Pita bread is an overlooked accompaniment, often getting its spotlight stolen by hummus, baba ganoush and tzatziki. However, without pita, these dips cannot be truly enjoyed. It adds the much-needed crunch and chewiness to these dishes. Apart from adding taste and texture, pita can also offer some neat health benefits.
What is pita bread?
Pita bread is a flatbread made of wheat flour and yeast. It is eaten in the middle eastern countries on its own or with various accompaniments such as dips, grilled meats and fried chickpea balls known as falafel.
Pita has a neutral taste with a hint of bread-like aroma, making it an ideal carrier for flavourful dips and meats.
It's among the oldest-known forms of bread and there is evidence that it was eaten 14,500 years ago during the Stone Age. The ancient version of the bread was made from wild cereal grains and later on, wheat and barley were used.
It's said the early prototype of pita also gave way to other types of flatbreads like tandoori roti, laffa and taboon.
The pita bread has the tendency to puff up in the centre when it's being cooked, creating an air pocket. This pocket can be stuffed with falafel, grilled meat, vegetables, hummus, labneh, olive oil, zaatar, tahini or baba ganoush, converting the pita bread into a handy snack.
Pita is also used as the wrapper for shwarma and other grilled meats like souvlaki. Pita pieces can also be deep-fried and served as pita chips.
Pita bread nutrition
100 grams of pita bread contains the following nutrients:
| Nutrient | Measure (Daily Value) |
| Calories | 275 |
| Total fat | 1.2 gm (1%) |
| Saturated fat | 0.2 gm (1%) |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg (0%) |
| Sodium | 536 mg (22%) |
| Potassium | 120 mg (3%) |
| Total carbohydrates | 56 gm (18%) |
| Dietary fibre | 2.2 gm (8%) |
| Protein | 9 gm (18%) |
| Vitamin C | 0% |
| Calcium | 8% |
| Iron | 7% |
| Vitamin D | 0% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0% |
| Cobalamin | 0% |
| Magnesium | 6% |
Health benefits of pita bread
Unless made with refined wheat flour, pita bread can offer all the benefits of wheat such as carbohydrates, protein and dietary fibre.
Pita is low in fats and has some trace minerals like iron, selenium, calcium and magnesium. Pairing it with healthy dips like tahini, hummus, labneh and tzatziki can up its nutrient content.
If it's made of whole grains, pita bread can provide a range of B vitamins such as thiamin, riboflavin, folate and niacin. Following are some of the health benefits of pita bread.
- Provides energy
- Reduces glucose levels
- Promotes weight loss
- Aids in digestion
- Can provide some proteins
Improves gut health and digestion: If the pita bread is made of whole wheat, it has insoluble fibre, which is present in the bran of the grain. It has prebiotic qualities, which can nourish the good bacteria in the stomach. Pita bread consumption can therefore aid digestion and can even keep constipation at bay.
Could lower glucose levels: Since it is a fibre-rich food, whole wheat pita bread can even help in bringing blood glucose levels down and prevent them from spiking.
May prevent colon cancer: The risk of colon cancer can be brought down by consumption of whole grains like wheat. Whole grains contain fibres, antioxidants and phytonutrients to reduce risk of colon cancer.
References:
1. Bedran, P., Bou-Mitri, C., Merhi, S., Doumit, J., Fares, J., & Farhat, A. G. (2022). The compliance of nutrition claims on pita bread in Lebanon and risk on public health: a cross-sectional study. BMC nutrition, 8(1), 32. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40795-022-00526-7
2.Shewry, P. R., & Hey, S. J. (2015). The contribution of wheat to human diet and health. Food and energy security, 4(3), 178–202. https://doi.org/10.1002/fes3.64
3. USDA
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