Nutritionist says ‘papad is the worst’; includes samosa, bhujia among 5 common Indian foods you should stop eating

From papad to supari, these 5 common Indian foods could affect your health, says nutritionist Suman Agarwal on The Masoom Minawala Show.

Many of us think our daily meals are harmless, but some common Indian foods can actually affect our health more than we realise. Nutritionist Suman Agarwal on July 11 episode of The Masoom Minawala Show, shared 5 foods every Indian should think twice about including in their diet.

Nutritionist warns against 5 common Indian foods that can harm your health. (Freepik)

When Masson asked, "What would you say are the 5 worst things that Indians include in their diet?" Suman gave her recommendations, sharing the foods she believes are the least healthy and explaining why each one should be avoided.

1. Papad

"Worst is of course papad," Suman says, "because it has a lot of sodium and saji, which is like a soda, and it has a lot of fat. People think by roasting papad they have taken away the fat, but I know I have seen how papad is made," she explains. “So it has, and it has very little nutritional value, and it is a little harder to digest, especially in humid places... And it just is empty calories. You can't afford to have papad, I have seen in today's world.”

2. Bhujia

"And the third thing is samosa," she explains. "It is like karela and nimchada, it is potatoes and maida and it is fried. Can you imagine? That's why it tastes so good, I know," Suman says.

4. Jalebi

"And then another Indian dessert which I think is really unhealthy for everyone, which people love, and I too love," she says. "And a small jalebi, it is again karela and you are shattering some things right now inside me. They are a healthy option of dessert? So jalebi is literally refined flour and a lot of, like, you know, the paste is made with a lot of ghee and everything, and then it is fried and then it is dipped into sugar syrup," Suman explains. "So it's so acidic, so acidic."

5. Supari (betel nut)

"And the fifth one, but not the least, is, whole India, India loves a Supari," she says. "Can you imagine? Now, supari is like, you know, that betel nut, they all have it in different forms, right? So it is maybe not so popular, pan parag supari type, in many of the metro cities, but the whole of rural or the two-tier, one-tier cities, they all consume," Suman explains.

"So now, the problem with that is, not only is it addictive, but also the betel nut can really bring your iron levels down. Yeah, because it's not proven, it's not spoken, but I have seen people who take a lot of supari, they have lower iron levels, and it's very difficult to push that back again," she adds. "So these are the five foods I think can really be avoided by every Indian."

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.