Is Poha Good for Weight Loss?

TLDR

• Poha is a low-calorie food with 273 kcal in a medium cup.
• Poha is a good source of dietary fiber and provides satiety.
• Poha is gluten-free and a good option for people with celiac disease.
• Poha is rich in nutrients like vitamin B, manganese, and folate which helps boost immunity.

Nutrition value of poha

There are 273 kcal in one medium cup of poha. The calories in a poha depend on its recipe, serving size, or quantity in grams. 

To know more about the nutrition values of various poha recipes, please read Poha Calories, Nutrition Facts & Health Benefits.

Benefits of poha

1. Gluten-free

Rice flakes are naturally gluten-free¹.This is a good option for people with Celiac Disease, wheat allergy, or gluten sensitivity.

2. Helps boost immunity

Poha is a good source of dietary fiber, protein, iron, lutein, pantothenic acid, vitamin C, vitamin D,  and vitamin E. 

These nutrients play an essential role in boosting immunity. Also, it is a good probiotic food.

According to a study, its found that wild rice flakes are a rich source of niacin, thiamine, chromium, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, zinc, copper, molybdenum, and iron to essential dietary intake values².

3. Good for diabetes

Poha is a great option for an individual with diabetes. 

Rice flakes are rich in dietary fiber. Along with that poha has a low glycemic index of 43 making it a good option in a diabetic diet³.

Poha for weight loss

Poha is a low-calorie food. It has 64% of carbohydrates present in it, along with 27% of fat— such a combination makes the thing a good fit to be consumed for weight loss.

According to a study, it was found that amongst all the Indian breakfast options, poha helps provide the most satiety⁴. This reduces hunger and helps in weight loss.

Also, poha is a good source of dietary fiber. It can be made healthier by adding a variety of vegetables to increase the fiber content, thus enhancing the weight loss process.

For better control of your diet, use the Hint app to change your lifestyle by improving your eating habits and physical activity level.

Conclusion

Poha or rice flakes are low in calories. Along with this, they are a good source of dietary fiber also. This makes poha a great option for weight loss.

Also, when combined with other vegetables or millet, it makes a healthier option for weight loss.

However, alone poha cannot help in weight loss. Lifestyle changes including a proper workout routine with healthy and portion-controlled food will result in fat reduction and weight loss.

While incorporating poha into your diet may have some potential benefits, it's important to remember that weight loss requires a combination of lifestyle changes and a balanced healthy weight-loss diet. 

If you are looking for guidance in following a weight loss diet, download the HINT app and subscribe to the instant weight loss plan. It helps you reduce your BMI and manage weight.

References

1. Kiewlicz J, Rybicka I. Minerals and their bioavailability in relation to dietary fiber, phytates and tannins from gluten and gluten-free flakes. Food Chem. 2020 Feb 1;305:125452. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2019.125452. Epub 2019 Sep 3. PMID: 31514050.
2. Sumczynski D, Koubová E, Šenkárová L, Orsavová J. Rice flakes produced from commercial wild rice: Chemical compositions, vitamin B compounds, mineral and trace element contents and their dietary intake evaluation. Food Chem. 2018 Oct 30;264:386-392. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2018.05.061. Epub 2018 May 12. PMID: 29853391.
3. Atkinson FS, Brand-Miller JC, Foster-Powell K, Buyken AE, Goletzke J. International tables of glycemic index and glycemic load values 2021.
4. Sangita Pai, P.S. Ghugre, S.A. Udipi, Satiety from rice-based, wheat-based and rice–pulse combination preparations, Appetite, Volume 44, Issue 3,2005, Pages 263-271, ISSN 0195-6663.