Is puff pastry good for health?
Ever wonder what the flaky and buttery exterior of pies are called? It's called puff pastry or pâte feuilletée and it's made of dough and solid fats like butter or lard. It's called "puff" pastry for the puffed appearance The distinct flaky texture of the pastry is created when the melting fat releases steam, leaving gaps between the layers.
It is believed that the modern puff pastry originated in the Spanish region, with Arab or Moorish influences. It creates a delicious golden crust on pies and rolls, giving them an appetising appearance. The puff pastry is used in making a number of dishes including the famed Beef Wellington, croissants, sausage rolls, pies, strudels etc.
Puff pastry health benefits
Made with refined flour and fats, puff pastry obviously doesn't seem like a superfood. Does it have any health benefits at all? Any benefits it has depend on its primary ingredients: flour and butter.
Good quality butter contains beta carotene, which can benefit the skin and eye health. The compound gets converted into vitamin A in the body, which is a key nutrient for fighting cancer. Butter also has vitamin D, an essential nutrient vital for bone development.
Puff pastry can also be a high energy food since it's calorie-dense. It also has a high amount of micronutrients like iron, vitamin K, vitamin B, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, copper, manganese, selenium, thiamine and choline.
Nutritional composition of puff pastry
100 grams of puff pastry contains the following nutrients:
Nutrient
| Measurement
|
Calories
| 551
|
Saturated fat
| 9.6g
|
Polyunsaturated fat
| 4.9g
|
Sodium
| 249mg
|
Potassium
| 61mg
|
Carbohydrates
| 45.1g
|
Protein
| 7.3g
|
Vitamin
| B6 0mg
|
Vitamin E
| 0.5mg
|
Iron
| 2.6mg
|
Calcium
| 10mg
|
Vitamin K
| 16.1μg
|
Vitamin E
| 0.5mg
|
Manganese
| 0.5mg
|
Selenium
| 24.2μg
|
Thiamine
| 0.4mg
|
Riboflavin
| 0.3mg
|
Niacin
| 4.2mg
|
Folate
| 78μg
|
Choline
| 6.4mg
|
Is puff pastry healthy?
While it does have some micronutrients, puff pastry is high in fats and carbs. A single serving of 100 grams of puff pastry contains a massive 551 calories.
Refined flour-based puff pastry offers no fibre that promotes satiety. Instead, it can spike blood sugar and disrupt digestive health.
It's best to treat puff pastry like an occasional indulgence. Consuming it daily may lead to plethora of health problems like constipation, inflammation, high blood pressure, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.
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