In this post & video I am going to analyse the nutrition facts of chapati & explain some of its health benefits.
Chapati is also called as roti is a flatbread made from whole wheat flour also called as atta is consumed in south Asia, east Africa, middle east and even in the Caribbean.
Chapatis are generally eaten with curries which are made with vegetables or animal based foods which enhance the overall nutritional quality.
Contents
Nutritional profile | Water | Carbohydrates | Fat & Protein | Vitamins, minerals & health benefits | Conclusion |
About me
About me
Prashanth Cheruku
Hello!!! Thanks for stopping by.
I am the founder of this platform & a qualified Food Technologist. I have more than 10 years of Research & content creation experience in the field of Food Science.
I hold a Master of Technology degree in Food Process Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur.
Nutritional profile of Chapati
| Percentage | 1 Chapati (68 g) | |
| Water | 33% | 22.4 g |
| Carbohydrates | 46.4% | 31.6 g |
| Starch | 37.8% | 25.7 g |
| Dietary fibre | 4.9% | 3.3 g |
| Sugars | 2.7% | 1.8 g |
| Fat | 7.45% | 5 g |
| Protein | 11.2% | 7.6 g |
| Energy | – | 202 Cal/ 843 kJ |
Water
About 33% of the total weight of chapatis is water. In fact, this moisture content keeps them soft to touch & eat.
Let us take one chapati weighing 68 g as a reference for this video. It contains 22.4 g of moisture.
Carbohydrates
Chapatis are rich sources of complex carbohydrates. About 46.4% of their total composition is carbohydrate content. Close to 38% of the total weight of chapatis is starch which is a complex carbohydrate and digests slowly.
Chapatis are good sources of dietary fibre at around 5%. One chapati provides 3.3 g of fibre.
The sugars constitute about 2.7% of the total weight of Chapatis.
Fat & Protein
Chapatis contain about 7.5% fat. One chapati contains about 5 g of fat.
Chapatis are a good source of protein at around 11% of their total weight. It may vary slightly based on the variety of the wheat.
One chapati provides 7.6 g of protein.
Energy
Chapatis fall under moderate calorie food items. One chapati provides 202 Cal or 843 kJ of energy.
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Vitamins, minerals & Health benefits
Chapatis contain mainly B vitamins. They are excellent sources of thiamin, niacin and moderately good sources of vitamin B6, riboflavin, folate and pantothenic acid.
Thiamin & niacin help convert the food we eat into energy. They are also important for the growth, development & the functioning of cells in our body.
Vitamin B6 is needed for enzyme reactions involved in metabolism. It is also needed for brain development during pregnancy and infancy.
Chapatis contain several minerals in appreciable amounts. They are excellent sources of selenium, manganese, copper and moderately good sources of iron, magnesium, phosphorus and zinc.
Selenium plays a critical role in the production of DNA & as an antioxidant. Manganese plays a vital role as a cofactor for many enzymes. Copper works with iron in helping our body form red blood cells. It also aids in iron absorption.
Definitely watch out for sodium content as salt is added while making chapatis. One chapati provides about 12% daily value of sodium. One must be cautious while adding salt during chapati preparation as the sodium content can quickly add up.
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Conclusion
- Overall chapati is a moderate energy food item with good quantities of dietary fibre and protein.
- Chapatis are also good sources of several minerals and B vitamins.
- On the other hand, fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, K and vitamin C are missing in chapatis. They are also poor sources of minerals such as calcium and potassium.
- Definitely watch out for sodium content of chapatis. If any of your family members have hypertension try to add less salt while making chapatis.
- Overall chapatis are healthy in their nutritional profile and are definitely better than rice in many aspects.
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