What is lavash and how is it prepared?
This bakery product is a flatbread, which was first baked in Armenia. Armenians even included this dish on the UNESCO cultural heritage list.
There are 2 main recipes. The Armenian version turns out thin and contains few calories. Georgian is thicker and has more calories; Wrapping anything in this flatbread is tricky, but it can be used as a base for a healthy pizza.
The process of preparing this flour product differs from baking bread. The recipe contains no oils or fats. You should not add baking powder either. A special stove is used - tandoor. At home, you can use the oven to make it. According to tradition, the dough for making flatbreads must be kneaded by the eldest woman living in the house. Then the dough is rolled out, stretched onto a special willow pillow and stuck to the walls of a hot oven. Bake for 30 minutes.
Whether you can eat pita bread while losing weight depends on what recipe it was prepared according to.
PP lavash with cottage cheese
Another exceptional dietary dessert option that can be safely included in your diet.
- 1 thin pita bread
- 200 grams of cottage cheese. You can use low-fat cottage cheese, as long as it is not sour.
- 2 bananas. Choose sweet fruits, this way you will make your dessert sweet without adding sugar.
Place cottage cheese on pita bread and banana slices on top. Wrap everything up and put it in the oven for 5-10 minutes.
Another exceptional dietary dessert option that can be safely included in your diet.
- 1 thin pita bread
- 200 grams of cottage cheese. You can use low-fat cottage cheese, as long as it is not sour.
- 2 bananas. Choose sweet fruits, this way you will make your dessert sweet without adding sugar.
Place cottage cheese on pita bread and banana slices on top. Wrap everything up and put it in the oven for 5-10 minutes.
Benefits, harms and calorie content of thin lavash
To the question of whether a product is harmful for weight loss, the answer is negative.
Positive properties include the high content of nutrients in the cake. It contains a lot of phosphorus, iron, zinc, magnesium, manganese. It also contains vitamins PP, E and group B.
Regular consumption has a beneficial effect on the digestive system. The stool is normalized. Carbohydrate metabolism accelerates. The product increases acidity. Its use is allowed for many gastric and intestinal pathologies.
Is it possible to eat pita bread on a diet?
At the PP, eating this product is not prohibited. Nutritionists recommend using it instead of bread, since lavash has a lower calorie content and is healthier for you. It is important to take into account the calorie content of what you eat, count the amount of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates consumed so as not to exceed the daily norm.
On strict diets, you cannot violate the selected menu. You will have to temporarily give up lavash. If you choose a gentle option, eating a small amount of flatbread is often acceptable.
There is also a special diet in which lavash is the basis of a person’s diet. You can stick to it for no more than 7 days.
It's better not to eat pita bread before bed. It is recommended to eat it in the first half of the day: this way the cake will be digested faster.
Calorie content
The calorie content of pita bread may vary depending on the type. Caucasian lavash has more calories than white bread. But if we talk about Armenian lavash, then its calorie content is 236 kcal per 100 grams. Other characteristics for BZHU:
- Proteins: 7.9;
- Fats: 1.0;
- Carbohydrates: 47.6.
The calorie content of one flat cake weighing 250 grams is about 700 kcal.
Recipes
Popular dishes made from Armenian flatbread include brtuch and shawarma. Shawarma is very popular in our region. But a person on a diet is not recommended to eat such a high-calorie dish. The dish gains calories due to various food additives that improve the taste of shawarma, but do not make it healthy.
Lavash makes great snacks. You can wrap the low-calorie filling in a thin tortilla and cut all this splendor into pieces 3-4 cm in size. First, moisten the tortilla with a small amount of water, and then spread out the filling. Thanks to this manipulation, your snacks will be softer. For snacks, choose fresh flatbread, otherwise the pita may tear during cooking.
- An excellent base for the filling will be low-fat cottage cheese with herbs and salt.
- You can cut small pieces of vegetables (tomatoes, bell peppers, herbs) and mix with sour cream.
- You can mix lightly salted salmon with herbs.
- You can stew vegetables and use them as a filling.
- As a base, you can use a mixture of champignons, dill and chopped walnuts fried in butter.
- Slice the boiled egg along with cucumber and pepper. For dressing you can add olive oil or lemon juice.
- Chop the walnuts, add boiled beets and carrots. You can use natural yogurt as a dressing.
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On a diet, pita bread can be combined with any filling (fruit, cheese, boiled chicken, etc.). If the filling is tasty for you and low in calories, then such a diet will only be a joy.
Conclusion
Lavash is an excellent product that can replace the usual bread . Simple composition, absence of yeast, the presence of many useful minerals and vitamins, low calorie content, versatility - all this makes it very useful and irreplaceable.
People who are contraindicated from eating regular yeast bread due to intestinal and gastric diseases or diabetes can replace it with lavash. If you are watching your figure, then this product is simply a must to supplement your diet.
A low-calorie diet requires careful adherence to the diet. Many people who want to lose a few extra pounds and gain a slim figure are trying to find a replacement for their usual foods, saturated with fats and carbohydrates. Is it possible to eat thin Armenian yeast-free lavash with a low calorie content when losing weight and on a diet? Caucasian flatbread can be a substitute for regular bread. Such baked goods are not high in calories, they can be eaten without filling or, according to the recipe, you can wrap foods that have low nutritional energy value in it.
Useful properties of lavash
This flatbread, as lavash was called in Rus', has an interesting property: it does not spoil for a long time, and if it dries out, brush it with water and it will become softer. Unlike regular bread, you can’t eat a lot of this product, so you can eat lavash while losing weight. A tasty flatbread can add a number of beneficial elements to the body:
- phosphorus;
- zinc;
- magnesium;
- iron;
- manganese;
- vitamins B, E and PP.
It is able to maintain the balance of carbohydrates, which has a beneficial effect on a person’s weight loss, so lavash can be eaten while losing weight. This product is perfect for breakfast and a small snack. It plays an excellent role as a base for a dish. If you combine it with dietary filling, there is no risk of weight gain.
How much lavash can you eat?
Types of flatbread
There are several types of such flatbread:
They have different compositions, different cooking technologies and caloric content.
Azerbaijani
Azerbaijani lavash is made from flour and water. Salt is added in limited quantities, as it prevents the removal of water from the body. This product looks like a thin bread cake.
Armenian
Armenian thin lavash has a light composition. To prepare it, they use water and flour, and sometimes salt it. This bread can be consumed when losing weight. This dietary product is tasteless, so it does not affect the taste of the dishes with which it is served. During the cooking process, the flatbread is rolled out thinly, put on a special form and immersed in the tandoor. It takes 20–40 minutes to prepare. This product is used to create delicious dishes, for example, rolls with lean fish and meat.
Georgian
Georgian pastries differ from Armenian ones in composition. This is a thick product, round or oval in shape. His recipe includes an additional component - yeast. This bread is often prepared at home. It is not recommended for use during a diet. In addition, this product does not last long.
The perfect combination
You can roll various ingredients into pita bread. Combinations of pita bread with other products can be very different, and compatibility does not in any way affect the increase in calorie content of the pita bread itself or the effect on the filling. The most popular combinations:
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- chicken fillet;
- greenery;
- tomatoes;
- cucumbers;
- cheese (do not overdo it when losing weight);
- Korean carrots;
- cabbage (great, because it takes more energy to digest cabbage than it produces);
- minced meat (for weight loss, use the lowest fat content);
- fish;
- mushrooms.
This southern folk dish can be eaten while losing weight. Is it a lot? 2-3 flatbreads a day is quite possible. By consuming this product with vegetables, you can become slim and lose weight in a short time. Nutritionists highly recommend this product, but do not forget that not all flatbreads are so healthy. When buying this product in a store, ask about the composition, and it is best to prepare this simple product at home.
Harm
Lavash, prepared without any foreign impurities, does not cause any harm to the human body. But there are also other factors that make Caucasian bread less healthy or even have a negative impact on a person:
- Improper storage. In large stores it is not always possible to keep track of the condition of each package. Therefore, there may be cases of depressurization of the package with lavash. In such cases, you should refuse to purchase this product, because there is a chance that the product will quickly become moldy.
- Harmful ingredients contained in the product. As noted earlier, all the benefits of pita bread are canceled if various kinds of additives are added during the preparation of the dough. These may be preservatives for longer storage, non-natural food colors, emulsifiers and flavor enhancers. Lavash, which contains most of the above, does more harm than good.
No other undesirable consequences were observed from consuming this bread product. But you need to know moderation in everything, so do not overuse this product.
Lavash dishes
This flatbread can also be used for baking various delicacies and rolls. It is ideal for salads and soups. Let's look at several recipes that use pita bread and that you can eat while losing weight.
Lavash video recipe
A little video on the topic: whole grain buckwheat lavash.
Circassian roll “Bertucci”
Components:
- cake;
- Caucasian cheese (about 300 kcal per 100 grams);
- parsley;
- dill;
- cilantro;
- white yogurt (about 100 kcal per 100 grams).
Cooking method:
- For this dish, it is better to prepare the flatbread yourself. It should be very thin (about 1 mm) and not bake for long. Do not bake until crispy. The texture should be elastic.
- This roll base is coated with white yoghurt and the remaining ingredients are laid out on it.
- The cheese is grated. The greens are finely chopped and distributed over the flatbread in layers.
- Wrap it in a tight roll, cut it into small portions and place it on a plate.
- The final stage is 2-3 minutes in the microwave.
The roll turns out very satisfying. Caucasian homemade cheese is high in calories, but only a small amount is required. The main component of this dish is greens. The calorie content of this roll is 630 kcal per 100 grams. Which, in general, is not little. Let's do the math: cheese - 300 kcal, plus yogurt - 100 kcal, plus lavash - 230 kcal per 100 grams. And we took the minimum calorie content from our calorie table for 377 products.
Armenian fish roll
Components:
- Armenian flatbread;
- greens to taste;
- cod;
- tomato paste;
- basil;
- green beans;
- rice.
Cooking method:
- Boil green beans and some rice with fish. Chop the beans and cod using a knife.
- Coat the pita bread with tomato paste and sprinkle with herbs and basil.
- Then lay out layers of fish first, then rice and beans. Wrap the roll tightly.
This dish can be served separately to each person or cut into several pieces and placed on the table as an appetizer. The calorie content of such a roll is only 410 kcal per 100 grams.
How to make lavash at home
To get the maximum benefit from lavash, you need to choose the right one in the store or learn how to cook it yourself at home. Lower calorie content will testify in favor of Armenian lavash - against the backdrop of fluffy Georgian flatbread.
To prepare Armenian flatbread you will need:
- flour - 340 g;
- oil - 1.5 tablespoons;
- water - 190 ml;
- salt - half a teaspoon.
- You need to sift the flour and place it in a bowl.
- Dissolve salt in hot water, pour into a bowl, adding oil.
- Mix the entire mixture until smooth with a spoon, and when the water is completely absorbed, knead with your hands.
- Place the resulting mass from the bowl on the table and continue kneading it for 6 minutes.
- Then return the dough back to the bowl and cover with a lid or towel for 30 minutes.
- Then put it on the table, form it into a sausage shape, which is then divided into 10 parts.
- Leave one piece, put the rest in a bowl and cover. Form the reserved part of the dough into a flat cake no more than 3 mm thick.
- Since the dough cooks very quickly, all prepared pieces should be rolled out in advance.
- Next, heat an empty frying pan over a fire and place the dough on it. The fire should be turned on at a level no more than medium and carefully monitored, since the cake will rise quickly. If a “bubble” forms, just hold it with a spatula.
- After the first side is cooked a little, you need to turn it over to the other side. After frying the second side, it is better to place the finished pita bread on a board and sprinkle with water. Afterwards, cover with a towel and prepare the remaining parts of the dough in the same way.
Georgian
In the original version of the Georgian lavash recipe, yeast is not used.
For preparation you will need:
- Kefir - 1 tablespoon;
- Salt - 3-4 g;
- Wheat flour - 240 g;
- Baking soda - half a tablespoon.
- Pour flour into a bowl and add salt, soda and kefir. Mix the entire mixture until you obtain an elastic dough.
- After this, the dough should be wrapped in film or simply covered with a lid and left in a warm place for 30 minutes.
- While the dough is “reaching”, you can turn on the oven and wait until it warms up to 210 o C.
- Dust the table with flour and place the dough on it. Roll out the dough with a diameter of approximately 25 cm and a thickness of no more than 5 cm. Make several holes with a fork so that the crust does not swell during baking.
- Place the finished cake on a baking sheet and place in the oven for 6 minutes, then turn over to the other side and leave in the oven for another 6 minutes.
Georgian lavash, just like Armenian, can be fried in a frying pan.
Diet rules
For the diet to produce results, you can include a variety of foods in it. Lavash can also be eaten while losing weight, if you follow a number of rules:
- drink plenty of fluids;
- actively engage in sports;
- do not eat heavy food at night;
- eat food in small portions;
- drink drinks without added sugar.
During the diet you will have to give up:
- alcohol;
- muffins;
- sweets;
- semi-finished products;
- smoked meats;
- pickles;
- mayonnaise;
- sour cream;
- sausages;
- carbonated drinks.
A little humor on the topic:
Georgian lavash
This product, unlike the Armenian one, is more magnificent. This is due to the fact that yeast is used for its production, which has a calorie content of about 75 kcal per 100 grams. Therefore, this product can be called dietary to a lesser extent, and if you are losing weight, it is better to look towards Armenian or Azerbaijani lavash.
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However, if you are from the beautiful country of Georgia or you have Georgian roots and taste habits have already been formed by the age of 20, then do not change your tradition for the sake of such a small amount of calories, because your body, in particular the digestive system, is simply accustomed to a certain national diet.
The point here is that if you are in very poor physical shape and for you 75 kcal is a significant figure, then, perhaps, it is better for you any baked goods altogether
Having considered three options for lavash, let’s ask the question again: is it possible to eat lavash while losing weight? The answer will be: yes, but better Armenian/Azerbaijani or home-made without using yeast. If you are from Georgia, eat Georgian.
Georgian lavash: 260-280 kcal (per 40 grams). The calorie content is higher due to yeast.
Georgian lavash Nutritional value per 100 grams Calories: 270 kcal Calories from fat: 8 kcal (3%) Daily value (%)* Proteins 8.4 g 13% Fats 0.9 g 1% incl. saturated fat g0%, incl. trans fats: g Carbohydrates 55.5 g18% Cholesterol mg0% Food. fiber (fiber) g0% Salt g0% Sugar g0% Water g Date of update: 09/03/2018 Calculated according to the norm: 1 g protein = 4.1 kcal, 1 g fat = 9.29 kcal, 1 g carbohydrates = 4.1 kcal *Percentage of daily value calculated according to according to Rospotrebnadzor, based on the average norm of 2000 kcal for a woman who is not losing weight, with light physical activity, 30-40 years old, weighing 60 kg, height 165 cm. Read more: BZHU
Recipes and technology
If lavash is Armenian or Azerbaijani, then this flour product is prepared completely differently than bread. No oils, fats or raising agents are added to its composition. It is baked in an oven called a tandoor. Cooking it at home is also not difficult. Prepare pita bread that you can eat while losing weight yourself and lose weight. Knead the dough loosely, roll out thinly and bake in the oven at 170 degrees.
If you remove salt from the recipe, you will be able to taste the bread and help your body lose weight.
Sources
- https://perelomu.net/poxudenie/mozhno-li-est-lavash-pri-poxudenii.html
- https://tonustela.net/calorific-value/bread/lavash.html
- https://dieta4y.ru/mozhno-li-lavash-na-diete.html
- https://med-pro-ves.ru/pitanie/produkty/lavash-mozhno-est-pri-pohudenii-eto-luchshe-dlya-figury
- https://gidbody.ru/problemy-s-vesom/dieticheskie-bljuda/sladkoe-i-muchnoe/lavash-pri-pohudenii
Variety and calories
Lavash is a thin, crispy flatbread. This versatile pastry can be eaten on its own or with the addition of filling. It serves as bread for those living in the Middle East and the Caucasus. Yeast is not added to the traditional recipe. To prepare, take water, salt and wheat flour. In appearance, the product is white or creamy and has no crumb. It is baked in a tandoor, which is what the inside of the oven is called.
There are two known recipes for flatbreads: Armenian and Georgian.
The original Armenian lavash is tasteless; it should not interrupt the taste of the main dish with which it is offered. To obtain the starter, take dough from previous batches. A thinly rolled sheet of dough is put on a wooden device and lowered into the oven (tandoor). Baking time takes up to forty minutes.
Georgian flatbread is baked in oval and round shapes, it is more fluffy. In the classic recipe, yeast is used for kneading. Baking is carried out in special “tone” ovens, but it can be cooked in a regular oven. The recipe does not include baked goods and can be used on fasting days; during periods of balanced nutrition it is excluded from the menu. More often in cooking it is used as a base for proper pizza.
Lenten Armenian bread contains two hundred thirty-six kcal in one hundred grams, Caucasian flatbread - two hundred seventy-four kcal.