Fiber - The Wonder Non-nutrient

Dietary fibers are constituents of plants that are resistant to digestion in the human digestive tract. The types of fiber - soluble and insoluble, their functions and sources have been discussed earlier in this book. The table below gives fibre content of common foods.
A fiber rich diet helps in weight management in many ways. Fiber rich foods are generally 'calorie poor'. They also contribute bulk to our diet and hence give a sensation of fullness of stomach, early satiety and very few calories. They also delay gastric emptying and hunger sensation and increase inter-meal hunger interval besides decreasing insulin (appetite-stimulant) levels.
Hence, a high-fiber, low-fat diet is ideal for sustained weight loss. Along with a regular exercise schedule, a high-fiber, low-fat diet provides the key to weight reduction and positive health. Given below are some high-fiber recipes containing bran.

1. Wheat bran biscuits (sweet)
Number of serving: 8

Size of serving: 3 biscuits

Ingredients:
Wheat bran 100 g

Wheat flour refined (Maida) 100 g

Oil/ghee 50 g

Jaggery 100 g

Procedure:
-Beat fat till creamy.
-Add flour, wheat bran, crushed caramelized jaggery and make dough. Keep it for 4-5 hours.
-Roll out and cut into required shapes
-Bake at 3500 F for 25-30 minutes or until done.
-Nutritive value per serving: 120 Cat 4 g fiber.

2. Wheat bran biscuits (salty)
Number of serving: 8

Size of serving: 3 biscuits

Ingredients:
Wheat bran : 100 g

Wheat flour refined (Maida) : 100 g

Oil/ ghee : 50 g

Curd : 100 g

Thyme and salt to taste

Procedure:
-Beat fat till creamy.
-Add curd and mix well.
-Add flour, wheat bran, salt and thyme and knead to make dough. Keep it for 4-5 hours.
-Roll out and cut into required shapes
-Bake at 3500 F for 25-30 minutes or until done.
-Nutritive value per serving: 95 Cal, 4 g fiber.

3. Yogurt and Lentil Patties (Dahl vada)
Number of serving: 6

Size of serving: 2 vadas

Ingredients:
Black gram dal (washed) :25 g

Curd : 250 g Wheat bran : 100 g

Salt to taste

Black pepper to taste Roasted cumin seeds

(jeera) : 1 tsp

Ginger : 1" piece

Procedure:
-Soak dal overnight.
-Grind dal, bran and ginger together to thick batter consistency.
-Make balls and fry them.
-Beat curd, add roasted jeera powder and salt and pepper to taste.
-Soak vadas in water, squeeze and soak them in curd. Nutritive value per serving: 125 Cal.

Artificial sweeteners
There are a number of low calorie artificial sweeteners that are available in the market as a sugar substitute. They are mainly of two types: nutritive, and non-nutritive.
Nutritive sweeteners include sorbitol and fructose. These sweeteners provide calories and should be used with discretion.
Non-nutritive sweeteners include aspartame, saccharin, cyclamates, acesulfame K etc. Aspartame is a low calorie sweetener, about 200 times sweeter than sugar. It is virtually calorie-free and can be consumed in amounts up to 40 mg per kilogram of body weight. It is considered safe for consumption by all individuals except for persons suffering from phenylketonuria. Saccharin is a calorie-free sweetener which is 300-500 times sweeter than sugar. The acceptable daily intake for saccharin is 5.0 mg per kilogram of body weight. Cyclamate is also a calorie-free sweetener 30 times sweeter than sugar. It can be consumed in amounts up to 11 mg per kilogram of body weight. Acesulfame K is 130-200 times sweeter than sugar and is calorie-free. The acceptable daily intake for acesulfame K has been set at 15 mg per kilogram of body weight.

Fat Replacers
Fat replacers are substances that can be used to replace some or all of the fat in food products. They have the potential to help reduce total fat consumption and hence, indirectly reduce total calorie consumption. Because fat replacers can improve both the taste and texture of lower-fat foods, they can help alleviate the sense of deprivation that can impede compliance with a low-fat, low-calorie diet. Fat replacers are of three types:

These include cellulose, maltodextrins, gums, starches, fibres, polydextrose, etc. Carbohydrate based fat replacers have lower calories than fat.

Although they are heat stable for baking, they do not melt and so cannot be used for sautéing or frying.

Protein based fat replacers:
These are generally based on egg whites, whey, protein or soy. Their texture and appearance make them particularly suited for use in dairy products. Although they are suitable for baking, they cannot be used for frying.

Fat based fat replacers:
These are based on fat, usually vegetable oils. The fatty acids in the vegetable oils are chemically treated so that they provide few or no calories. Fat based fat replacers have the advantage of heat stability and can be used in frying.