The Dish: Veggie samosas low in fibre, high in fat
April 15, 2010
Megan Ogilvie
DISH: Veggie Samosas
RESTAURANT: Ali Baba’s Middle Eastern Cuisine
LOCATION: 715 Queen St. W.
PRICE: $1 each or three for $2.49
Flaky, spiced samosas are a favourite choice of snackers looking to soothe their stomach grumbles during the mid-afternoon lull before dinner.
The veggie version at Ali Baba’s is a popular seller at each of its nine locations —especially because of its $1 price tag.
But since most of us will be tempted to take their upsized offer of three for just a toonie and two quarters, we got the nutrition numbers for a trio of samosas.
At 270 calories, eating three puts a snacker on the high side of their afternoon calorie quota, says registered dietitian Zannat Reza.
As a general rule, women should aim to eat between 150 and 200 calories for a snack, while men should aim for between 200 and 250 calories.
“This is more of a treat as opposed to as an everyday kind of snacking choice,” Reza says.
A good snack should also provide a hit of protein to quell hunger. These three samosas have little of that important component. And unless you have a samosa packed with peas, the filling of seasoned potatoes doesn’t provide much fibre — something you should look for in a healthful snack. A food high in dietary fibre will fill you up on fewer calories.
With less than six grams of fat, the trio of samosas is not a high-fat worry. But the 984 mg of sodium is too high for an afternoon snack — it’s more than two-thirds of what your body needs in a day
If you are really craving a samosa, Reza suggests eating one yourself and sharing the other two with a pair of friends.
VERDICT: One is probably plenty. Enjoy it with something fresh, like veggie sticks and hummus or a chickpea salad.
Find out how other popular take-out meals stack up:
Tim Hortons Hot Breakfast Sausage Sandwich
Spicy Salmon Sushi Roll
Pad Thai
Veal Parmigiano
Peameal Bacon Breakfast Sandwich
Soup Nutsy tomato tortellini soup
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