Dalia is a nutritious food that you can't miss when opting for meals that improve your overall health. Find the benefits of dalia, the best options & more here!
“Dalia or no dalia – which diet would you choose?” Dalia is the traditional go-to food in many Indian households. You might wonder what makes dalia an essential part of your daily diet. Being an inexpensive, accessible, and easy-to-cook cereal grain, dalia can easily become your favourite ingredient to cook with. Read on to find out the benefits of dalia, its types and the best dalia options.
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Dalia: Nutrition Facts
Dalia, also known as broken wheat or cracked wheat, is a cereal grain obtained by milling raw wheat grains coarsely. When cooked, it takes a similar appearance and texture as couscous and quinoa. It has an earthy and nutty taste.
Other than being delicious and easy to cook, dalia is also rich in nutrition. This is because of the fact that with dalia you are consuming the whole grain as such, which constitutes the entire wheat kernel. It includes the germ, endosperm, and bran, making it highly nutritious and beneficial to your health.
Each serving of dalia contains a variety of vitamins, minerals, protein, and fibre. 1/4 cup (40 g) of dalia offers 30 g of carbohydrates, 5 g of protein, 5 g of fibre, 20 mg of calcium, and 1.8 mg of iron while being lower in calories (140).
Health Benefits of Dalia
Here are some of the benefits that dalia can offer:
1. Weight Loss
Dalia is rich in both fibre and proteins, which can aid in weight loss. It promotes a feeling of fullness and satiety. This helps in preventing frequent hunger pangs and thus lowers your calorie intake.
Thus, regular consumption of dalia can help you lose weight. It is also effective in improving digestion and in boosting your metabolism.
2. Heart Health
The high fibre content in dalia promotes heart health. The fibre in Dalia helps lower the absorption of cholesterol into the bloodstream, thereby lowering the total cholesterol levels in the body and reducing the risk of developing heart disease.
Dalia is also a rich source of potassium (240 mg in 1 cup or 160 g dalia). Potassium helps maintain a healthy fluid balance in the body and thus lowers your blood pressure, which is a major risk factor for heart disease.
3. Digestive Health
Foods with high levels of dietary fibre help stimulate your digestion. Whole grains such as dalia are known to promote the growth of healthy gut bacteria, which supports proper intestinal and digestive function. This makes dalia beneficial for conditions such as constipation, bloating, and indigestion.
4. Controlled Blood Sugar
Dalia has a low glycemic index (GI) of 41, which means it does not cause a considerable rise in your blood sugar levels after consumption. This helps balance your blood glucose levels and therefore favours diabetics. Dalia also contains phytonutrients (plant compounds), which can help manage blood sugar levels better by lowering insulin resistance.
5. Other Benefits
Some of the other benefits of consuming dalia on a regular basis can include better sleep, stronger bones, an improved immune system, and better blood circulation.
Types of Dalia
The term dalia is originally used for cracked wheat or wheat dalia. However, many other grains can also be milled to make dalia.
1. Wheat Dalia
It is ideal for people of all age groups and it enhances digestion along with keeping your gut healthy. It is highly nutritious and meets your daily requirements of protein and fibre. One fact about wheat dalia is that it contains gluten, which is a type of protein that can cause allergy in individuals who have celiac disease or are intolerant to gluten.
2. Barley Dalia
As the name suggests, this type of dalia is made from barley. Barley is one of the most widely used grains and has a mild nutty flavour. Barley dalia is high in dietary fibre that helps improve digestion and also boosts your metabolism. The beta-glucans found in barley help lower the cholesterol levels in your body, thus lowering the risk of heart diseases.
3. Maize Dalia
This type of dalia has to be the best choice for people with gluten intolerance or coeliac disease as the grain is free from gluten. Maize dalia is a rich source of proteins and vitamins. It boosts your energy levels and keeps you active throughout the day. It is a rich source of vitamin E and helps optimise your bowel movements. Maize also benefits your skin health and improves muscle mass.
Best Dalia in India
There are multiple varieties of dalia available in the market these days. One of the best is True Elements Multigrain Dalia Indore Masala. This pack of dalia can be your go-to breakfast as it is easy to prepare and goes well with Indian recipes like khichdi and upma.
It has a low carb content due to the presence of jowar (sorghum) flakes, which makes it an ideal ingredient for diabetics and for those who are on a weight loss diet. It is easy to prepare and is a healthy and tasty dish for you and your family.
Who Should Avoid Having Dalia?
Although highly nutritious and healthy, dalia might not be a suitable meal for some individuals.
- People who are allergic to wheat or specifically gluten or those who have the coeliac disease should avoid the consumption of wheat dalia. You can replace wheat dalia with other gluten-free alternatives such as maize dalia.
- People with chronic intestinal disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) may not be able to tolerate dalia well as it is a rich source of fibre.
- People who have any kind of digestive issues due to an infection or illness should wait to get well or consult a doctor before consuming dalia.
Don’t Have Time To Read?
- Dalia (broken wheat) is a cereal grain obtained by milling raw wheat grains coarsely. It has an earthy and nutty taste.
- Each serving (1/4 cup or 40 g) of dalia contains a variety of vitamins and minerals including carbohydrates (30 g) iron, protein (5 g), fibre (5 g), calcium (20 mg), and iron (1.8 g).
- Regular consumption of dalia can aid in weight loss, better heart health, improved digestion and healthy blood sugar levels. Other benefits of including dalia in your diet are better sleep, strong bones, improved immune system, and better blood circulation in the body.
- Apart from the regular wheat dalia, the other types of dalia available are barley dalia and maize dalia.
- There are several variants of dalia available in the market these days. You can buy one of the best ones by clicking here.
- People with conditions such as a gluten allergy or coeliac disease, chronic intestinal disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome, and other acute digestive problems should avoid the consumption of dalia.Use the Phable Care App to consult India’s leading nutritionists and dieticians to get real-time remote care from the comfort of your home. Check out our store to order tasty treats, breakfast foods, health juices, snacks and more!
Friendly Asked Questions
There is no one best time to eat dalia. You can have dalia for breakfast, lunch, or even dinner. You can have it with milk as a porridge for breakfast, and in the form of khichdi, upma, idli and many other ways for lunch and dinner.
Both oats and dalia are healthy cereals. However, dalia is higher in dietary fibre when compared to oats. There is 11.9 g of fibre in 100 g of cooked dalia whereas the same quantity of cooked oats contains only 2.6 g of dietary fibre. This makes dalia a healthier option than oats.
Yes, dalia is a rich source of protein with as much as 5 g of protein in 1/4 cup (40 g) of dalia. Being high in protein, dalia is a great option for individuals who are diabetic or are on a weight loss diet. This is because protein-rich foods promote the feeling of fullness and satiety, making you consume fewer calories and helping maintain a healthy weight.
Yes, dalia is a healthier choice over rice. Each 100 g of uncooked dalia contains about 12.5 g of fibre, 12.5 g of protein and 350 calories. Meanwhile, the same quantity of uncooked rice contains about 2.8 g of fibre, 6.81 g of protein and 370 calories..
Dalia is high in complex carbohydrates and has a low glycemic index. This ensures a steady release of glucose in the body, maintaining healthy blood sugar levels and keeping you energetic. It is also a rich source of protein, which helps you maintain muscle mass and strength. Dalia is also low in calories. This makes dalia an excellent post-workout meal that can aid in recovery after a strenuous exercise.
Yes, having dalia on a daily basis can help you reap the multiple health benefits of dalia. It is a good source of protein and fibre, which promotes fullness and prevents you from frequent snacking. Dalia can aid in weight loss, diabetes management, better heart health, and improved digestion.