Tapioca is made from the root of the cassava plant and is most commonly used to make pudding. Tapioca can also be added to other baked goods, gravies and soups to help thicken the food. When it comes to making a dessert choice, knowing the fat, calorie and nutrient content of your favorites can help you make the healthiest decision possible.
Calories and Fat
If you choose to add a dessert to one of your meals, the calorie and fat information may help you make the best choice. When you eat dessert on a regular basis, you may take in too many calories and too much fat because so many of your choices fall into these categories. If you do want to have dessert occasionally, you are unlikely to harm your health, but knowing how many calories and how much fat your choices contain can help you make the best choice. A 1/2 cup serving of prepared tapioca contains 143 calories, 4.27 g of fat and 1.05 g of saturated fat.
Sugar
Another nutritional disadvantage to eating prepared tapioca pudding is the amount of sugar your dessert contains. High-sugar diets have been linked to tooth decay and weight gain, but they also add a significant amount of calories to your diet. Consuming too much sugar on a regular basis may also increase your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. A 1/2 cup serving of prepared tapioca contains 16.4 g of sugar, which is about 4 tsp. of the 6 to 9 tsp. you should limit yourself to each day.
Sodium
While your prepared tapioca pudding tastes sugary and sweet, it also contains salt, which helps preserve the food. When you consume too much salt, you cause your body to retain water, which makes your heart work harder than necessary to pump blood. Too much salt is also linked to high blood pressure and stroke. A 1/2 cup serving of prepared tapioca contains 160 mg of the 1,500 to 2,300 mg of sodium you should restrict yourself to each day.
Additional Nutrients
You get small amounts of certain nutrients when you choose prepared tapioca as your dessert. A 1/2 cup serving contains 78 mg of bone-building calcium, 0.12 mg of iron for healthy blood cells and 101 mg of heart-healthy potassium. Your serving of prepared tapioca also supplies you with tiny doses of folic acid, riboflavin, niacin, thiamin and vitamin K.
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