{"id":9477,"date":"2020-04-03T14:24:56","date_gmt":"2020-04-03T21:24:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/my.castlighthealth.com\/blog\/?p=9477"},"modified":"2020-08-11T12:26:04","modified_gmt":"2020-08-11T19:26:04","slug":"is-falafel-healthy-nutrition-calories-and-recipe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/my.castlighthealth.com\/blog\/is-falafel-healthy-nutrition-calories-and-recipe\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Falafel Healthy? Nutrition, Calories, and Recipe"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Falafel is a dish of Middle Eastern origin that\u2019s especially popular among vegetarians and vegans.<\/p>\n<p>It consists of deep-fried patties that are made from a combination of chickpeas (or fava beans), herbs, spices, onion, and dough.<\/p>\n<p>Falafel can be a stand-alone side dish, but it\u2019s commonly served in a pita pocket, flatbread, or as part of an assortment of appetizers called a meze.<\/p>\n<p>Although it\u2019s quite popular and packed with healthy ingredients, many people wonder whether it\u2019s truly a healthy dish.<\/p>\n<p>This article reviews whether falafel is healthy and provides a nutritious recipe.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"nutrition\" class=\"wp-block-healthline-tabbed-heading\" data-toc-label=\"Nutrition\">Falafel nutrition facts<\/h2>\n<p>Falafel is packed with a variety of important nutrients.<\/p>\n<p>A 3.5-ounce (100-gram) serving of 6 small patties of falafel contains the following nutrients:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Calories:<\/strong> 333<\/li>\n<li><strong>Protein:<\/strong> 13.3 grams<\/li>\n<li><strong>Carbs: <\/strong>31.8 grams<\/li>\n<li><strong>Fat:<\/strong> 17.8 grams<\/li>\n<li><strong>Fiber:<\/strong> 4.9 grams<\/li>\n<li><strong>Vitamin B6: <\/strong>94% of the Daily Value (DV)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Manganese:<\/strong> 30% of the DV<\/li>\n<li><strong>Copper:<\/strong> 29% of the DV<\/li>\n<li><strong>Folate: <\/strong>26% of the DV<\/li>\n<li><strong>Magnesium: <\/strong>20% of the DV<\/li>\n<li><strong>Iron:<\/strong> 19% of the DV<\/li>\n<li><strong>Phosphorus: <\/strong>15% of the DV<\/li>\n<li><strong>Zinc:<\/strong> 14% of the DV<\/li>\n<li><strong>Riboflavin: <\/strong>13% of the DV<\/li>\n<li><strong>Potassium:<\/strong> 12% of the DV<\/li>\n<li><strong>Thiamine: <\/strong>12% of the DV<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Falafel also contains small amounts of niacin, vitamin B5, calcium, and many other micronutrients.<\/p>\n<p>That said, falafel is traditionally deep-fried in oil, so falafel purchased at restaurants can be high in fat and calories.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-healthline-quote-body\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Summary:<\/strong><\/span> Falafel contains a variety of important nutrients, but it\u2019s traditionally deep-fried in oil, which can make it high in fat and calories.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"a-healthy-choice\" class=\"wp-block-healthline-tabbed-heading\" data-toc-label=\"A healthy choice?\">Is falafel healthy?<\/h2>\n<p>Falafel has several qualities that may benefit your health in various ways.<\/p>\n<p>To start, it\u2019s a good source of fiber and plant-based protein, two nutrients that work synergistically to help keep you full for longer throughout the day.<\/p>\n<p>Both fiber and protein have been shown to reduce the production of hunger hormones, such as ghrelin, while increasing the production of fullness hormones like cholecystokinin, glucagon-like peptide-1, and peptide YY.<\/p>\n<p>Also, studies have shown that chickpea fiber may help manage blood sugar levels by slowing carb absorption. This promotes steady rises in blood sugar rather than spikes.<\/p>\n<p>Moreover, chickpea fiber has been linked to improved bowel health, as well as lowered risks of heart disease and colon cancer.<\/p>\n<p>Depending on what ingredients are added to falafel, they can be naturally gluten-free and dairy-free, making them a good option for most diets.<\/p>\n<p>That said, falafel can have downsides, depending on how it\u2019s prepared.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s typically deep-fried in oil, which significantly increases its calorie and fat content.<\/p>\n<p>Studies consistently show that people who regularly consume deep-fried foods have a higher risk of obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.<\/p>\n<p>What\u2019s more, some people may have allergies to ingredients that are either in or served with falafel, such as sesame seeds.<\/p>\n<p>However, making your own falafel at home can minimize these downsides.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-healthline-quote-body\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Summary:<\/strong><\/span> Falafel is high in many micronutrients and a good source of fiber and protein. As such, it may help curb your appetite, support healthy blood sugar, and lower your risk of chronic disease. Yet, it\u2019s typically deep-fried in oil, which raises its fat and calorie content.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"recipe\" class=\"wp-block-healthline-tabbed-heading\" data-toc-label=\"Recipe\">How to make healthy falafel<\/h2>\n<p>Falafel is easy to make at home with only a few ingredients.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, making your own falafel allows you to bake them rather than deep-fry them, which cuts back on excess oil, fat, and calories.<\/p>\n<p>The following ingredients and ratios are used to make about 12 falafel:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>1 15-ounce (425-gram) can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed<\/li>\n<li>4 cloves of fresh garlic<\/li>\n<li>1\/2 cup (75 grams) of chopped onion<\/li>\n<li>2 tablespoons of fresh, chopped parsley<\/li>\n<li>1 tablespoon (15 ml) of olive oil<\/li>\n<li>3 tablespoons (30 grams) of all-purpose flour<\/li>\n<li>1 teaspoon of baking powder<\/li>\n<li>2 teaspoons (10 ml) of lemon juice<\/li>\n<li>1 teaspoon of ground cumin<\/li>\n<li>1 teaspoon of ground coriander<\/li>\n<li>a pinch of salt<\/li>\n<li>a pinch of ground black pepper<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Here\u2019s a quick overview of how to make falafel:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Preheat your oven to 400\u00b0F (200\u00b0C) and grease a baking sheet with oil.<\/li>\n<li>Combine the chickpeas, garlic, onion, parsley, olive oil, flour, baking powder, lemon juice, cumin, coriander, salt, and pepper in a food processor. Pulse until combined for approximately 1 minute.<\/li>\n<li>Scoop the mixture, form it into small patties, and place them onto the baking sheet.<\/li>\n<li>Bake the falafel for 10\u201312 minutes and flip the patties. Bake them for another 10\u201312 minutes, until they are golden and crispy.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p class=\"wp-block-healthline-quote-body\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Summary:<\/strong> <\/span>Falafel is easy to make at home and allows you to bake them, which makes them much healthier. Simply follow the steps above to indulge in delicious, fresh falafel.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"bottom-line\" class=\"wp-block-healthline-tabbed-heading\" data-toc-label=\"Bottom line\">The bottom line<\/h2>\n<p>Falafel is a popular Middle Eastern dish typically made from a combination of ground chickpeas, herbs, spices, onions, and dough.<\/p>\n<p>Though it contains many healthy ingredients, it\u2019s typically deep-fried, which increases its fat and calorie content. However, baking falafel counters this issue and allows you to enjoy this dish without potentially affecting your waistline, if that\u2019s a concern for you.<\/p>\n<p>If you would like to make your own falafel at home, try using the recipe above.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Falafel is a dish of Middle Eastern origin that\u2019s especially popular among vegetarians and vegans. It consists of deep-fried patties that are made from a combination of chickpeas (or fava beans), herbs, spices, onion, and dough. Falafel can be a stand-alone side dish, but it\u2019s commonly served in a pita pocket, flatbread, or as part [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":49,"featured_media":9478,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[165,408,658],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/d3toagd7ypryjs.cloudfront.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/GettyImages-658068608.jpg","acf":{"post_type":"post","post_subtitle":"","header":"","footer":"4 minute read","card_title":"Recipe: How healthy is falafel?","mobile_content":{"mobile_story_label":"","mobile_post_title":"","mobile_carousel_image":"","mobile_hero_image":"","mobile_content_body":""},"post_hero_image":{"ID":11407,"id":11407,"title":"GettyImages-658068608","filename":"GettyImages-658068608.jpg","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/d3toagd7ypryjs.cloudfront.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/GettyImages-658068608.jpg","link":"https:\/\/my.castlighthealth.com\/blog\/is-falafel-healthy-nutrition-calories-and-recipe\/gettyimages-658068608\/","alt":"","author":"49","description":"","caption":"","name":"gettyimages-658068608","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":9477,"date":"2020-08-11 19:25:52","modified":"2020-08-11 19:25:52","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/my.castlighthealth.com\/blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":960,"height":400,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/d3toagd7ypryjs.cloudfront.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/GettyImages-658068608.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":63,"medium":"https:\/\/d3toagd7ypryjs.cloudfront.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/GettyImages-658068608.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":125,"medium_large":"https:\/\/d3toagd7ypryjs.cloudfront.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/GettyImages-658068608.jpg","medium_large-width":640,"medium_large-height":267,"large":"https:\/\/d3toagd7ypryjs.cloudfront.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/GettyImages-658068608.jpg","large-width":640,"large-height":267,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/my.castlighthealth.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/GettyImages-658068608.jpg","1536x1536-width":960,"1536x1536-height":400,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/my.castlighthealth.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/GettyImages-658068608.jpg","2048x2048-width":960,"2048x2048-height":400}},"post_cta_status":"false","post_conclusion_status":"false","post_co_branding_status":"false"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/my.castlighthealth.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9477"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/my.castlighthealth.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/my.castlighthealth.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/my.castlighthealth.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/49"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/my.castlighthealth.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9477"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/my.castlighthealth.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9477\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/my.castlighthealth.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9478"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/my.castlighthealth.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9477"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/my.castlighthealth.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9477"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/my.castlighthealth.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9477"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}