Sambar Nutrition
One cup of sambar has approximately 582 KJ of energy or 139 kcal. The protein content is 5.2 g, and the carbohydrate is 18.4 g. The overall sugar content is only 3.64 g, and the total amount of fat is 9.8 g. We can further break down the fat in sambhar into two types of fat. A cap of sambhar contains 0.793 g of saturated fat and absolutely zero trans fat! It has a polyunsaturated fat content of 2.785 g and a monounsaturated fat content of 5.481 g. The best part is that this wholesome meal has zero mg of cholesterol!
The total fibre content in a cup of sambhar is approximately 14.9 g. It is also rich in minerals like sodium and potassium. A cup of sambar has 606 mg of sodium and 668 mg of potassium.
How Many Calories Does One Serving of Sambar Have?
One cup of sambar calories is as little as 139–142 Kcal, excellent for calorie-conscious people. As this lentil dish has loads of veggies, a good serving of pulses, and a host of mineral-rich spices and condiments, it is packed with a host of nutritional benefits, zero cholesterol, and zero trans fat content. The sambar calories count is very weight-loss friendly.
Is Sambar Healthy?
While understanding the calorie content of sambhar, it's equally important to know about sambar nutrition.
Sambhar is a vegetarian stew that can be eaten as a complete meal. It is made with a combination of tuvar dal, ladyfingers, brinjal, tomatoes, onions, pumpkins, drumsticks, tamarind, and various mineral-abundant condiments.
Sambhar is often eaten as an accompaniment with idlis, dosas, and other south Indian delicacies. It can be consumed as a whole meal when made at home due to its health benefits. It's one of the healthiest lentil-based meals rich in proteins, fibre, vitamins, and antioxidants.
Is Sambar Good for Weight Loss?
Sambar is excellent for weight loss. This stew is rich in essential nutrients, including protein and vitamins. It can be easily digested and is filling at the same time. Its zero trans fat and cholesterol content and moderately low carbohydrate and sugar content make it extremely catalysing in the weight-loss process. To make the calories in one bowl sambar more suitable for weight loss diets, dieticians suggest reducing salt and oil used to cook this dish. Lower sodium (which comes from salt) can help prevent water retention and aid in weight loss. It is also recommended to increase the number of vegetables used to make it a complete meal in itself.
Is Sambar Good for the Stomach?
Sambhar is light on the stomach and easy to digest. Its high fibre content helps keep the digestive tract working healthily, which further helps keep the bowel movements hassle-free and regular. Moreover, fibre-rich drumsticks used in sambar also aids the digestive process.
Exercises to Burn Off 139 Calories
All kinds of exercises like jogging, walking, cycling, or gym workouts help burn calories. The difference is that some exercises burn more calories per minute than the rest. As a general rule, the more intense an exercise, the faster it burns calories. Burn rate is affected by an individual's weight, which means that the more one weighs, the more they'll burn in the same amount of time.
To burn the 139-140 calories from eating a cup of sambar, try any of these high-intensity exercises.
- 15 minutes of rigorous cycling
- 20-25 minutes of jogging
- running for 13 minutes at a speed of 6 km/hr
- Circuit training at the gym and strenuous weight training for 15-20 minutes
- Using the elliptical machine for 25-30 minutes
- 25 minutes of aerobics
- Brisk Walking for 35 minutes
- Outdoor sports
Sambar Recipe for Weight Loss
For making a weight loss-friendly sambar, you can reduce the amount of salt and oil used. Additionally, you can grind your sambar masala rather than using a store-bought packet.
Ingredients
- Toor dal
- Lady's finger
- Pumpkin
- Drumsticks
- Onions
- Tomatoes
- Tamarind pulp
- Grated coconut
- Minimal salt
- Half cup of sambar masala
For tempering
- Curry leaves
- Dried red chilli
- Black mustard seeds
- Asafoetida (Hing)
Method
- Boil the dal in a cooker till it reaches an almost paste-like consistency
- In a separate vessel, add the vegetables, sambar masala, and salt and boil
- When the vegetables are soft, add the daal and tamarind paste
- Boil for another 10 minutes
- Heat coconut or mustard oil. When it reaches its smoking point, add the tempering ingredients
- Once they splutter, add it to the sambar
What to Have with Sambar?
Sambar is best enjoyed with soft idlis, hot crispy medu vadas, dosa, appams, and even matta rice and pappadam. But homemade sambar, with loads of vegetables and a generous quantity of lentils, is a complete meal in itself.
Summing up on Sambar Calories
Sambar is a vegetarian stew that originated in south India. Today, it is popular all over the country for its nutritional benefits and excellent taste. This wholesome dish is prepared with pulses. A plate of warm, fluffy idlis or crisp dosa would be incomplete without this much-loved accompaniment, sambhar.
A whole bowl of this savory stew comes with numerous health benefits. It can be eaten as a complete meal on its own. If eaten rice, there is no need for another side dish as sambhar contains a variety of seasonal vegetables. With fish, meat, and eggs out of the strength-building league for vegetarians and vegans, sambar has proven to be an excellent and tasty source of fiber and protein. Its low-calorie count is also an excellent dish for weight-watchers who can enjoy a bowl of sambhar without worrying about calories.
