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Pickle or achaar has been a part and parcel of the Indian diet. It is not uncommon to have a dollop of seasonal pickle of different kinds with every meal. The simultaneous amalgamation of sweet, spice and sour flavours in one's mouth is a foodie's delight and the art of getting the food notes right has been perfected and passed on from one generation to the other. But is this habit taking a toll on your health? Is shunning the pickle a better alternative? We seek answers for the same from well-known nutritionist Neha Chandna.
According to Neha, pickles are a great accompaniment to pep up your entire meal but one needs to understand that pickles are generally high in oil, salt and sugar content along with spices. So, it is not a great idea to include it with every meal. While a normal, healthy person can have one teaspoon of pickle every day, a person with health issues should restrict it to 1-2 times per week.
Keep the pickle habit under check
Pickle should be especially avoided by people who are obese and those with high blood pressure as it has high salt content which increase BP and cholesterol levels. It also increases triglycerides due to its high oil content. Diabetics should avoid it due to its high sugar content. People who have digestion issues like acidity, gastritis, etc should also refrain from eating pickles. (Read: How to choose the right cooking oil?)
Tips to keep in mind
Try selecting pickles with vegetables like carrots, beet, amla, etc. You can opt for dry pickles rather than oily ones. You can check the label for the oil and salt content before buying it. (Read: Why is amla so great for you)
Home-made pickle is better as you can control the amount of oil and spices added to it. You can make a variety of healthy pickles using vegetables and fruits.
Even though pickles are tasty, the high oil and salt content work as preservatives for them to last longer. If you are looking for a healthy version, you can try making water-based or pickles with lesser quantities of oil which may not last for a year but will be healthier as they will have fresh, seasonal veggies and also less oil and salt.
This pickle is quite popular in Delhi during the winter months. It is an assortment of fresh winter vegetables, fresh green garlic in tangy mustard flavoured water and special winter carrots to that give the water a rich colour. It has only 1 tablespoon of salt content and absolutely no oil making it quite healthy. You can store it for up to one month if you refrigerate it.
It takes minutes to prepare this pickle rather than days which is usually the case. It has castor sugar and no oil and the salt quantity is less too. Once ready, this pickle can be stored up to three months in the refrigerator. (Read: Lemon and its health benefits)
So this winter season, enjoy pickles without compromising on your health or on the taste.
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