How to Make Roti or Chapati - A Healthier Alternative to Naan (2024)

FAQs

What is a healthier alternative to naan? ›

What most people don't realize is, most Indians don't eat naan everyday. It's a treat reserved for special occasions. A healthier alternative that is eaten daily in most indian households, is roti (also called chapati or fulka). It's an unleavened flatbread made of just two ingredients - whole wheat flour and water.

Roti is generally considered healthier than naan. Roti is lower in calories and contains zero saturated and trans fats and cholesterol. In contrast, naan tends to be higher in calories and may contain added fats. For a healthier choice, roti is often preferred, especially by those conscious of their dietary intake.

Naan is a leavened bread (meaning it uses yeast), while roti is an unleavened bread (meaning it doesn't). The different ingredients give a far different texture: naan is soft and chewy, while roti is dense and thin.

One of the easiest transitions to a healthier roti is opting for a multigrain variety. Combining grains like barley, oats, and jowar, multigrain rotis pack a nutritional punch. They offer a diverse range of vitamins, minerals, and fibre, promoting better digestion and sustained energy levels.

Whole wheat bread: Replacing white bread with any type of whole wheat bread will give you fibre and the goodness of whole wheat. A lower incidence of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and several malignancies have also been associated with eating whole grains.

Chapati is a form of roti or rotta (bread). The words are often used interchangeably. The word chapat (Marathi: चापट) means "slap" or "flat," describing the traditional method of forming round pieces of thin dough by slapping the dough between the wetted palms of the hands.

Tortilla and Roti are a lot similar, but what majorly makes them different is the use of flour, which gives the flatbread a unique taste and texture.

Roti (also known as chapati or phulka) is a circular flatbread, made with ground whole wheat flour or “atta.” Flour is simply mixed with water, sometimes salt, and ghee or oil is added too.

For weight loss, four chapatis per day are recommended. If you follow intermittent fasting and are considering consuming 3 chapatis during lunch you must consider the calorie intake – by calculating how many calories 3 chapatis have along with calories in the vegetables and salad you consume.

Is roti healthy to eat everyday? ›

Whether you're trying to lose weight, gain muscle, or just maintain a healthy weight, roti is delicious food. It's easy to incorporate into your diet. It's also a good source of a variety of micronutrients. This includes Vitamin B, Vitamin E, and phosphorus.

Chapati is a rich source of dietary fibres that helps in improving your digestion. The dietary fibres also keep you full for a longer duration, thereby preventing you from overeating. Therefore, chapati is highly recommended to people who have constant constipation complaints or other bowel issues.

Naan bread can be part of a healthy diet, especially if you choose whole grain varieties. Naan bread contains vitamins and minerals like niacin, fiber, and iron, as well as fiber. It also is a good source of carbohydrates, which provide energy.

naan is calorically dense due to the refined flour. 100 grams of naan contains 310 calories, compared to 100 grams of steamed brown rice, which contains 125 calories. naan contains no fiber compared to the rice, which leads to an imbalance of gut bacteria, constipation, and a potentially increased risk of bowel cancer.

Kulcha is a mildly leavened bread prepared with all-purpose flour without any yeast, but rather leavened with yogurt and/or baking powder. Though it's similar to naan, you don't need a tandoor oven to make kulcha; you can easily prepare it on a griddle.

A good substitute for pita bread or tortilla wraps is lettuce. Use the large outer leaves to ensure you have a large enough area to hold the filling.