Nutritionist on why you shouldn't cook your vegetables in ghee
Avantii Deshpaande says that oil is always better for cooking rather than ghee and suggested alternative ways of including ghee in daily diet.
From 'fattening' to 'heart-healthy', the reputation of ghee has undergone a big change in recent times and the consensus is to make the healthy fat a part of daily diet, albeit in moderation. However, becoming a popular ingredient could also mean a risk of consuming it in the wrong way. As people are looking for new ways to add ghee to their regular as well as festive foods, a nutritionist in her recent Instagram post talks about the right and the wrong way of having the desi superfood. (Also read: Ayurveda tips: A teaspoon of ghee on empty stomach offers many health benefits)
Gut health expert and nutritionist Avantii Deshpaande took to Instagram to share with her followers why ghee should neither be used to cook vegetables or as tadka in dal. Deshpaande says that oil is always better for cooking rather than ghee and suggested alternative ways of including ghee in daily diet.
"I see a lot of people use ghee as tadka while preparing vegetables. As a nutritionist, I feel this is not advisable. It is best to use a blend of cold pressed vegetable oils along with ghee in the diet for better health benefits," she says.
“Cooking oils like peanut oil, sesame seed oil or mustard oil contain major portion of mono unsaturated fatty acids, while safflower seeds oil, sunflower oil contain poly unsaturated fatty acids in majority. Ghee and butter contain saturated fats and coconut oil contains saturated fatty acids and medium chain fatty acids which is lauric acid. According to WHO the ratio of SFA:MUFA: PUFA should be 1:1.5:1," adds the nutritionist.
Avantii says the best way to add ghee in the diet is to apply it on your chapatis, put it in your rice or dals that you are consuming. Having ghee first thing in the morning is also recommended.
“Hence it is best to use cooking oils for preparing the vegetable curries or sabjis and use ghee on rotis, along with rice or in the dals while consuming it. You can also have ghee in the morning on an empty stomach as fat first in the diet," she says.