A hot cup of tea and a jar of biscuits. For the longest time, our mornings and evenings have been filled with this little pleasure that we all look forward to.
Of late high fiber digestive biscuits, have become a huge rage and have a cult following among the health conscious. But, have we spared a moment and thought whether the claims they make, qualify for the healthy label.
High fiber biscuits are undoubtedly rich in fiber but not necessarily low on fat or low calorie.
In fact, the amount of fat added to bind the fiber and make them edible is much higher than that in the butter cookies. We, therefore, end up eating a lot more of bad calories and a bad source of fat just for a few extra grams of fiber.
We must understand that the Indian dietis already very rich in whole grains, vegetables, salads and fruits and we get our daily requirement of fiber from these sources. We do not need to add extra fiber to our diet unlike the western food culture which is highly skewed towards animal protein and has very low fiber content.
If we were to compare the chapatti with these biscuits, it not only provides more fiber but is far more nutritious too. Starving ourselves by reducing the chapatti in regular meals and then loading on any health snack or digestive biscuits makes no nutritional sense. We should keep in mind our food culture and habits before making any choice about snacks.
Opt for right options of snacks like roasted grains, homemade dhokla, roasted peanuts and nuts to go along with tea. These are good sources of fat and will keep us full for a longer period along with providing us with unlimited nutrition. Also, one serving of fruit provides more fiber than a biscuit. The fructose in the fruit is a good source of energy and does not get converted into fat.
All biscuits including the high fiber ones are loaded with –
- Refined sugars
- Refined flours
- Hydrogenated fats
- Artificial sweeteners
Our Verdict
Do not judge a food by its name. Most of the time it is the product of slick marketing and you get the true picture only when you compare the facts. When we delve deeper, we realise that high fiber digestive biscuits are no better, probably worse, that any other regular biscuit.
