What to Order at Indian Cuisine for Fat Loss - 166
YouTube Chicken tikka and chicken tikka masala sit one word apart on the menu. One is pieces of chicken off a skewer. The other arrives under a bowl of sauce. That one word decides what lands on your plate, and an Indian menu is full of words doing the same job.
(Have you ever ordered Indian food and hoped for the best? Grab the free Eating On-The-Go Guide at go.brianparana.com/eatingonthego)
Coach Brian Parana walks through the five menu words that decide your meal at an Indian restaurant. He uses published nutrition numbers from Tiffin Indian Cuisine to show what those words cost you in calories and protein. This is fat loss after 40 without giving up the food you like.
By the end you will have three exact orders you can say at the table. One grilled, one curry, and one vegetarian.
Chapters:
- [00:00] Two chicken dishes one word apart on the menu
- [02:45] Tikka, tandoori, and what masala adds to the plate
- [05:00] Dal makhani, naan, and biryani: where the calories sit
- [10:15] Why mild does not mean fewer calories
- [12:00] Three exact orders for grilled, curry, and vegetarian
Key Takeaways:
- The last word on a dish name tells you how the kitchen finished it, and makhani means butter is already in there.
- Grilled tells you the cooking method, so ask whether a tandoori plate is a full chicken or a half chicken.
- Choose rice or naan and leave the other off the order, because a full rice serving plus bread is two starches.
Resources Mentioned:
- Eating On-The-Go Guide, free at go.brianparana.com/eatingonthego
- Tiffin Indian Cuisine published nutrition information
Common questions from this episode:
- What is the difference between chicken tikka and chicken tikka masala?
Chicken tikka is chicken marinated in yogurt and spices, then cooked on skewers in a tandoor. Chicken tikka masala serves that same chicken in a sauce. At Tiffin the skewered dish runs about 600 calories with 60 grams of protein, and the masala runs about 800 with 40.
- What does makhani mean on an Indian menu?
Makhani means buttery. Tiffin calls their dal makhani a buttery tomato cream sauce, and it runs about 600 calories against about 400 for dal tadka.
- How many calories are in naan bread?
Classic naan runs about 400 calories a piece at Tiffin. Stuffed naan runs closer to 700, so two pieces of naan can add about 800 calories to your meal.
- Does mild Indian food have fewer calories than hot?
No. The spice level tells you how much chili to expect and nothing else. A mild korma is built on cream, yogurt, or ground nuts and can be one of the richest dishes on the menu.
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Want help applying this to your own health, weight, energy, or lab numbers?
Coach Brian Parana offers Health Hot Seat coaching segments for men who want a clear next step with nutrition, fitness, weight loss, blood pressure, cholesterol, A1C, or daily consistency.
Learn more about The Call To Rise, a 100-day coaching program for driven men over 40 who want to lose weight, improve their health, and rebuild confidence:
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Disclaimer: This podcast is for education and coaching support only. It is not medical advice. Always work with your physician before changing medication, treatment, or medical care.
