Why You Should Think Twice Before Eating Butter Chicken

As far as Indian cuisine is concerned, there are several dishes that reign supreme in terms of popularity, and butter chicken is a fine example. A curry that is prepared using chicken, dollops of butter, tomatoes, spices, and other ingredients, butter chicken can be the perfect comfort dish that can fill you right up when paired with bread or rice. 

According to the Times of India, butter chicken has a rich history and has been around for a long time: over 70 years, at least. The dish is creamy and versatile; many chefs have experimented with the dish and even paired it with other food items such as biryani, tacos, pizza, and more. Of course, most experts think that nothing quite beats the dish in its original form, the way it was visualized in the beginning: a creamy, rich curry with succulent pieces of chicken and mild spices. 

As delicious as a serving of butter chicken is, it's important to mention that this curry does not rank highly in terms of health benefits. Why? You're looking at a lot of fat that can cause a significant dent in your diet plans.

Butter chicken isn't really healthy

The problem with butter chicken is that it really does have a lot of fatty ingredients such as butter and cream. Just one bowl of butter chicken can really set you back — as per Livestrong, you'll be consuming around 438 calories, 14 grams of carbs, and a whopping amount of fat: 28 grams. 

Here's the major problem with butter chicken: the dish has around 12 grams of saturated fat. It's true, you should be limited your intake of saturated fat as much as possible. According to the FDA, it's crucial to control how much saturated fat you consume in a day because it's been linked to a higher risk of heart disease. The guidelines specify that you shouldn't consume more than 20 grams of saturated fat every day. Whew!

In case you simply can't resist and feel like indulging in butter chicken occasionally, be smart about your choices and prepare the dish at home. A Redditor suggests using healthier alternatives such as greek yogurt instead of cream. Bon appétit!