Roti, a soft, flaky bread made from flour, water and salt, is often served as a staple in Indian cuisine. There are various ways to make roti, but the most common is to use wheat flour and water, which gives it a very soft texture. This article will discuss how many carbs in roti is and roti’s glycemic index.
Traditionally, people eat roti in breakfast or meals with various vegetable curries, dal or chicken gravy. A typical medium roti contains around 25 grams of carbohydrates. However, the carbohydrate content of roti can vary depending on the recipe, stuffing and the weight and type of flour used.
Roti is generally bigger, thicker, and heavier than a chapati. However, people use both nomenclatures to define Indian bread.
How much carbs in roti without stuffing?
As per data processed from IFCT, a typical medium roti made with 40 gm of wheat flour carbs in roti amounts to 25.67 gm. This cab is equivalent to 9.33 % of the daily requirement of 275 gm at 2000 kcal. Further, it can achieve 12.45 % of DRI of 206.25 gms. This percentage is for 1500 kcal requirement for carbs 55% of calories.
For a 1200 kcal diet plan, this roti serving provides 15.56% of the set carb limit of 165 grams. When following a 900-kcal diet plan, this roti will provide 20.74% of the set carb limit of 123.75 grams.
Nevertheless, carbohydrates form 80.21 % of the calories in roti.
The breakup of carbs in roti
a. Total available carbs in roti is 23.45 gm, considered without any stuffing.
b. Total Starch – 22.73 gm, which is 96.93 % of total carbs in roti
c. Sum of Total Free Sugar – 0.72 gm, which is 3.07 % of total carbs in roti
Details of free sugars in roti
a. Fructose – 0.29 gm, which is 1.24 % of total carbohydrates in roti
b. Glucose – 0.31 gm, which is 1.32 % of total carbohydrates in roti
c. Sucrose – 0.12 gm, which is 0.51 % of total carbs in roti
d. Maltose – 0.00 gm, which is 0.00 % of total carbohydrates in roti
e. Sum of Total Free Sugar – 0.72 gm, which is 3.07 % of total carbohydrates in roti
Glycemic index of roti
Despite roti being a good source of carbohydrates, it has a low glycemic index. Therefore, roti is a good choice for people trying to control their blood sugar levels.
The GI has been used to help people with diabetes control their blood sugar levels, but it can also be supportive for those trying to lose weight or who have heart disease. You can use the GI to choose foods that will help keep your blood sugar levels stable throughout the day.
Carbs in the foods with a high GI are broken down and absorbed quickly, causing a spike in blood sugar. On the other hand, low GI foods take longer to digest and cause a more gradual rise in blood sugar.
Many aspects can affect the GI of a food. These factors are the type of carbs present in it, ripeness of the fruit or vegetable, processing methods, and cooking time.
In the case of roti, about 97% of the carbs in roti are starches, and fibre (polysaccharides) and the carbs in roti are free of sugar (monosaccharides). Starch is a complex carbohydrate, and the body takes time to break them. Free sugars are simple carbs and are absorbed in the body very fast.
A plain whole wheat roti has a glycemic index of 45 with respect to glucose [PMID: 34258626]. Food having a glycemic index lower than 55 exerts a lower glycemic load on the body.
Complex carbs in roti give it a glycemic load of 7, which is lower than 10. Therefore, roti exerts a low glycemic load.
Is roti bad for weight loss?
Carbs in roti are relatively higher. If you are on a weight loss diet, eating rotis and maintaining a calorie deficit diet you will achieve a slow weight loss and fat loss because your body will still get sufficient carb supply from roti. Because of sufficient carb supply, your body will not burn fats.
Therefore, it is necessary to have a low carb diet in order to achieve a visible and sustainable weight loss.
How many carbs in roti you take depends upon roti’s ingredients including the ghee you top up. You can restrict carbs by mixing/stuffing vegetables and legumes and other low carb foods with whole wheat flour. The result is low carb rotis or parathas that can be helpful for weight loss and fat loss.
Nevertheless, portion control and calorie deficit are necessary for weight loss.
