This coming weekend rain is expected to fall – so it is quite clear that many will choose to prepare cholent for their household members. But is this a nutritious dish or just a fattening one?
Here is the calculation: All the ingredients of cholent are actually similar in terms of calories – the beans, chickpeas, barley, potatoes and even the meat – there is no big difference between them, they contain about 150 calories per cup. So if no oil or fatty meat is added to the pot – a filling meal of 2–3 cups of cholent contains between 300 and 450 calories, and this is suitable even during a diet.
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Is cholent recommended from a health perspective as well?
It can be a meal with high nutritional value. The legumes help reduce blood sugar and cholesterol levels and provide plant-based protein, dietary fiber and iron. The grains in the pot complement the protein from the legumes, potatoes contain a large amount of potassium which is required for the heart muscle, and the egg contributes to the body the highest-quality proteins of all foods.
In order for the cholent to be healthy, it is advisable to give up the kishke and put mainly lean meat into the pot. And by the way, beef has many cuts with less fat and calories than chicken, and it has a health advantage because it contains more iron, zinc and vitamin B12.
All the minerals in cholent, such as iron and zinc, are not destroyed by heat and nothing happens to them during prolonged cooking, so the cholent contains a large amount of them.
Cholent is also very rich in B vitamins, and although there is a decrease in their amount the longer the cooking is – a relatively large amount still remains.
What cholent does not contain after prolonged cooking is vitamin C, so it is advisable to add a fresh vegetable salad to the meal or finish with a piece of fruit.
How do you prevent the fatigue afterward?
A meal that contains a lot of proteins and fats requires a lot of energy for digestion, and this causes a feeling of fatigue and drowsiness.
A large amount of carbohydrates and B vitamins that have a calming effect – the fatigue is felt even more.
If you eat a smaller amount it can help. What is not advisable to do is to drink coffee after the meal, because it contains a substance that binds iron and prevents its absorption by the body.
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