It is difficult to say for sure how many calories are in shawarma. This indicator immediately depends on many factors - on the method of preparation of the dish, on its filling, the chosen sauce, etc. If desired, the shawarma can be made light and dietary.

Chemical composition and nutritional value

To understand the chemical composition and nutritional value of a dish, for example, you can take shawarma with chicken breast, vegetables (cucumbers, tomatoes, cabbage and onions) and sour cream and garlic sauce.

In such a treat, 100 grams will turn out approximately:

  • 8.5 g of protein;
  • 6.2 g of fat;
  • 22 g of carbohydrates.

Chicken contains many different vitamins. For example, C, D, E, K, PP and group B. Also, the composition of the bird includes choline, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus.

  • There is a lot of vitamin A in tomatoes, calcium is present, and also an indispensable natural antioxidant lycopene.
  • In the composition of cucumbers, the "leader" was potassium - 141 mg per 100 g of product.
  • And cabbage also contains folic acid, a unique tartronic acid (slowing down the formation of fat), a large amount of fiber.

Vegetables boast a minimal calorie content. Therefore, shawarma with chicken, vegetables and low-fat sour cream sauce can be safely called a dish for PP.

How many calories in shawarma with different fillings

Determining even the average calorie content of shawarma is quite difficult. After all, every cook cooks this dish in his own way. It can contain both fatty, fried mutton slices with lamb and mayonnaise sauce, and boiled chicken breast with yogurt dressing.

  • So, in shawarma with chicken, vegetable salad and sour cream sauce, which is most often ordered in fast food stalls, on average, contains 175 kcal per 100 g.It must be remembered that in 1 piece of calories it will be much more, because usually such a portion weighs from 300 to 500 g.
  • If the shawarma is cooked with pork (this is the second most popular option among gourmets), then its calorie content is significantly increased. It turns out already 260 - 270 kcal per 100 g. Usually, as a sauce for it, a mixture of three ingredients at once is used - low-fat sour cream, mayonnaise and ketchup.
  • In lamb shawarma, cooked approximately according to the same recipe, it is already from 290 to 320 kcal per 100 g. This is a rather “heavy” dish, so you should definitely not treat yourself to it during dinner. It is better to try such a shawarma in the morning and refuse supplements in the form of sweet carbonated drinks.

How to reduce the calorie content of a dish

If you wish, you can not only buy shawarma in the nearest fast food stall, but also cook it at home yourself. Then it will be possible to significantly reduce its calorie content by choosing the right "light" foods.

There are several ways to do this:

  1. Use lean meat. Best of all is a skinless bird (chicken or turkey).
  2. The method of heat treatment is also important. To reduce the calorie content of the dish, it is worth boiling or cooking chicken, pork or other selected meat on the grill.
  3. Choose a light sauce. Mayonnaise is its most harmful option. For the period of weight loss, you should choose unsweetened natural yogurt, non-fat sour cream or kefir as the basis. It remains only to improve its taste with garlic, herbs, salt and spices.
  4. Bake pita bread yourself. A “shell” for shawarma should be prepared on its own without adding yeast. Or at least before buying a store product, carefully study its composition.
  5. Add more vegetables to the filling. It can be fresh cabbage (white cabbage or Peking), cucumbers, tomatoes, any greens, bell peppers, carrots, celery and many others.

Usually, a ready-made shawarma is fried so that the pita is covered with a golden brown. This should be done in a dry pan without adding oil.

Benefits and harm to the body

If the dish is cooked in a street stall, then it can turn out to be not just harmful, but really dangerous for the body. First of all, due to its huge calorie content due to the use of meat with fat, cheap low-quality mayonnaise, ketchup. Chicken and pork for such treats are often overcooked in already reused oil. As a result, there is a lot of cholesterol in the dish. A person who will often feast on such a shawarma faces not only obesity, but also diabetes, hypertension and many other dangerous pathologies.

If the shawarma is prepared on its own using a large amount of fresh vegetables, harmless sauce and dietary meat, then it will not only saturate very well, but also benefit the body.

Shawarma can be a great snack or even dinner option if you cook it right from healthy foods. It must be remembered that there is no mayonnaise or ketchup in the original recipe. Street vendors added them there to reduce the cost and simplify the treats.

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