Is Paneer Good For Weight Loss….? Unlocking The Secrets 2024

Paneer is an excellent source of high-quality protein, calcium, vitamins and low in carbs. But, does it play any significant role in improving health? Is paneer good for weight loss? Absolutely! Its nutritional value makes it a healthy choice for weight loss, especially for vegetarians. Paneer is an excellent source of macro and micro nutrients which is important for your healthy growth.

Paneer, also known as cottage cheese is made by heating and curdling the milk with an acidic agent like lemon juice or vinegar. The mixture is further drained, resulting in a curdled milk solid called paneer and the liquid part gets separated called whey.

Paneer is a famous dairy product used in India for years. Paneer is used in many dishes as it is versatile and delicious when added to different Indian cuisines.

Let’s find out paneer’s nutritional value, and how it works for weight loss and optimizes your overall health.

Nutrition Value of Paneer

Here, is the nutritional value of paneer per 100 grams, as per the USDA

Energy 299kcal
Protein 15.9 g
Total Fat 15.5 g
Carbohydrate 22.5 g
Calcium 597 mg
Potassium 728 mg
Phosphorus 490mg

Paneer protein per 100g is 15.9 g which is excellent. It also contains omega-3 fatty acids, omega-6 fatty acids, minerals like magnesium, zinc, selenium, and manganese and vitamins like vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin D, vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, vitamin B6, vitamin B12 and folates.

The nutritional value may vary depending on the milk used for making paneer. Full cream milk paneer contains more fat compared to toned milk paneer.

Thus, toned milk paneer is suggestible for people suffering from obesity, chronic heart disease and people who are on a weight loss journey.

Health Benefits of Paneer

According to research, paneer when consumed in moderate quantity provides multiple health benefits.

It boosts the immunity.
It prevents tooth decay in children.
It helps to reduce asthma.
It helps to reduce muscle cramps and makes your bones stronger.
It reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases
It is beneficial for hair and skin health.
It has antioxidant properties.
It supports healthy fetal development in pregnant women.
It helps to reduce weight.

Studies have shown that it decreases the risk of breast cancer in women and prostate cancer in men.

Paneer contains nutrients that can be favorable for weight loss. It burns not just belly fat but also helps to reduce overall body fat thereby shedding the bodyweight. Let’s explore whether can we eat paneer for weight loss.

Is Paneer Good for Weight Loss

Paneer has a low glycaemic index, which means it helps to regulate the blood sugar level and maintains the energy levels.
Paneer is a rich source of high-quality protein. Studies suggest high protein meal helps to reduce weight and fat more significantly compared to low-protein diets.
Paneer is low in carbs and contains healthy fat which helps prevent obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
Incorporating paneer into the diet promotes satiety as it takes longer time to digest, and keeps satiated thus preventing overeating.
High protein intake increases thermogenesis contributes to burning fat, reduces appetite and boosts metabolism.
Paneer is rich in calcium. Recent studies have shown that dietary calcium can increase fecal fat elimination to an extent that can prevent weight gain.
Calcium binds with dietary fat present in the gut and helps to eliminate fat from the body through stools.
Calcium, phosphorus and magnesium found in paneer improve bone health, muscle activity, fat metabolism, and repair of cells and tissues.
The addition of paneer before or post workouts helps muscle recovery and strengthens it.
Paneer is a good source of probiotics that improve digestion and gut health, thereby supporting weight loss goals.

Incorporation of Paneer in Your Weight Loss Diet

Paneer should be consumed in moderate proportion and maintain a balanced diet. Overeating is not recommended.
Paneer can be taken in the morning breakfast or lunch if you want to lose weight.
You should avoid eating paneer late at night as it may give rise to indigestion or abdominal discomfort.
One should avoid deep-fried paneer if you are targeting weight loss as it will add extra fat which is not required.
You can add paneer with vegetables to get more fiber and essential nutrients in your diet.

How to Eat Paneer for Weight Loss

Paneer can be eaten raw, or sauteed and try to add it to salads and sandwiches.
Paneer can be used to prepare palak paneer, Paneer Tikka, paneer paratha, paneer bhurji, matar paneer and other cuisines.
Paneer is bland in taste, to add more nutrition and taste to paneer, you can add herbs like Kasuri methi, curry leaves and spinach.
Recent studies revealed that herb-based paneer had a lesser amount of fat and was rich in protein.

Best Time to Eat Paneer For Weight Loss

Paneer is good for weight loss. Paneer takes a longer time to digest and keeps you full and satiated for an extended period. Therefore preferably, paneer can be included in your diet in the morning breakfast or lunch so that it keeps you active and energetic the whole day. Avoid eating paneer at night.

Precautions

Paneer is recommended to be consumed in moderate amounts for weight loss goals.

If you are lactose intolerant, then you should avoid eating paneer as it may cause bloating and digestive issues.

People suffering from weak digestive issues can avoid paneer.

When you buy paneer from outside, always ensure the quality of the paneer and check for the spoilage of paneer.

Always prefer eating low-fat paneer.

Conclusion

In this article, we explored whether Is paneer good for weight loss or not and its overall health benefits. Paneer contains both saturated and unsaturated fat. Studies have shown that including saturated fat in moderation in your diet may not cause harm to your health. But overindulging in paneer may lead to weight gain, or increase the cholesterol levels too.

Thus, one should stick to the moderate consumption of paneer and strictly not overeating.

Paneer also contains monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat, also called healthy fat which helps in weight loss and helps to reduce the bad cholesterol in the blood.

Paneer should be balanced with fiber, and complex carbs which you can get from fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

For weight loss, people who have high cholesterol levels can opt for low-fat paneer.

People suffering from various health issues are advised to consult their Physician before incorporating paneer into their diet.

FAQ’s

Q1. Can paneer be eaten during weight loss?

Ans. Paneer is rich in protein, and calcium and low in carbs. It also contains healthy fat and micronutrients which makes it an ideal choice for a weight loss diet.

Q2. Is it okay to eat paneer every day?

Ans. Yes, daily consumption of paneer in moderation can provide you with multiple health benefits. It improves teeth and bone health, strengthens the muscles, boosts immunity, helps to lose fat thereby aiding weight loss and also benefits heart health.

Q3. Is paneer good for weight loss at night?

Ans. One should avoid eating paneer at night. If your digestive system is weak, it may cause discomfort and may give rise to abdominal discomfort.

Q4. How much paneer should I eat in a day to lose weight?

Ans. The recommended amount of paneer for daily consumption is 150 to 200 grams. RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance) suggests 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. RDA is the minimum amount needed to meet your basic requirement.

Q5. When should paneer be avoided?

Ans. One should avoid paneer if the person is lactose intolerant. Secondly, those who have weak digestive systems should avoid to prevent any abdominal discomfort.

Q6. Paneer Dishes for Weight Loss

Ans. There are many paneer recipes that you can relish and enjoy. You should always prefer raw, grilled or sautéed paneer for optimum results. Here, are the few paneer dishes mentioned below which you can include in your diet for weight loss.