Falafel | Simple, Healthy and Delicious Recipe | The Oven Light Dinner (2024)

FAQs

Are falafels healthy for weight loss? ›

With its high protein and fiber content, falafel may aid weight control by inducing feelings of fullness. Eating low-GI foods like chickpeas can also help manage blood sugar levels.

Is baked falafel healthy? Yes! Baking instead of frying reduces the amount of fat and calories in this healthy falafel recipe! With protein and fiber rich chickpeas and loads of fresh herbs, these baked falafels are a great healthy meal!

Falafel has a good amount of micronutrients plus it is a good source of protein and fiber. This helps in curbing one's appetite, lowers one's risk of chronic disease, and supports healthy blood sugar. All these qualities put Falafel in the diabetes-friendly category.

Falafel contains high amounts of protein and carbohydrates from chickpeas; it also has significant amounts of soluble fiber that helps to reduce the bad cholesterol from your body. Chickpeas are also rich in calcium, iron & potassium, making falafel a superb vegetarian food to replace meat.

Falafel's Nutritional Profile

Zozos says that the health benefits of falafel are plenty. It tends to be relatively low in cholesterol, low on the glycemic index scale, and high in protein. Also, it's full of complex carbs and fiber, which are good for a healthy gut and regular bowel movements, adds Zozos.

There are three types of falafel--Traditional falafel, baked falafel and lemon falafel. “Where the traditional falafel is the basic fried falafel comprising a mix of chickpeas, onions, garlic, herbs and spices, baked falafels are made using fresh herbs in the chickpea mixture,” says Chef Sati from Ophelia.

A binding ingredient can help keep it together, especially if you are using canned beans instead of dried. And the perfect binding ingredient for falafel is flour. Nothing fancy, just plain all-purpose flour. Add a few tablespoons at a time to your mixture, until you can press it easily into balls or patties.

Falafel and Nutrition

A 100-gram serving (about 3 to 4 falafel patties) of frozen premade chickpea falafel has: 321 calories. 21 grams of protein. 4 grams of fat.

In essence, the ingredient profile of falafel is in the least unhealthy. In fact, compared to other counterparts of the food, including chicken shawarma, falafel tops the list to contain the healthiest amount of all ingredients that are required by the body.

Is falafel or gyro healthier? ›

Go with the falafel The gyro has more saturated fat, more calories, and (usually) more sodium than the falafel —or chicken or vegetable sandwich fillings—on most menus. Take Daphne's, a “California-fresh” West Coast chain with 56 restaurants that lists calories on its menus and Nutrition Facts on its Web site.

Is it healthy? Even though falafel is a deep-fried treat, it's still one of the most healthy foods available at your Mediterranean restaurant. Chickpeas are considered a superfood; the little legume is packed with protein, fiber, calcium, iron, vitamin C, zinc, copper, manganese, and more.

High-carb foods, such as pizza and chips, raise blood sugar levels quickly, leading to energy slumps. Whereas falafel is a complex carbohydrate, which contains fibre, vitamins and minerals that take longer to digest. Fibre slows down sugar absorption, which helps to control blood sugar levels.

Generally, poultry (chicken, turkey, duck) and a variety of seafood (fish, crustaceans, mollusks) are your best bet. Eggs can be a good choice, too.

Carbs. A falafel patty contains a little more than 5 grams of carbohydrates, the majority of which come from the chickpeas or fava beans. The food is high in complex carbohydrates and soluble fiber—the type of fiber that helps lower LDL cholesterol (known as the "bad" cholesterol).

Good For Blood Sugar Levels

Foods that are rich in fibre also help control your blood sugar levels. Fibre slows down digestion, and lets sugar transfer slowly from your digestive tract into your bloodstream. This means there is no sugar “high” after eating falafel, and no fatigue or irritation from a blood sugar crash.

An easy keto falafel recipe made without chickpeas is a delicious snack or appetizer. But it's also a perfect addition to a low carb salad or a paleo wrap for lunch.