Cherished are the childhood memories of being caught with a hand in a forbidden jar. The jar usually held cookies, goodies, sugar candies or some variety of a delicious pickle.
No matter how much we were scolded that time or how cleverly they hid the jar again, our fingers always found a way back to that lickable stuff.
No matter how much we were scolded that time or how cleverly they hid the jar again, our fingers always found a way back to that lickable stuff.
Now that may lead you to think that a pickle may not be an advisable thing to eat but turns out that they are, contrarily, quite healthy if we know when and how to consume them.
Yes, for one, pickles are basically vegetables that are preserved for long. That way, they are full of fiber and good elements that any vegetable packs. Only in a pickle, they are not that bland to eat.
The proportion of vinegar and oil, as well as salt, is the only part that needs consideration from a health point of view.
Otherwise, pickles are in themselves, low-calorie recipes of any vegetable that you would rather not eat in other forms. They are also rich in magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, iron etc.
Then there is the benefit of moisture, dietary fiber, energy, fat, carbohydrates etc., in a good measure.
It is also observed that when accompanying a meal, pickles tend to amplify the probiotic content of a meal. For instance, when a cucumber is turned into a pickle, its fibre content is not sacrificed, which may not be the case with other forms of eating it. Same goes for the mango pickle.
Pickles pack vitamins, minerals etc when prepared in the right manner and with caution (on the use of sodium and fat). The effect is magnified if it’s an organic pickle
In fact, many people have started pickle intake in the form of pickle juices too. Most calorie-watchers have begun to include this juice as part of the overall diet plan. The reasons are not hard to guess as studies have already indicated some characteristics like resistance to obesity and boost for calorie-burn that such juices can show.
When eating a meal with pickle as an accessory one can find the stomach reaching satisfaction degree sooner due to the presence of acetic acid. Vinegar may also help in filling one’s appetite faster and since there are vegetables involved this means fewer calories but more fiber.
It has also been surmised that pickle juice helps in curing hangover and reducing heartburn.
All in all, when it comes to good calories and weight-loss, along with extra minerals and important vitamins like the vitamin K, pickles form a good substitute for other bland health options.
There is one more reason that makes them powerful. They replace the tendency for food to be served with/in unhealthy or fatty dips, sauces or other modes of flavour-enhancers. A tomato pickle is better than a cheesy topping any day and equally delicious. If one can dip a salad in a good pickle instead of a mayonnaise dip, one gets to eat good food without silently sneaking in unhealthy portions in the name of flavour-substitutes.
So, as long as you can choose a low-sodium, vegetable version of a pickle, like an organic one, these accessories can work as more than just accessories.
The famous Indian dietician to Bollywood stars like Kareena Kapoor, Ms. Rujuta Diwekar endorses Indian pickles as the quintessential sources of probiotic bacteria. In fact, probiotic bacteria is now being sold separately as a nutrition in the market.
