Everything you wanted to know about this staple grain of many Indian households.
What a lot of wheat!
Cereals are an integral part of our diet and are a primary source of energy. While India country produces and consumes a number of cereals like rice, bajra, jowar, ragi and maize, wheat has always been one of the most popularly used cereals in the country. In fact, after China, India is the world’s second largest producer and consumer of wheat.
Wheat is a cereal that is primarily consumed in the north, north-western region of our country. The major wheat products available in markets are whole wheat flour (atta), refined wheat flour (maida), breads, semolina (suji), vermicilli (sevian) and biscuits. Wheat provides carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals.
Try this delicious wheat apple cake at home!
Why whole wheat is better
Wheat is primarily a source of carbohydrates in our body. There are 2 forms of carbohydrates present in wheat-
- Soluble carbohydrates – in the form of starch
- Insoluble carbohydrates – in the form of cellulose, hemicellulose and pentosans.
Insoluble carbohydrates in wheat provide the fibre in our diet. Whole wheat or whole wheat flour has a high amount of fibre that is not present in refined wheat flour, or rice. The fibre content in wheat is mainly present in the outer layer or the bran of the wheat grain. As wheat is refined, the outer layer or bran is removed and hence, the fibre content reduces. Whole wheat and its products have a distinctive flavour and coarser texture, compared to products made from refined wheat flour.
Find out about the glycaemic index of various foods, including wheat products.
Other nutritional benefits of wheat
As it is consumed in large quanitites, wheat provides nearly 50% of the protein requirement in our body. Proteins are mainly present in the germ and scutellum portion of the wheat grain. It’s interesting to note that the protein content of rice is much lower than that of wheat, but the quality of rice protein is higher. Cereal proteins are deficient in an amino acid called ‘Lysine’ and pulses are deficient in an amino acid called ‘Methionine’. Hence, when wheat or rice and pulses are consumed together, e.g. in dal-rice, chapati-dal combination, the protein quality of the diet improves.
Wheat is a major source of minerals like phosphorus and magnesium in the diet, but a poor source of calcium and iron. It is a major source of Vitamin-B in the diet, which is found in the outer bran. Refining of wheat to produce refined flour, reduces the Vitamin-B content.
In general, whole wheat flour is better in comparison to rice or refined wheat as it is higher in fibre content, contains Vitamin-B and high protein content, and has a better satiety value.
Wheat products
Whole wheat products available in the markets include whole wheat flour, whole wheat bread and broken wheat (dalia).
Refined wheat products include refined flour (maida), white breads, brown bread (only brown colour is added, all brown bread is not necessarily made of whole wheat flour), biscuits, semolina, vermicilli, pizza bases, pastas, noodles etc.
What’s in a chapati?
Chapati without ghee (left) has about 70kCal
The most commonly used form of wheat in our households is chapati or roti. A standard chapati of 20gm atta provides 70kcal and 2g protein
A standard slice of bread weighs 30g and it contains the same amount of calories and proteins as a chapati.
The calorie content of chapati or bread increases if ghee or butter is applied. A gram of butter or ghee provides nearly 9kcal. Hence, if half a teaspoon of ghee is applied to a chapati, it would provide nearly 93kcal.
The daily recommeneded intake of chapatis for a individual depends on the height and weight, along with the physical activity of the person. E.g. A woman who’s 5’5”, weighs about 70kg and leads a sedentary lifestyle, should have approximately 4-5 chapaties every day.
Intolerance to gluten
Wheat contains a protein called gluten that provides elasticity in breads and cakes. But many people are intolerant to gluten, having a condition called ‘Celiac Disease’. If celiac patients consume any wheat products, they show symptoms like nausea, vomiting, stomach ache etc. Hence, reading the food labels for the presence of wheat or it products becomes extremely important for such individuals.
Also read about wheat allergy.
Written by Misha Sharma, nutritionist
Photograph of chapati by http://flickr.com/photos/35581095@N00/1600199245, via creative commons
