Dal is a staple in almost all Indian households, for at least one meal a day if not multiple. Additionally, the lentil is not prepared in one way and makes its way into your food even if it is not prepped as ‘gravy’ to be had with rice or chapatis. Dals are known to provide us with a host of nutrients and proteins. They also offer us a number of lifestyle benefits, as dals aid in weight loss, masoor dal, especially, offers a number of benefits for your skin and blood. However, you must also consider the calories in dal, for no other reason than to be able to properly take care of your health and diets. So, let’s take a look at the calories in different variants of dals:

Keep in mind that these figures are estimates and can vary greatly based on preparation. For instance, one cup of moong dal contains 104 calories, but if it is prepared with a generous amount of ghee, oil and other ingredients, then this is bound to affect the calorie count in dal significantly.

What Constitutes the Mighty Dal - Nutritional Breakdown

Here is the breakdown of the calories in dal:

Remember the times when your mom would say “You must have one bowl of dal with your lunch, it will make you stronger.” Well, she wasn’t entirely wrong. Dals are packed with nutrients that offer multiple health benefits. Let’s take a look at the nutritional breakdown of 1 cup of dal:

Dals are packed with what can be called the ‘3 pillars of good health’- good quality protein, enough nutrients and fibre for good gut health.
Did you know that dals are also great for weight management? Yes! This is because of the low fat and carbohydrate content in dals that help in weight management. Want to know how dal can benefit your health? Let’s find out!

4 Reasons Why You Should Consume Dal

• Great Protein Source

  Being a lentil, various dals are well known to be a rich source of a number of proteins. Additionally, combining lentils in a dish is also a good source of amino acids that among other things, help strengthen your bones and skin. While some dals, such as the urad, black gram and moong dal are reputed as being overtly rich in protein supply, others are not far behind. The best approach, therefore, would be to consume a combination of dals.

• Rich in Vitamins and Minerals

Different kinds of dals offer different amounts and types of minerals and vitamins. Whole moong dal is a rich source of iron and potassium, kabuli dal is said to be one of the richest sources of iron and folic acid, both of which help improve your haemoglobin levels.

• Promoting Blood Formation

Those who are anaemic are recommended masoor dal due to the fact that it helps towards fulfilling the blood deficiency in the body caused by the disease. Believe it or not, the benefits from lentils, moong dal calories or chana dal go beyond just consuming it as a food source. For instance, if the wounds of an individual are not drying quickly enough, it is recommended that the leaves of the toor dal be ground and applied to the wound in order to speed up the process.

• General Health Benefits

Dals aid in improving gut health and are good for the health of your bones. They are also rich in a variety of vitamins, and some dals are even known to be useful in managing your weight and stabilizing your blood pressure. For example, black urad dal is known to aid in improving the health of your heart, promoting skin health as well as improving digestion.

Adverse Effects of Consuming Dal

Whilst dal is healthy for you, and has many benefits, how much you should consume depends on your goals. Most people consume dal to get protein, however, this is erroneous as dal simply does not contain enough protein to meet your body’s requirements. If you attempt to do so, you will have to consume a lot of dal, having negative impacts on your stomach due to excessive dietary fibre content. Moreover, some variants of dals, if not cooked enough, may cause nausea, diarrhoea, and dizziness.

Conclusion

Dal is an essential part of our diets, and for a good reason. Not only does it provide us with an abundance of variety, but they also prove to be a treasure trove of nutrients and proteins. Taking good care of yourself begins with your diet and focusing on your BMI and BMR to make sure you keep your health and calories in check, but you must also be prepared for all situations. This is where health insurance policies can aid you. And did you know that it also pays off well to be healthy? Maintaining a healthy lifestyle can prevent your health insurance premiums from getting too expensive. So, if you are looking to get a health insurance policy to stay protected during uncertainties, have a look at the affordable health insurance policies offered at Bajaj Markets.