Maida, 1 Kg

Refined flour made from wheat, commonly used in bakery items, snacks, and packaged foods. During processing, the outer bran and germ layers of the wheat grain are stripped away, removing much of its natural fiber, vitamins, and minerals. What remains is a fine, white starch that gives a soft texture to food, but lacks the nutritional value of whole grain flours and leads to glycemic spikes in the human body.

While it may not be realistic to eliminate maida entirely from your pantry, we do recommend minimising its use. Here are a few ways you can do this:

• Maida can be completely eliminated several dishes - for example, try replacing maida in white sauce (bechamel) with atta. Samosas, mathris, kachoris, even naans are other candidates for replacing out maida.
• Where maida cannot be entirely substituted out, consider using a blend of whole wheat atta and other whole grain flours along with maida
• Pair breads and other dishes containing maida with foods high in fiber, protein and healthy fats, to blunt its glycemic spike