.

Fried Snacks

• Substitute with: Baked or air-fried
• Benefits: Baking reduces the oil and calorie content and still gives the crispiest crisps.
• Uses: Bake samosas, pakoras and kebabs and not deep-fry them.

Heavy Curries

• Vegetable-base, lightened-up versions: This cuts down on calories and raises the nutrient factor when one uses vegetables like spinach, tomatoes, or pumpkins as bases.
• One can make curries with a puree of spinach, tomatoes, or pumpkin for a rich but healthier sauce.

High-calorie sweets

• Swap with: Fruit-based desserts; low-sugar versions
• Benefits: They are naturally sweet and rich in vitamins and fiber.
• Use fruit chaat, yoghurt with fresh fruits, or low-sugar kheer and phirni prepared with jaggery or stevia.

Balanced Meal Planning: How to Create Nutritious Meals with Punjabi Flavours

Creating balanced meals is essentially how one can manage their weight while indulging in the good tastes that Punjabi cuisine offers. A balanced meal would mean it contains the correct proportions of proteins, carbohydrates, and healthy fats with liberal helpings of vegetables.

Here’s a sample meal plan to get you started:

Sample Meal Plan:

Breakfast

Option 1: Inflammation-busting besan chilla, or gram flour pancakes, with a side of fresh tomato salsa and a glass of low-fat lassi.

Option 2: Oats upma mixed with vegetables, garnished with green coriander and a dash of lemon juice.

Mid-Morning Snack

Fresh fruit: an apple or a handful of berries.

A small bowl of roasted chana, or chickpeas.

Lunch

Option 1: Whole wheat roti with palak paneer prepared using low-fat paneer, a side of cucumber raita, and a serving of brown rice.

Option 2: Quinoa pulao prepared with mixed vegetables and a side of dal tadka or tempered lentils.

Afternoon Snack

Carrot and cucumber sticks with hummus or a small bowl of sprouts salad.

Dinner

Option 1: Grilled chicken tikka with a side of steamed vegetables and a small serving of dal.

Option 2: Whole wheat flour Methi paratha, with a bowl of curd and a side salad.

Evening Snack

A handful of some nuts like almonds or walnuts.

A small cup of green tea.

Our expert’s tips for balanced meal planning

• Add some Proteins: Include lean sources of protein like chicken, fish, lentils and low fat dairy to the meal.
• Whole Grains : In place of refined grains, use brown rice, quinoa, and whole wheat. 
• Healthy Fats: Use healthy fats like olive oil, mustard oil, and nuts in moderation. 
• Vegetables: A good portion of vegetables must be served with every meal, as it adds extra fiber and essential nutrients. 
• Portion Control: Mostly keep a track of the portion size to prevent overeating.

Following these meal planning tips, you can create a well-balanced, healthy meal that tastes great and will satisfy you.

How Healthy2bfit Can Help

If you are aiming to have an in-depth personalized Punjabi diet plan attuned to your weight loss and muscle gain goals, get in touch with Healthy2bfit. Our plans include customized meal plans suited to taste buds and personalised coaching from experienced nutritionists. Contact us to get on the right track to achieving your fitness goals! Connect with us on Facebook, Instagram and You tube now!