Is Dalia Good For People With Diabetes?

Are you someone living with diabetes? Are you a caretaker for someone living with diabetes? If yes, then you will have to engage in careful planning and research on following a proper diet plan. Mostly, doctors say that the first meal of the day is the most important one. This is because this meal will help set the trends for the overall blood sugar levels in the body. If the first meal, that is the breakfast, is a high-carb or a sugary one, the overall blood glucose management for the day could likely go haywire. 

Nutritionists also request that people living with diabetes ensure that they are eating a healthy breakfast to avoid any unnecessary complications throughout the day. They strongly advise against any fruit juices, tea or coffee with sugar, milk supplements like bournvita (since it is also made of sugar), etc in the morning. If that is the case, then what do people with diabetes have as a healthy meal? There are several options to choose from – dalia is one of them

Is Dalia Good for Diabetes?

Among the several breakfast options, most of them are high in carbs. The breakfast that we usually eat – poha, upma, sandwich, bread and jam, etc can spike the blood sugar levels very fast. Options that would not only help keep the blood sugars levels in check but also suffice as adequate nutrition is important. Dalia is a highly nutritious grain that is eaten and digested very easily by anyone, even a person dealing with diabetes. Before westernization and the hype surrounding oats, dalia was commonly eaten for breakfast in many Indian households. How is dalia good for diabetes? Let’s read on to find out.

Nutritional Profile 

The official name for dalia is bulgur wheat. It is a type of whole wheat grain and cereal that consists of a hint of a nutty flavor. It is most commonly consumed as a breakfast or any light meal. Even when people are sick, dalia is a good choice as it is easily digested and not too heavy on the stomach. You can add milk, vegetables, etc to dalia and consume it for your breakfast. The reason why dalia is good for diabetes is that it is a whole grain that is hulled, not refined. This makes it one of the healthiest forms of wheat one can consume. 

In 100 grams of dalia, the nutritional profile is as follows:

• Carbs – 18.6 grams
• Fats – 0.24 grams
• Proteins – 3.08 grams
• Fiber – 4.5 grams

It also has several minerals and vitamins and a very little amount of sugar. These qualities make bulgur wheat ideal for people with diabetes. 

Benefits Of Dalia for People With Diabetes

Dalia has several nutritional benefits for persons with diabetes.

• The whole value amounts to the fact that dalia has a lot of whole grains of wheat. These whole grains have a sufficient amount of fiber that works to balance out the quantity of natural sugar in the wheat. 
• The glycemic index of dalia is super low. This, coupled with the dietary fibers in the grains regulate the spikes in blood sugars. 
• Lastly, it also helps in overall weight control. Firstly, it is fibrous, so it provides energy that would last for a long time – thus reducing the need to eat more. Secondly, due to no irregular blood sugar spikes, the overall insulin required would be lesser thus again helping with weight control.

Ways To Consume Dalia For People With Diabetes

Now that it has been proven that there are several benefits to it, we can understand that it is good for diabetes. The question then arises is how can you eat dalia? There are several ways to do so:

• Sweet dish – with stevia one can boil the grains with milk
• Khichdi - Boil dalia and have it along with vegetables
• Upma – Instead of rava, use dalia and boil it well to make sure it is cooked. Add vegetables like beans, and others of your preferences
• Salad – Add the boiled dalia to your favorite salad
• Cheela – Soak the grains in water for 2-3 hours and then blend them into a batter. Spread it with a ladle on a non-stick pan and cook with ghee or oil. 

Best Time to Consume Dalia

The several properties that dalia has to make is good for diabetes, a question that is already answered. If you want to know when to consume it, you can have it at any time in the day. The best time, however, would be in the morning as it satisfies the hunger well and can last you until lunch. If you are on a weight watchers/weight loss regime, you can also substitute your meals for dalia during the night. 

Risks Of Over Consumption of Dalia

As it goes with any other food as well, anything in excess can be bad for one's health. Therefore, it is important to understand how much bulgur wheat to consume and what are the risks of over-consumption. While it may not be harmful per se, overeating dalia will only enrich you with a particular group of nutrients. This would leave your body devoid of the other required minerals. Add a variety of food groups along with dalia – especially if you have diabetes. In case you have a gluten allergy or have celiac disease, it is best to avoid this grain. 

Other Health Benefits of Dalia

As you may have already noted, this grain provides a lot of benefits to people with or without diabetes. Overall, it enriches the body with a lot of nutrition and fiber. There are several benefits to this grain:

• For weight loss, you can consume dalia daily and even add it to your salads. It works well in keeping your hunger at bay thus reducing the need to eat at regular intervals. 
• It helps in easing bowel movement and prevents constipation – since it is easily digested, people who eat dalia often feel light in their stomach. 
• Since it has low-fat content, it can also be consumed by people who have high cholesterol. 
• To build muscles in the body, it is a good grain as it offers the body nutrition in the form of protein as well. The protein may not be enough, so one can couple it with daal or eggs. 

Bottomline

Dalia is a good meal to have in the morning, you can consume it in different forms as it can be cooked however you would like. It has a nutritional profile that is well-suited to people with diabetes and can help regular blood sugar levels. The low-carb content would also keep the need for excess insulin at bay. There are several benefits to dalia like maintenance of weight, lower cholesterol levels, etc that can prove to be healthy for the body even in the long run. Make it tasty with salt and some masala as per your taste buds. 

FAQs

1. Is Dalia Good for Diabetes?

Yes, Dalia is good for diabetes as it has high contents of fiber, low levels of carbs, and a low glycemic index. This helps to maintain blood sugar levels in the normal range.

2. Does Dalia Contain Sugar?

Yes, since it does have some carbs, it also has sugars. However, the quantity is minimal and is not complex sugar. However, it is best to not add any additional sugars to your dalia

3. Is Dalia Better than Roti for People With Diabetes? (Dalia vs Roti)

Since the grains in dalia are not refined, it is preferred over whole wheat grains used for roti. After processing, the nutrients in the grain are lost. 

4. Is Dalia Better than Oats?

Oats have more carbs, fats, and proteins than dalia. While the latter two are good, the high carb content can be problematic for someone with diabetes. 

5. Does Dalia Increase Weight?

Dalia does not increase weight as it does not have high amounts of fat. 

6. Which Wheat is Good for Diabetes?

Except for refined and processed wheat like maida, any other wheat can be consumed. Dalia is the least processed of them all.