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Mithai industry’s guilt-free sweets with healthy fats, proteins & fibre
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Saturday, 27 February, 2021, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Our Bureau, Mumbai
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Mithai in India has had a special place in the hearts of people and been a significant part of traditional customs and centuries-old lineage. Owing to the sweet tooth of Indians, the sweet industry in the country has been surging over the years and is currently estimated to be $664 million, with sugar confectionery holding a 70 per cent share ($461 million) in the sector.
There are innumerable variants of mithais which are not only customary in Indian traditions but an excellent way to ‘reach people's heart via their stomach’ – as the saying goes. However, with the population making an intentional shift towards gluten-free and guilt-free edibles, there is a need to revamp the conventional ways and jack it up with something which resonates well with the health-conscious approach of people. Aiding the mithai industry in doing this, walnuts have stepped in as the revolutionary ingredients for Indian sweets. The mithai industry is working in sync with the wellness sector and thus incorporating walnuts in their recipes as the star ingredient. With extensive mithai menus integrating walnuts, there is a significant shift to guilt and gluten-free mithais in the country.
The mithai shops and businesses offering mithais are making a significant difference as they innovate with the wonder-nuts - walnuts. Giving a whole new avatar to mithais, walnuts provide the appropriate amount of crunch and flavour balance as they complement the sweetness of mithai with the buttery, yet guilt-free, taste.
Innovating with walnuts, the mithai industry in introducing the country with walnut barfi, walnut peda, halwa and other sweets which not only reflect the healthy quotient of the guiltless sweets but also the crunch and the texture that lures the sweet-buds and offers a whole new flavour palate to the industry connoisseurs to play with.
Consuming plant-based foods of all kinds has long been associated with a reduced risk of many lifestyle-related health conditions. The combination of healthy fats, protein, and fibre in walnuts helps to increase satisfaction and fullness. Either singly or combined with other foods, walnuts are healthy as snacks, and add-ons in salads and bakeries, smoothies, Indian curries and of course mithais and desserts.
Walnuts aid in eating healthy and consuming good fats. This just seems to be another reason that the mithai industry can vouch for while increasing their business and profits aggressively. About 83 per cent of a walnut’s fat content is unsaturated which makes for lower cholesterol levels, making the industry go responsible and healthy with their business and their intent to serve their customers rightly.
Neha Lakhani and AshayDhopatkar, founders ArqMithai,share their thoughts on the benefits of walnuts and how they make a responsible choice for the mithaiindustry,"Usually, people focus on other nuts in the mithai space, but we at Arq use walnuts as one of our main ingredients and play a lot around it. Walnuts are a very essential part for us at Arq , we make several mithais using walnuts and have even named one of it as a 'good walnut'. The core ethic behind Arq is using sustainable, organic and good quality ingredients and that is something we don’t compromise on, hence we trust Californian walnuts for its quality and taste."
“One ounce (about a quarter cup, or 14 walnut halves) provides 18 grams of good fat, 4 grams of protein, 2 grams of fibre, nearly 50 per cent of the daily target for manganese, and smaller amounts of magnesium, iron, calcium, and B vitamins. Manganese is a mineral that supports healthy bones and is needed for collagen production and wound healing. Walnuts are also packed with antioxidants known to possess anti-inflammatory effects,” said HarleneBhasin, Clinical Nutritionist.
The mithai industry delving into a fresh perspective as it amalgamates walnuts into its priority card is now catching the attention of the world as chefs across the maps are eyeing the Indian mithai recipes to boost their array of desserts and capture people in the sweet yet crunchy-balanced indulgence. With mithai going gourmet and tossing a walnut here and a walnut there, the industry is progressing in a new contemporary direction, the one which aligns with the changing needs of the people and thus adapting to the circumstances and innovating with them to surge its profits and be globally competitive.
Furthermore, the mithai sector dipping deeper into the guilt-free mithais is not only cutting down on cholesterol but also helping patrons' guts to stay healthy. One of the contributing factors of walnuts includes fuelling the gut microbiome. This makes for a good choice.
It is further influencing the doyens of the sector to understand the ever-changing expectations of the people and thus incorporating healthier ways to cater to people with guilt-free mithais. Industry leaders are not only making a switch and providing an array of options to the health-conscious country but also stepping up to bring accountability into their businesses while also creating a space which promotes healthy and responsible living.
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