Diwali holidays translate as fun festive times which means binge eating, and rummaging through kitchen jars for those crispy, fried snacks through the day. Deep fried snacks carry the risk of increased cholesterol levels, heart disease, diabetes, obesity and other detrimental diseases.

Since time immemorial, ghee, or clarified butter, has been an integral part of Indian cooking. Apart from its deep cultural significance, it comes with various health benefits. Ghee is suitable for cooking at higher temperatures since it has a greater smoke point than other cooking oils.

This indicates that, in comparison to oils, less toxic substances are emitted while cooking. High smoke point, a taste boost, improved digestion and healthy gut lining are some of the plus points of consuming snacks made in ghee.

How much ghee is good?

Ghee is devoid of trans fats and includes vitamins A, D, E, and K in addition to important fatty acids. Butyrate, a fatty acid that has been connected to better digestion and decreased inflammation, is another abundant ingredient in ghee. Conversely, a lot of oils—especially refined oils—that are used to cook foods are depleted of their nutrients.

“Ghee is superfood and helps heal your gut lining. Being healthy fat, we can always moderately use it with our snacks, but remember if only your gut is happy to tolerate the ghee,” cautions Nutritionist and Lifestyle Educator Karishmma Chawla, adding, “The bio individuality factor matters where one person’s food can be another’s poison. For some people ghee might heal them when their guts are aligned well and for some when their gut is in vulnerable state any food can act upon like a foreign body and cause havoc.” To be on the safer side we can use 3-4tsp of ghee or any other fat in a day, she says.

An improved alternative to oil-fried snacks

Using ghee also makes your munchies taste better. Ravin Saluja, Director with Sterling Agro Industries Limited, Nova Dairy Products, opines, “When consumed in moderation, ghee's abundance of beneficial fats can even help lower cholesterol and promote heart health. You may steer clear of processed oils, which are frequently connected to health issues like obesity and heart disease, by choosing ghee for your snacks instead of them.”

Chawla notes, “Ghee can be an amazing alternative of refined oils but it’s better to avoid frying food in loads of oil. We can always use combination of oils like coconut oil or ghee just to give it a base and being a good fat, and delivering ample amount of health benefits, it can be used just to sauté snacks.”

Advantages for Digestion

“In contrast to oils that may be uncomfortable for the stomach, ghee contains butyric acid, which is great for gut health. Due to its ability to improve digestion and maintain the health of the lining cells of the stomach, ghee-fried meals are gentler on your digestive system. You don't need to use much ghee to give your munchies a rich flavour,” reveals Saluja. By comparison, more oil is usually needed to obtain the same degree of crispiness when making oil-fried foods, which results in an excess of calories. If you want to make this festive season healthful and delicious, reach out for ghee!

How to Include Ghee in Your Regular Snack Plan

• Fry dishes like samosas, pakoras, chaklis.
• French fries will taste better.
• Pour Ghee over Baked Nibbles
• Sautee vegetables
• Ghee-roasted nuts, popped popcorn with ghee

Read Also: Homemade banana chips recipe for a crispy, crunchy snack!