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Benefits of horchata and how to choose the healthiest one from the supermarket
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Tigernuts are rich in fiber, iron or magnesium, as well as vitamins C and E
It seems incredible that someone does not like horchata: so sweet and fresh, it is a favorite drink for many in summer. But as is often the case with such palatable and enjoyable things, we are faced with a sugar-packed drink which is not usually the healthiest option.
«Horchata in summer is one of the star vegetable drinks, but we must not forget that it is a pproduct with a lot of sugar. Therefore, it is a drink that we should reserve for specific occasions, ”says Laura Llorente, dietitian-nutritionist at Instituto Centta.
Fernando Carrasco and Carlos Rodríguez, directors of the Nutrygente clinic, explain that the traditional tiger nut milk is made with tigernut, water and sugar. Although they indicate that tigernut is a tuber that has a very interesting nutritional profile (“It is rich in fiber, iron or magnesium, among other nutrients”), it also has a large amount of sugar (“commercial brands reach 10 g of added sugar per 100 ml”). The tigernut, in addition, explains Laura Llorente that it also has vitamins C and E, minerals and antioxidants. «It is a drink that can be part of the vegan diet, as well as those intolerant to lactose or gluten. We can also use it in patients with digestive problems “, says the professional.
How to prepare healthy homemade horchata
If we do not want to stop taking horchata, one option may be prepare it ourselves and make a version as healthy as possible. “For two liters of horchata we would need 500 grams of tigernut from Valencia, two liters of water and 150 grams of icing sugar,” explains the nutritionist. To give it the healthy ‘touch’, the professional’s recommendation is to use Medjoul dates to sweeten (“although they continue to provide sugar, it contributes in less quantity”) or the use of sweeteners in its preparation. “We can also use the lemon or cinnamon peel when we make it at home and reduce the amount of sugar,” he adds.
In case of buying the prepared one, the directors of Nutrygente explain that the essential thing is to look at the order in which the ingredients come on the label, since “they come in order according to the proportion that said food has in the final product. The ideal, then, is that the percentage of tigernut in the drink is as high as possible, the list of ingredients is not excessively long and that the ingredients do not differ much from the traditional recipe. “If they have less sugar on top (or have eliminated it from the recipe), all the better,” they say.
Which horchata is the best
It is also interesting to know if the horchata that we order in a restaurant or bar may be a better option than an already purchased horchata. «It is true that in most cases homemade recipes usually incorporate better quality raw materials than those of any industry “, indicate Fernando Carrasco and Carlos Rodríguez. Laura Llorente adds that the quality of the raw material in industrial brands can leave much to be desired and that, in addition, they are usually subjected to heat treatments that allow them to be preserved for much longer. “We are always going to favor the local product over an industrial one,” he concludes.