Add sarson ka saag to your winter diet for these amazing benefits
Adding sarson ka saag to your diet can boost your immunity against seasonal infections and protect you from heart diseases, diabetes and constipation.
Sarson ka saag, the rich and creamy winter delight that everyone waits for especially in North India is enjoyed with makki ki roti and a dollop of butter along with accompaniments like onion, pickle, whole chilli and jaggery. Prepared with fresh mustard leaves or sarson ke patte, the saag is low in calories and high in antioxidants like other dark green leaves.
Mustard greens or sarson is also loaded with plant compounds glucosinolates known for their anticancer activity and DNA protection. The dark green leafy vegetable is also a powerhouse of nutrients, loaded with soluble and insoluble fibre, vitamins and minerals like iron, folic acid, calcium, potassium, phosphorous and magnesium.
Adding sarson ka saag to your diet can boost your immunity against seasonal infections and protect you from heart diseases, diabetes and constipation.
ALSO READ: Delicious ways to include green leafy vegetables in your diet this winter
Nutritionist Bhuvan Rastogi who aims at helping people get fitter based on native diet, in his latest Instagram post talked about the many benefits of sarson ka saag.
"Vitamin K is an antioxidant which is found nearly exclusively in dark green leaves and one of the major reasons to add salad to diet nutritionally. Unlike vitamin C it is not reduced when cooked hence the saag or bhuji preparation of seasonal greens is extremely healthy and antioxidant rich," sayse Rastogi.
He says that there is a misconception that antioxidants are lost when the leaves are cooked, but because of loss of water the density goes up.
Rastogi goes on to share the nutritional composition of a cup of sarson ka saag and estimates it to be around 37 calories in total.
As per USDA nutrition database
1 cup (240ml) of sarson ka saag (without oil) has
96% of DV of Vitamin A
690% of DV of vitamin K
0.7 g fat
6g carbs out of which 2.8g fibre
3.6g protein
(DV is daily value or recommended daily intake)
Add protein to saag to make it healthier
Rastogi suggests adding protein like paneer or chicken to make sarson ka saag healthier than it already is.
"Saag paneer and Saag chicken are known ways to add protein to this dish making it an extremely healthy dish which is both protein and antioxidants rich and can easily carry a lot of carbs (makki ki roti) and still end up in a balanced dish. Even when eating out, as the gravy is antioxidant rich, pick this preparation over the usual tomato gravy when you can. Vegans can add tofu for the same results," adds the nutritionist.
The other ways to include mustard leaves in your diet is by adding them in soups and broths, in your idli-dosa mix, in your pattis and tikkis and parathas or theplas to make it more interesting for kids.
With Omicron spreading fast across the country, sarson ka saag can give one a perfect immunity boost.
