Gumbo is a popular dish in Louisiana and is a savoury stew. The “holy trinity” of vegetables celery, onions, and bell peppers along with meat or seafood chicken, shrimp, crabs, or sausage as well as herbs and spices garlic, bay leaves, and cayenne pepper make up the traditional ingredients of gumbo. Fresh okra, file powder, and roux (a mixture of fat and flour cooked together) are used to thicken the dish. To give the roux a rich, nutty flavour, it is heated until just faintly browned. Frequently, the delectable dish is served with hot, cooked rice.
Health Advantages of Gumbo
Gumbo is flavorful and nourishing. Here are gumbo’s top three health advantages.
· It has great nutritional value
The scrumptious recipe is loaded with healthy vegetables including tomatoes, okra, and other spices. Gumbo is a fantastic source of the vitamins A, C, and B6 as well as iron, zinc, and magnesium thanks to these ingredients.
You can boost your energy levels throughout the day and maintain a healthy immune system with the aid of these vitamins and minerals.
· Advantageous antioxidants
Polyphenols, which are antioxidants that shield the body from free radicals that harm cells and bring on disease, are also abundant in gumbo. In addition to improving brain function and lowering the risk of heart disease, antioxidants help reduce inflammation in the body.
· Diabetes-friendly
Gumbo is a hearty food that doesn’t raise blood sugar levels and is minimal in calories, carbohydrates, and sugars. You may avoid unhealthy snacks and maintain a healthy weight by avoiding it since it provides dietary fibre, which is great for maintaining a healthy gut and keeping you satisfied for longer.
Due to the wide range of ingredients utilised, including shrimp, chicken, Andouille sausage, okra, and other vegetables, gumbo is a good source of protein as well as important vitamins and minerals. Yet, depending on the ingredients used, it could be heavy in fat and sodium.
Consume healthy gumbo sparingly, and increase the amount of veggies and lean protein in the gumbo recipe. By using low-sodium broth and spices, you can lower the sodium amount. Last but not least, choose a healthy grain like brown rice or quinoa or switch out white rice for cauliflower rice to up the fibre content.
Calories
A cup of gumbo has between 320 and 450 calories in it. The stew’s calories will change depending on the sorts of meat and seafood it contains and the veggies it uses. The number of calories in gumbo is equivalent to 16 to 22.5 percent of what you would eat in a day based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Protein
A serving of gumbo contains 28 to 37 grammes of protein, which accounts for a large portion of the dish’s calories. According to Harvard Health Publications, the recommended daily intake (RDA) for this macronutrient is 0.36 grammes per pound or 0.8 grammes per kilogramme of body weight. Gumbo frequently has significant fat content; a typical dish typically comprises 17–27 g.
Carbohydrates
You get 13 to 21 grammes of carbs from one serving. The National Academies recommend consuming at least 130 grammes of carbohydrates daily to meet your energy requirements. The 2,000-calorie diet is the foundation for all recommendations.
Is gumbo a good way to lose weight?
It turns out that a nutritious roux is the key to a healthy gumbo. Browned flour preserves the rich, nutty flavour typical of traditional gumbo while saving a tonne of time, fat, and calories. This diabetic-friendly, nutritious chicken and sausage gumbo is ideal for Weight Watchers.
What sets gumbo apart?
Gumbo’s main ingredients are a flavorful stock, meat or seafood (or occasionally both), a thickener, and the “holy trinity” of the Creole cuisine: celery, bell peppers, and onions. Whether okra or filé powder is used as a thickening, gumbo is frequently categorised by this factor (dried and ground sassafras leaves).
For what is gumbo famous?
What we now refer to as gumbo is, at its most basic level, a flavorful stew cooked with a range of meats or shellfish together with a variety of vegetables and spices. After then, all wagers are off. Gumbo can range in consistency from soup-thin to gravy-thick. Chicken and crab or sausage and shrimp are examples of the proteins.
Is gumbo carb-heavy?
Carbs in gumbo, how many? The average gumbo will include around 20 grammes of net carbohydrates per serving, however obviously this may vary from recipe to recipe. Versions at restaurants might be better. Due to the absence of the roux and rice in this recipe, each serving of gumbo contains only 8.6 grammes of net carbohydrates.
Is there a lot of fat in gumbo?
Fat. Gumbo frequently has significant fat content; one dish typically includes 17–27 g. The Mayo Clinic advises keeping daily fat intake between 44 and 78 grammes to prevent obesity and the health issues that come with being overweight.
Conclusion
For those who prefer to experiment with new flavours, gumbo is just a versatile meal that can be prepared with a variety of meats and vegetables. In all, gumbo is a flavorful and filling dish that will appeal to anybody seeking a taste of a South.
