Pooran poli, also spelled puran poli, is a Maharashtrian sweet delicacy. Maharashtrian is an area in western India well-known for its cuisine. Pooran poli is a sweet flat bread filled with a paste made of beans, sugar and spices. While this dessert may sound healthy, it is high in calories and fat but is also a good source of fiber.
Calories
Like many sweet treats, pooran poli is a calorie-dense food, which means it has a high-calorie content when compared to its serving size. A 4.1-ounce serving of pooran poli contains 349 calories, about the same amount of calories found in a 1/8 slice of chocolate cake.
Carbohydrates
More than 65 percent of the calories in pooran poli come from its carbohydrate content. A 4.1-ounce serving contains 57 grams of carbohydrates, 6 grams of fiber and 4 grams of sugar. To put it into perspective, one serving of pooran poli contains the same amount of carbohydrates found in four slices of bread. While the sweet treat is high in carbohydrates, it is also a good source of fiber. The fiber in the dessert can slow digestion, helping you feel full longer. Fiber in food also helps prevent constipation. Adults need 21 to 37 grams of fiber a day.
Fat
While pooran poli is high in calories, it is a low-fat dessert, with less than 25 percent of its calories coming from fat. A 4.1-ounce serving contains 9 grams of total fat, 1 gram of saturated fat and zero milligrams of cholesterol. A high-fat diet is associated with higher incidence of obesity and heart disease. To reduce your risk, limit your intake of fat to less than 30 percent of your daily calorie intake.
Sodium
In addition to being low in fat, pooran poli is also low in sodium. A 4.1-ounce serving contains 102 milligrams of sodium, meeting less than 5 percent of your daily value. The percent daily value is based on a 2,000-calorie diet and is designed to help you make healthy food choices. Following a lower sodium diet can help reduce your risk of developing high blood pressure. Limit your daily intake to 1,500 to 2,300 milligrams a day.
References
- Sanjeev Kapoor: Puran Poli
- LIVESTRONG.com MyPlate: Calories in Deep Puran Poli
- MayoClinic.com; Energy Density and Weight Loss: Feel Full on Fewer Calories; January 2011
- "The Complete Book of Food Counts"; Corinne T. Netzer; 2009
- MayoClinic.com; Dietary Fiber: Essential for a Healthy Diet; November 2009
- Penn Medicine: Fat in Your Diet
- Colorado State University Extension; Sodium in Your Diet; J. Anderson, et al.; July 1996
- MayoClinic.com; Percent Daily Value: What Does It Mean?; Katherine Zeratsky; May 2010
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