Rice or Roti- Which one is better for losing weight

Rice or Roti- Which one is better for losing weight

In India it is very challenging to get rid of the stubborn fat that you have accumulated. This is because Rice and Roti/Chapati are a staple in every Indian household. There’s not a single Indian home where the dwellers don’t consume rice or roti during their mealtimes.

And what one should know is that both rice and roti, contrary to what is commonly believed, equal each other in terms of calorific value and carb content. Thus, the renowned dietician and owner of www.balancenutrition.in, Khyati Rupani opines that if you consume a bowl of rice (30 grams of rice grains) and rotis/chapattis (made from 30 grams of wheat), you are consuming 100 calories in either case. This indicates that rice, which is blamed all the time for making you over sized is not to be blamed alone. Carbs in wheat are same as that of rice and in that context wheat is as fattening as rice.

But as rice and roti have been a part of our diet since time immemorial, it is very hard to part with both even when you are desperate to lose weight. Also, if you exclude carbs completely from diet you may start feeling weak and deficient in energy and may not be able to do weight loss and muscle building workouts. The reason is that such workouts need a steady supply of glycogen from carbs and if your body falls short of glycogen, your energy will get depleted in no time…and that is of course not a good thing.

So, what you can do is select the healthier carb between rice and roti/chapatti and stick to it while dropping the other from your weight loss diet. To find out the option you should go for when you are watching your weight, read on…

Rice VS Roti/Chapatti for weight loss- The Comparison

If you are caught in a dilemma as to what you should drop out while trying to lose weight- rice or roti…read this comparison below:

·         Roti/Chapatti is more nutrient dense when compared to rice and thus you get a better nutritional support for your weight loss journey from roti/chapatti than rice.  When you are trying to lose weight, you often cut back on certain food items or try to eat less when compared to your usual eating pattern. But if you aren’t careful enough you may end up giving your body lesser nutrients than what it required. In such cases, consuming rotis/chapattis and making them a part of your weight loss diet may prove to be beneficial.

·         Secondly despite the fact that roti/chapatti equals rice in its calorific value it’s still better to consume roti/chapatti than rice when you are trying to lose weight. The reason is that roti/chapatti has a much higher fiber and protein content when compared to rice. Thus, consuming rice piles you up with calories, and makes you feel hungry soon afterwards thereby creating a chance for more calorific intake and consequent fattening. But roti/chapatti is digested slowly because of its high fiber and protein content and keeps you fuller for long. Therefore you don’t feel hungry easily after consuming roti/chapatti and that stops you from overeating.

·         Slow digestion of roti/chapatti helps in stabilizing blood sugar levels and controlling sudden spikes in blood sugar. This in turn improves insulin sensitivity and prevents excess sugar from getting converted to fat. The case is just the opposite when you are consuming rice and that of course does not go in favor of your efforts to lose weight.

·         Roti/chapatti is loaded with essential minerals such as potassium, calcium, phosphorous and iron. Hence, consumption of chapatti/roti adds to your fitness quotient only. Rice on the other hand falls short of these vital minerals and has lower nutritional index when compared to rice.

·         But if you are someone who have water retention issues and need to control sodium intake, then rice is a better option for you. This is because rice has no sodium at all while roti/chapatti is steeped in sodium. The sodium content in 1 Roti/Chapatti is equal to 131mg; i.e. pretty high enough.

The bottom line

Roti/chapattiis the most ideal for weight loss but if you are watching out your sodium intake, you should abstain from roti/chapatti and take rice instead.

Roti/Chapatti Diet for Weight loss

If you are trying to lose weight than this roti/chapatti 7 days diet plan would be of help. This is just a model diet plan which you can continue for months or until you get the desired results…

Hours of Day	Day 01	Day 02	Day 03	Day 04	Day 05	Day 06	Day 07
Morning	Lemon Tea	Green Tea	Black coffee	Green Tea	Lemon Tea	Black Coffee	Green Tea
Breakfast	Oats Upma	Ragi porridge	Oats porridge	Dalia Upma	Brown bread toast	Wheat flour dosa	Wheat flour Utthapam
Mid-Morning	Dry fruits	Yoghurt	Fruit salad	Carrot soup	Mixed nuts	Dark chocolate	Broccoli soup
Lunch	Chapatti + Mixed Dal	Chapatti + Matar Paneer	Chapatti + Dry chicken curry	Chapatti + Rajama masala	Chapatti + Egg bhurji	Chapatti + Chickpea curry	Chapatti + Dry fish churma
Snacks	Roasted almonds	Hardboiled egg	Raita	Mixed sprouts	Clear veggie soup	Mixed fruit chaat	Buttermilk
Dinner	Roti + Paneer bhurji	Roti + Methi saag	Roti + Palak paneer	Roti + Egg bhurji	Roti + Mix veggie stir-fry	Roti + Dry chicken curry	Roti + Dry soya chunk curry

Some Useful Tips

·         If you are a rice fan and cannot really sacrifice rice for roti/chapatti, then you are advised to take brown rice/red rice instead of the white rice.

·         If careful of the spread you are using on your roti or chapatti. Instead of ghee or butter, you could use healthier options such as yoghurt or peanut butter. Also, instead of jams and jellies, you could healthier options like maple syrup or honey as spread.

·         Consuming roti/chapatti is of course ideal for weight loss when compared to rice but that doesn’t mean that you load your plate with as many chapattis/rotis as you can. Watching the portion size is essential if you don’t want your weight loss journey to get derailed.

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