Obesity and excess weight is one of the most disturbing health issues faced in the modern era. Many people today are fighting their daily routine and eating habits to attain the ideal weight but most of them are failing. Maybe it is because not all of weight loss enthusiasts can commit to an ideal weight loss routine.
Let me tell you one thing. You do not have to starve to stay in shape. You just have to eat right. Eat weight loss friendly food and half of your job is done.
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As far as healthy eating is concerned, horse gram should be in your list. Let’s figure out why.
Why Horse Gram is Superfood?
Horse Gram is undoubtedly one of the healthiest lentils you’ll find in this world. The scientific name for horse gram is Macrotyloma Uniflorum.
It is also known as:
- Kollu in Tamil
- Kuthi in Hindi
- Lentils in English
- Ulavalu in Telugu
Having its origin in the South Asian Continent and tropical Africa, it is a widely cultivated crop in India and has been consumed since ancient times.
US National Academy reveals that Horse Gram become one of the potential and healthiest food sources for the future because of the nutritional value that it possesses and its drought resistance.
How Does Horse Gram Help in Weight Loss?
Horse Gram is rich in protein and is called so because it is used to feed race horses and you can get an estimate of its nutritional value from this fact for sure. These Kollu seeds effectively fights the fatty tissues inside the body and help you shed off weight quickly. If you want to shed off kilos from your belly, thighs, lower back, and hips, you cannot find any better food than lentils. In addition to that, you might keep patience because weight loss is not an instant process. It is a long time process and can take months to feel the significant difference.
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Let’s have a look at certain properties of Kollu seeds that help in weight reduction:
1. Easy to Digest
Ulavalu seeds are very light and they are quite easy to digest. They are also beneficial in increasing the blood content in the body. Apart from that, Kollu seeds help you keep your stomach problems at bay. It also prevents the fat from being accumulated under your skin and helps you burn the existing fat to speeding up your weight loss process.
2. Low in Calories
Another aspect that makes lentils a great food for weight loss is its calorie content. Maintaining a calorie deficit is most important factor for losing weight. If one wants to lose weight, they must consume fewer calories than they can burn. This is why lentils or horse gram is an ideal choice because you can consume them without the fear of getting fat. Apart from that, lentils are known to lower the amounts of bad cholesterol inside the body and keep you healthy.
3. High Satiety Food
Horse gram is rich in protein and fiber content. That means lentils have the tendency to keep you full for a long time. It prevents you from craving for fast food and over-eating. This is how it can help you control your body weight in a healthy way.
4. Keeps you active
Horse gram uses the saturated fats excellently to produce the effective energy that keeps you energetic and active throughout the day. Being active generally means you stay more in motion and burn more calories with physical activities. People who hit the gym must consume horse gram regularly as a source of energy.
5. Free from Side Effects
The best thing about horse gram is that it is free from side effects and anyone can consume this. So, you don’t have to worry about the side effects before eating ulavalu seeds.
Nutrition Value of Horse Gram
| Sr No | Nutrients | Amounts |
| 1 | Energy | 321 Ecals |
| 2 | Moisture | 12 gm |
| 3 | Protein | 22 gm |
| 4 | Fat | 0 gm |
| 5 | Mineral | 3 gm |
| 6 | Fiber | 5 gm |
| 7 | Carbohydrates | 57 gm |
| 8 | Calcium | 287 mg |
| 9 | Phosphorous | 311 mg |
| 10 | Iron | 7 mg |
Effective Horse Gram Recipes to Lose Weight
In this section, I will discuss some of the recipes that can help you lose weight more effectively.
1. Lentils Soup
The very first on my list is lentils soup – which is light and extremely healthy. Let’s have a look at how you can get lentils soup ready to overcome obesity:
Ingredients
- Dry Lentils – 2 Cups
- 2 Finely Chopped Carrots
- 1 Finely Chopped Onion
- 4 Cups Water
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 3 Cloves garlic
- Ginger paste – ½ tbsp
- ½ tbsp cumin seeds
- ½ tbsp salt
- 1 Chopped Tomato
Recipe
- Boil the lentils for 30 minutes
- Heat the olive oil in a pan
- Add minced garlic and ginger paste
- Then add cumin seeds and stir well
- Add the onion and carrots in the pan
- After that, add tomatoes and stir well
- Add the water and salt in the pan
- Add the boiled lentils and let it cook for another 15 minutes
You can also add a little bit of tamarind for the tangy taste. Your soup will be ready in 15 minutes. Serve hot.
Best time to eat: Best time to eat lentils soup is in the evening. It also helps in relieving common cold.
2. Horse Gram Powder (Kollu Podi)
Kollu podi is another horse gram powder recipe that can be used to lose weight. Let’s see how you can make horse gram powder at home.
Ingredients
- Horse Gram – 1 Cup
- Hing – 3 pinches
- Red Chillies (5-6)
- Cumin Seeds (1 teaspoon)
- Urad and Tur Daal Mixture (1 Cup)
- Salt – To Taste
Recipe
- Roast horse gram, urad daal, and tur daal until they are completely dry.
- Roasted all the spices to dry them
- Let all the ingredients cool down at room temperature. Make sure you don’t keep them in moisture.
- Once all the ingredients have cool down, grind them together.
- It’s better to not form a fine powder, keep the mixture little coarse.
Eat this powder with hot rice regularly for the maximum weight loss benefits.
3. Sprouted Horse Gram
To make sprouted horse gram, you have to take as much quantity of horse gram as you want. Soak them in fresh water overnight. In the morning, rinse off all the water and dry them using the clean towel. Store the dried lentils in cotton cloth wrap at the warm place.
Your sprouts will be ready in 2 days.
Best time to eat: Best time to eat sprouted horse grams is in the morning. These are highly recommended for the gym-goers as the source of energy.
4. Boiled Horse Gram
This is the easiest yet one of the healthiest horse gram recipes. Just boil the lentils for 30 minutes and rinse off all the water. You can consume these boiled kollu seeds by adding a little salt and black pepper. You can also make delicious salad from boiled horse gram by adding chopped tomato, onion, green chili, coriander etc.
It is recommended to consume boiled horse gram as evening or morning snack.
5. Horse Gram Juice (Kollu Water)
To make horse gram juice, you will need a horse gram powder. You can make horse gram powder with the help of recipe I shared above. That powder can be used to make horse gram juice using the following steps:
- Take buttermilk or water as per your preference
- Add 1-2 tbsp of horse gram powder in it
- Add lemon for tangy taste.
- Do not add salt or other spices as they are already in your powder.
Other Health Benefits of Horse Gram
- Lentils contain high amounts of soluble fibers; therefore they help in lowering down the cholesterol levels and keeping you healthy.
- Horse gram is a high fiber food and is rich in folate and magnesium that are very beneficial for keeping your heart healthy.
- Kollu helps in improving the constipation condition and other digestive issues.
- Kollu seeds also help in stabilizing the blood sugar levels by slowing down the digestion.
- Horse grams are very good source of protein. Therefore, it can make a great protein food for vegans.
- Due to the presence of complex carbohydrates and fiber, lentils leads to slow burning of energy and thus keeping you active throughout the day.
- Lentils are used to relieve kidney stones, cold, and ulcers.
- Horse gram is known for its anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, and anti-oxidants properties.
- Horse grams have the qualities that reduce the insulin resistance in the body. This means these nutritious seeds are very good food for diabetics.
- Lentils are known to reduce the menstrual disturbances and irritation by providing relief.
Add horse gram to your diet today to reap its health benefits and maintain a healthy weight!
Also Read: Roasted Chana for Weight Loss