8 Best Tips To Eat Healthy Indian Food Outside

Friday, April 25, 2014, 16:56 [IST]

Indian food is healthy; there is no doubt about that fact. However, when you are eating out, you do not have the liberty to cook the food yourself. When you are eating out, you are actually eating what the hotel industry thinks is the version of ‘Indian food' and packages the same to the world. And this version is often oily and spicy. However, it is possible to eat healthy Indian food if you know how to order.

To order healthy Indian food, you need to know how to read the menu of an Indian restaurant. For example, kebab is a definite ‘yes' but say ‘no' to pakoras. If you want healthy Indian food to be served to you, then you have to be conscious of what is being offered to you. You need to know that you can eat healthy Indian food that satisfies your taste buds as well keeps you fit.

20 HEALTHY INDIAN FOODS

Do not subscribe to set conventions that sell a glossy picture of oily and spicy rich Indian food to you. And also do not think that you have to survive on salads and soups to eat healthy. It is not the cuisine that you need to change. You need to change the way you order food.

Here is a list of tips for eating out when you are having food at an Indian restaurant.

Ditch the ‘Fry’

An Indian food menu typically contains a lot of ‘frys'. Be it dal fry or bheja fry, you need to ditch fried food items from your order.

Have Raita

Raita is a flavoured yoghurt that is very good for health. Indian food usually does not have green salads. But a vegetable raita is a good enough replacement for salads.

Have Kebabs Not Pakoras

All kebabs are not grilled. But all pakoras are fried. And you must concentrate on eliminating fried food from your order. Never order pakoras as they are deep fried.

Have Lentils

By lentils, we do not really mean dals. Thick dals like dal makhani and dal tadka are usually very fattening. You must look for chickpeas and chole instead. Chickpea salads can be a very healthy and tasty option.

Go For The Grill

Anything that is grilled has less calories. So always go for tandoori items like tandoori chicken, tandoori fish or paneer. These grilled foods are spicy but rarely unhealthy.

Curry Me Not

It is best to stay away from curries while eating out at Indian restaurants. Curries usually have no nutritional value but add loads of fats and salt to your system. Eat dry items instead of curries. For example, mutton sukkha is better option than mutton rogan josh.

The Roti Basket

The Indian roti basket usually has many healthy options. Nan and rumali rotis are the unhealthiest of the lot. You can have makki ki roti (corn) or bajre ki roti (millet) instead.