Roti is a staple in the Indian diet and is eaten in various forms throughout the country. Homemade rotis were considered to be much healthier than bread sourced from a local bakery or provision store, much of the bread available before was white bread. Over the past years as we became more health conscious, white bread earned a bad reputation. With that, ‘healthy’ breads like brown bread, whole grain breads and multigrain breads started becoming popular.

However, packaged breads tend to have lower fiber content and high amounts of added colour and preservatives. This includes even the ‘healthy’ varieties. Sometimes white bread is passed off as brown bread with the addition of caramel colouring (Caramel is a permitted colour in the food industry). In commercially prepared breads, much of the fiber is removed. Fiber is important for good digestion. If a particular variety of bread claims to be high in fiber or multigrain, these should be listed as one of the first 3 ingredients. An ingredient list that starts with wheat flour is also doubtful as a major portion of the bread could be made of refined wheat flour (maida). Look out for terms like wholemeal, bran, whole wheat flour as the first 3 or 4 ingredients. Multigrain bread should also list the various grains as the initial ingredients. These breads are usually more expensive than the easily available white breads which could discourage people from buying them. Also, some people are not comfortable with yeast in bread which causes digestive problems.

Rotis on the other hand if prepared at home do not contain additives and preservatives and are usually made from whole wheat flour. Dry roasting on a flat pan or tava keeps them healthy and cuts on the oil being used (provided very little oil/ ghee is used while making the dough or while eating). The whole wheat flour provides energy, fiber and protein. Whole wheat flour also has a low Glycaemic Index which is safe for diabetics to consume. Maida should be avoided completely for a healthy roti.  Studies done show that- ‘… a higher whole-grain intake was associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes….. Given the current overall low intake of whole grains, efforts should be made to decrease the cost and increase the availability and consumption of whole-grain products. This has the potential to reduce substantially the incidence of type 2 diabetes and possibly other chronic diseases when sustained over time.’

Health benefits of roti:

•    Rotis are rich in fiber and have a low glycaemic index (GI) for diabetics. The fiber, (wheat bran is a source of insoluble fiber found in wheat kernels) is heart healthy and regulates proper bowel movements. Fiber is an important nutrient often found lacking in the diet.
•    Whole grain carbohydrates give energy with slow releasing sugars
•    Is low on fat (unless kneaded/ fried with lots of oil, or served with ghee later on)
•    Is free of chemical additives, colouring and yeast, so is good for health and digestion.
•    Rich source of vitamins and minerals- vitamin B6, thiamine, folate and vitamin E and some phytochemicals, in particular antioxidants such as phenolic compounds.
•    For people with gluten allergies, jowar, bajra and ragi rotis offer a healthier alternative to the regular whole wheat rotis.  
•    Rotis can also be made healthier by adding grated vegetables.
•    Lesser known millets can also be added to the wheat flour. These include- Kodo Millet, Foxtail Millet, Little Millet, Proso Millet and Barnyard Millet, bran, soy flour or chickpea flour, staple millets- jowar, bajra and ragi.

When part of a balanced meal, rotis provide good nutrition. Be sure to include a healthy protein source and a vegetable with the rotis to make you meal complete. Just having rotis with ghee, butter, sugar or jam is unhealthy and does not provide nutritional benefits.