Those greasy, calorific and decadent pizzas and burgers define indulgence. But we all are well aware of the fact that such indulgence is severely sinful. A diet full of fried foods has long been linked to various lifestyle and chronic diseases, including obesity, diabetes, heart issues etc. But did you know that even a small portion of it can increase heart risk by leaps and bound? A recent study found that a 114-gram weekly serving of such foods heightens the risk of major heart disease and stroke. The findings were published in the journal Heart.
According to a report, published on the British Medical Journal (BMJ), "It's clear that the Western diet doesn't promote good cardiovascular health, but it's not clear exactly what contribution fried food might make to the risks of serious heart disease and stroke."
To shed light on this, the researchers analysed 17 relevant studies involving 562,445 participants and 36,727 major heart diseases cases (heart attack, stroke etc).
The results showed that eating the least amount of fried food weekly is linked to 28% heightened risk of major cardiovascular events, 22% heightened risk of coronary heart disease and a 37% heightened risk of heart failure.
Also Read: Follow These Expert Diet Tips To Keep Your Heart Healthy
Include healthy fruits and vegetables in your daily diet for a healthy heart.
How Is Fried Food Linked To Heart-Related Issues?
According to the researchers, it is still not clear how fried food influences our heart health. But they point out that fried food generate trans-fats and boost the production of chemical by-products that often lead to inflammation. Fried foods also include added salt and sugar that also affects our heart negatively.
Considering the above factors, we bring you some recipes that can be a healthy and super delicious alternative to the regular fried foods.
Here Are 5 Healthy Snack Options For You (With Recipes):
Methi muthia
A popular Gujarati snack, methi muthia is a soft dumpling-like savoury food that can either be fried or steamed. If you plan to go healthy, we suggest steam the muthias and toast on a pan with a drop of oil. This will make the food crunchy from outside and soft from within. Click here for the recipe.
Dhokla
Dhokla is one popular snack among all. It is light, healthy and delicious to the core. To make it yet healthier, we bring a recipe that will help you prepare a low-calorie dhokla in a microwave oven, that too in just 30 minutes. Click here for the recipe.
Baked ragi chakli
We found a healthy version of your favourite chakli too. This recipe includes protein-rich ragi and undergoes baking instead of frying - making it ideal for guilt-free indulgence. Click here for the recipe.
Baked samosa
Imagine having samosa without any worries of consuming excess oil. Sounds interesting, right! Here's a baked samosa recipe, which is not only oil-free but also replaces potato with a raw banana in the stuffing. You must give this unique recipe a try. Click here for the recipe.
Shakarkandi chaat
The list of snacks is just not complete without giving a special mention to the every-delightful chaats. We found a shakarkandi chaat recipe that is healthy, tasty and ideal to indulge on a winter evening. Click here for the recipe.