Monsoons are here and while many of you have already begun counting the problems that come along with it, hold on. There are so many amazing things that monsoon brings with it, we have relief from the scorching heat, everything washed off, waterfalls, more water, the romance and we cannot end the list without desi garam chai and pakore. I know you can binge the combo anytime but don't tell you don't crave for it like madness during rains. Piping hot, crispy pakore aka fritters served with a delicious cup of garam masala chai, name a better combo I'll wait! But it is a fact that many of us avoid treating ourselves with chai and pakore despite amazing rains considering it is unhealthy and we might end up gaining weight. But guess what? Chai with hot pakoras isn't as unhealthy as you think. Really, we aren't even kidding. There are actually health benefits of consuming chai and pakoras on a rainy day. Let's talk about it! Corn Benefits and Nutrition: Is it Healthy to Eat Bhutta? 5 Myths Busted.

Nutritional Information One Plate of Pakora

Depending highly on the method of frying pakoras, ingredients etc. the snack can go from being healthy to unhealthy. However, if we consider the standard pakoras, here is the nutritional information:

  • Calories‎: ‎137.5

  • Protein‎: ‎1.8 g

  • Total Fat‎: ‎2.4 g

  • Saturated Fat‎: ‎0.3 g

Nutritional Information One Cup Of Masala Chai

The desi way our teas are made isn't actually unhealthy and one cup doesn't harm your weight loss goals as much as you think. Moreover, the spices you add to your masala chai like cardamom, cinnamon, pepper etc. have a lot of health benefits. While the correct nutritional information depends on the amount of sugar and milk you add to it, here's the nutritional information:

  • Calories‎: ‎49.8

  • Total Fat‎: ‎0.2 g

  • Sugars‎: ‎8.9 g

  • Saturated Fat‎: ‎0.0 g

However, if you still think it is quite a lot of calories and you might want to make your pakoras and chai at home. Also, make a few tweaks to make them healthier and decrease its calorie count. Most of you might be unaware of the fact that masala tea can help reduce blood sugar and bad LDL cholesterol. If you are calorie conscious and don't want to indulge in fried pakoras, you can try the baked one instead of tossing them in half a litre oil. Also, eat these 10 healthiest food on the planet to stay fit forever. 

Baked Pakora Recipe

Tips to make your Chai and Pakora healthier:

  • Choose low-calorie refined oil to fry your pakoras, such as canola oil, sunflower oil, peanut oil.

  • Add fibrous veggies or chicken shreds to make pakoras to increase the nutrient content.

  • Opt for shallow frying instead of deep frying.

  • Add spices to your chai to make it healthier.

  • Add less milk and sugar to your chai, you can also use jaggery instead of refined sugar.

The bottom line is, being on a diet to lose weight doesn't mean that you deprive yourself of little happiness and beat yourself to only eat greens. Once in a while treating yourself with some chai and pakora during monsoon is not like you're destroying your diet. At the end of the day, it is the total calorie count which makes the difference. Remember, no food can be defined as bad or good, it is the proportion what you eat really matters. Weight loss highly depend on going calorie deficit along with some exercises like running, cycling, weight training, etc.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 11, 2019 05:52 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).