In my last video, I spoke in detail about the issues with Instant noodles and as an alternative, I suggested Vermicelli among others. Now I wanted to talk in detail about Vermicelli more than anything else on priority. Vermicelli and Sooji are the two most used staples in Indian households.
What is Vermicelli?
Vermicelli is basically a thin noodle made from semolina. Semolina is nothing but coarsely milled endosperm or starch part of the wheat kernel. The wheat kernel has Bran, germ and endosperm and among these, the endosperm is milled and forms semolina. Further, the semolina is processed and grounded into flour and the vermicelli is prepared. Vermicelli can be made with Semolina, Whole wheat flour, any grain flour, and so on.
The grain is grounded and mixed with water and goes through the die at high heat and it is partially cooked in there. Then it comes out as a thin noodle and then sliced based on the required size. The vermicelli is then dried off and packaged ready to be shipped.
Pros:
Vermicelli has its own set of pros, they are as follows.
->It is easy to cook and takes approximately 10-15 minutes to cook.
->Glycemic Index of vermicelli is around 50.
->Contains a decent amount of fibre content, the fibre content in vermicelli is around 3-5 grams per ever 100 grams.
->This is way better than Instant noodles which contain tonnes of preservatives.
Cons:
Vermicelli is not a perfect food, it has its own set of cons.
-> The fibre content may be better than Maida, but it is still less than whole wheat flour which amounts to about 6+ grams per 100 grams.
->Vermicelli is high on carbs than whole wheat flour.
->Due to processing the nutritional value is low.
How to Choose the best Vermicelli:
->You need to look for the ingredients list and see if it has any added preservatives. Choose the brand which has no preservatives.
->Ensure that it has the protein content between 10 and 13 grams per every 100 grams.
->The fibre content should be at least 3 grams and most of the whole wheat vermicelli has about 6-7 grams of fibre for every 100 grams.
While cooking, add more veggies, some protein, and a little bit of healthy fat to lower the GI further. Use the carbs sparsely and add more veggies to keep you full. You can also watch this 2-minute video to get an idea about the above-mentioned points.
Which Vermicelli to Buy?
Savourite Vermicelli – It has roughly 3 grams of fibre and 10g of protein. You can buy it on Amazon by clicking the link below. – https://amzn.to/3flevJI
Bambino Vermicelli – This one has roughly 3 grams of Fibre and 10.5g of Protein with no sodium added. You can buy the same on Amazon by clicking the Link Below – https://amzn.to/30JXEw2
First Crop Vermicelli – This has 3g of Fibre and 11g of Protein. You can buy the same on Amazon by Clicking the Link below – https://amzn.to/2MVUoG6
Bliss Tree – This has more than 6g of Fibre and 10.5g of Protein. This is made from whole wheat flour and millet flour. By far this is the healthiest of the lot and is available on Amazon, you can buy it by clicking this link – https://amzn.to/2Y06JiR
Stay away from the brands that don’t mention Fibre contents. Also, check if the ingredients are Maida or whole wheat flour.
