Biscuits are our companion for us Indians, whether it is during breakfast or evening snacks. However, what might look tasty and scrumptious can be a major reason causing diabetes and weight gain. The reason is that most of the biscuits that we consume for snacking contain a lot of calories. Due to this, I opted for better options in the form of low-calorie healthy biscuits.
By making a wholesale change in my choice of biscuits, I gave low-calorie biscuits/cookies without maida a try. To be honest, I’m glad that I tried them out and currently they are my top options.
Before I list out the top five healthy biscuits in India I tasted, let’s look at why they are termed healthy as per my experience:
How I termed them as healthy biscuits –
1. Less/no sugar – since sugar is mostly used in biscuits for adding sweetness and improving the texture, it doesn’t provide health benefits to a biscuit. Having a low-key amount of sugar or none is something I consider as healthy.
2. Less/no maida – consuming maida (white flour) can be bad for your health as it increases the chances of gaining weight rapidly, elevated cholesterol, and even the risk of type-2 diabetes.
I would rather prefer not to have maida content in the biscuits I consume. That is what ticks off the boxes in terms of being healthy.
3. Low in fat: yes! Biscuits with low-fat content are a green flag!
4. Low in calories: having low calories in biscuits is a must as they do stop you from gaining unnecessary weight and health issues. Always look out for the nutrition label to check out the calorie count of the biscuits.
5. Cholesterol: biscuits with less than 2mg cholesterol should be the limit, as anything more than that can be a bad option for your health.
6. Carbohydrates: carbohydrates are essential in your diet. Also, they don’t make you gain weight as calories do. 20-30 grams of carbohydrates in a biscuit does it for me. Even though you’re cutting off calories, you do need carbohydrates.
5 healthy biscuits in India I tasted (low calorie biscuits without maida)
1. Sunfeast – Farmlite Active (Oats with Almonds)
The oats and almonds make it a crunchy and top-tier healthy option as a biscuit. I usually have this biscuit for my breakfast in general, and apart from being healthy for you, it tastes so damn good!
Since they do not contain white flour (maida), it is a must for people looking for a healthier alternative for breakfast and evening snacks. Dipping the biscuit in the tea cup or just munching it is what I like to do.
Nutri label: energy 484kcal, protein 10.9g, trans fatty acids 0.0g.
Ingredients: contains almonds, and wheat fibres.
Taste: crunchy & delicious with no compromise in the taste department.
Available in other flavours as well, such as Oats Chocolate, Sattu Cardamom, and Oats Raisin
2. Karela Biscuit – Taste Good
Karela or Bitter gourd might not be a favourite among many, but the Karela Biscuit from Taste Good is surely different. It might not be the flashiest option, but it contains oats, whole wheat, and almonds too.
It isn’t bitter like you might be thinking as it contains just around 20 grams of bitter gourd. The karela biscuit tasted way different from the usual ones, also having high fibre and preservatives are thumbs up from my side.
Nutri label: total carbohydrate 5.3g, trans fat 0g, dietary fibre 0.5g.
Ingredients: bitter gourd, almonds, oats.
Taste: It isn’t that bitter and tastes fine.
3. Jaggery Millet Cookies – Early Foods (Comes in 6 Variants)
Apart from their impressive packing, these are one of the best low-calorie biscuits I have tasted in India. With a wholesome combination of oats, wheat, nuts, jowar, dry fruits, and jaggery being the tastemaker, it is a top-tier option for health junkies.
With low content of sugar and artificial flavours, you can try out these Jaggery Millet Cookies as a top contender.
Nutri label: 0% sugar, energy 84.2kcal, carbohydrates 17.1g.
Ingredients: jaggery, almonds, dates, no sugar, and multi-grain.
Taste: you won’t miss the lack of sugar as jaggery makes it up in terms of sweetness.
4. Choco-Fudge Cookies – Ketofy
These cookies from Ketofy are way too good when it comes to taste and a top healthy alternative to other high-calorie biscuits. As a low-calorie cookie, I was mesmerized by its taste and also the packing was top-notch.
Apart from more protein content, it contains fewer carbohydrates and no sugar whatsoever. Whether you want to add these cookies with your cereal or evening tea, it is something that I would recommend If you plan to go the healthy way.
In case you’re not on a keto diet, the cookies provide an overall boost to your health with a low GI value.
Nutri label: energy 67.9kcal, protein 1.6g, total carbs 3.6g, dietary fibre 2.1g.
Ingredients: cocoa solids, butter, flax seeds, almonds, chia seeds.
Taste: irrespective of the nutritional value, there is no compromise on the taste. You can get the feel of chocolate flavour with each bite.
Also comes in other flavours – coconut, coffee etc.
5. Weleet Cookies (Four Flavours – Millet, Ragi, Multi-Grain & Banana Millet)
A combo pack of four different flavours from the brand of Weleet Foods is heavily impressive. You can get it separately as well. The variety range it offers from Banana millet to Multi-Grain makes you want to taste all of them.
It is ideal for snacking or you can have it with a cup of coffee or tea. Apart from being crunchy and super tasty, it does not contain maida and is also suitable for diabetic patients. It is a refreshing change to have millet-flavoured biscuits, which is quite a rarity these days. Additionally, jaggery in these cookies is surely the cherry on top.
Nutri label:
- Ragi Cookies – energy 406 kcal, protein 7.6g, carbohydrate 89.11g.
- Multi-Grain Cookies – energy 489 kcal, protein 8.03g, and carbohydrate 64.12g.
- Banana Millet Cookies – energy 494 kcal, protein 5.76g, carbohydrate 68.6g.
- Millet Cookies – energy 501 kcal, protein 6.31g, carbohydrate 65.8g.
Ingredients: ragi, banana, millet, multi-grain, jaggery, honey.
Taste: the four different flavours are crunchy and exceptional in taste with jaggery providing sweetness.
Also taste – 6 Popular Epigamia Yogurt Flavours
Conclusion
As I mentioned above, biscuits are an essential part of our daily life. It could during our breakfast or during snacks, they are ubiquitous and a necessity.
However, consuming those regular biscuits is old-school and is not helpful for your health as well. This is the reason why I listed the top 5 healthy biscuits in India that I tasted. There is no certain winner out of these five options, but you can pick any in case you are looking for a healthy lifestyle and a subtle change in consumption of biscuits.
If you’re planning to keep those calories in check, I’d recommend the above five healthy biscuits.
Stay healthy!