_{Maida is also called refined flour}

Maida (or refined flour) is one of the kitchen staples across India. It helps gives our pooris and breads a delish flavour and elasticity. It also helps elevates the taste of many of our street foods, baked goods and desserts. However, off late, maida has been under tremendous scrutiny for its health impact. According to nutritionists, excessive consumption of refined flour may be detrimental for women suffering from PCOS and also those with constipation. Maida has high amounts of starch, which may cause troubles with bowel movements. It is also not recommended for diabetics, since it may lead to blood sugar spikes and dieters anyway are asked to steer clear of maida for its lack of good quality fibres. So what should you do? How do we eliminate something that is such an intrinsic part of our diet. Ruling out maida means doing away with everyday basics like white bread, poori, biscuits et al.  

Fret not, we have some ideas with the help of which you can feel a little less guilty while indulging.

1. Maida, if consumed in moderation, may not be that bad an idea. So if you are avid baker, you can resist eating that whole pie and perhaps just make do with one small piece? One chocolate cookie a day, or a few chips too are okay sometimes.

(Also Read: 9 Delicious Dishes with Besan (Gram flour), the Versatile Kitchen Ingredient)

2. A lot depends on your preparation, so if you are deep frying your maida goods, you are inviting excess calories that would be hard to burn. Instead, you can opt for air-frying, steaming or boiling. Steamed momos are anyday a healthier bet than fried momos.  

3. You can try mixing maida with other high fibre, nutritious flours like whole wheat, sooji, bajra, jowar. You can mix the flours and make a dough out of it and make a paratha out of this slightly more wholesome dough.  

(Also Read: 5 Best Atta-Based Indian Desserts You Can Try At Home)

4. And remember, balance is key! So, if you are in a mood to indulge on a Sunday and feel like cooking some kachoris, keep the sabzi light. It is always a good idea to include fresh, seasonal vegetables on the side for the much needed fibre.

5. Avoid sugary, baked goods from outside, instead make some quick an easy ones at home. This way you would be able to monitor to sugar content, and even use healthier sugar alternative like jaggery. Just like excess maida, excess sugar too is known to derail weight loss efforts.  

Keep these points in mind and eat healthy, be mindful and always practice portion control.

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