Falafel | Simple, Healthy and Delicious Recipe | The Oven Light Dinner (2024)

FAQs

Are falafels healthy for weight loss? ›

Falafel is a Middle Eastern dish made from chickpeas or fava beans. Provides essential nutrients such as protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Health benefits may include weight management, heart health support, and management of anemia.

Is baked falafel healthy? Yes! Baking instead of frying reduces the amount of fat and calories in this healthy falafel recipe! With protein and fiber rich chickpeas and loads of fresh herbs, these baked falafels are a great healthy meal!

Falafel has a good amount of micronutrients plus it is a good source of protein and fiber. This helps in curbing one's appetite, lowers one's risk of chronic disease, and supports healthy blood sugar. All these qualities put Falafel in the diabetes-friendly category.

In essence, the ingredient profile of falafel is in the least unhealthy. In fact, compared to other counterparts of the food, including chicken shawarma, falafel tops the list to contain the healthiest amount of all ingredients that are required by the body.

Falafel is an excellent plant-based protein primarily made from chickpeas. It is the perfect food for a vegan who enjoys deep-fried protein food with flavorful spices and fresh herbs.

In some ways, falafel's nutritional profile stacks up to red meat, since it's also full of nutrients like iron, folate, magnesium and vitamin B, Zozos says.

Go with the falafel. The gyro has more saturated fat, more calories, and (usually) more sodium than the falafel—or chicken or vegetable sandwich fillings—on most menus. Take Daphne's, a "California-fresh" West Coast chain with 56 restaurants that lists calories on its menus and Nutrition Facts on its Web site.

Carbs. A falafel patty contains a little more than 5 grams of carbohydrates, the majority of which come from the chickpeas or fava beans. The food is high in complex carbohydrates and soluble fiber—the type of fiber that helps lower LDL cholesterol (known as the "bad" cholesterol).

Falafel best match are rype, juicy and aromatic rosé or white wines with sweet summer fruit aromas such peach and mango.

What are the 2 types of falafel? ›

There are three types of falafel--Traditional falafel, baked falafel and lemon falafel. “Where the traditional falafel is the basic fried falafel comprising a mix of chickpeas, onions, garlic, herbs and spices, baked falafels are made using fresh herbs in the chickpea mixture,” says Chef Sati from Ophelia.

A binding ingredient can help keep it together, especially if you are using canned beans instead of dried. And the perfect binding ingredient for falafel is flour. Nothing fancy, just plain all-purpose flour. Add a few tablespoons at a time to your mixture, until you can press it easily into balls or patties.

High-carb foods, such as pizza and chips, raise blood sugar levels quickly, leading to energy slumps. Whereas falafel is a complex carbohydrate, which contains fibre, vitamins and minerals that take longer to digest. Fibre slows down sugar absorption, which helps to control blood sugar levels.

Good For Blood Sugar Levels

Foods that are rich in fibre also help control your blood sugar levels. Fibre slows down digestion, and lets sugar transfer slowly from your digestive tract into your bloodstream. This means there is no sugar “high” after eating falafel, and no fatigue or irritation from a blood sugar crash.

Fruit and vegetables found within other foods and ready-made products, although they may only be in small amounts, still count towards your 5 A Day. For example, the chickpeas in hummus and falafel, the fruit in fruit yoghurts, the lentils in dhal, and the vegetables in guacamole and salsa all contribute.

An easy keto falafel recipe made without chickpeas is a delicious snack or appetizer. But it's also a perfect addition to a low carb salad or a paleo wrap for lunch.