“Elucidating the various peanut chikki benefits, its nutritional values, what makes it healthy and why it is a great addition to your body immunity-boosting diet”

The temptation of a sweet snack is irresistible but then again, it is also very important to watch out for your health. Usually, when we think about a sweet snack, the first impression is that of high sugar, high-calorie food that may prove to be unhealthy for your body. But there is one such traditional Indian sweet snack that is not only delicious but boasts various nutritional factors that provide various health benefits and boosts your body’s immunity. That sweet snack is Peanut Chikki or Peanut Jaggery Chikki which is also known as “Gajak”. In the North India regions like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, it is known as Laliya Patti along with Southern Regions where it is known as Kadai Mittai in Tamil. Chikki is considered to be a staple sweet dish on festive occasions in India.

This crunchy sweet dish is a well-known delicacy all over India, something the majority grew up eating as a child while also remaining popular among adults and people in old age. Let’s explore some of the Peanut Chikki benefits through this blog!

What is Peanut Jaggery Chikki made of?

There are plent of ways to make Chikki and each variety is named after the ingredients used to make it. The most common form of Chikki is made from Peanuts and Jaggery.

This sweet dish is made from a combination of jaggery, nuts, and seeds. By stirring the combination of roasted and skinned peanuts in a jaggery solution. To level out the excessive sweetness of Jaggery, the addition of millet, like whole wheat flour to the solution is possible. It is then left to cool down till it’s hard which is then sliced into the pieces of Peanut Jaggery Chikki that you are familiar with!

What makes Peanut Jaggery Chikki a healthy food choice?

Normally, you would think that unless it's a fruit, any sweet dish would deem to be unhealthy because of its high amount of sugar, right? Well, that is not the case here as one of the main Peanut Chikki benefits is its key ingredient - Jaggery, also known as “Gur”. Jaggery is a completely pure, unrefined sweetener obtained from sugarcane, unlike white sugar. Jaggery might contain 375 calories per 100g serving which is on par with white sugar but it is rich in vitamins, minerals, and potassium whereas white sugar contains none of it.

Jaggery is a pure form of sugar that doesn’t contain any preservatives or added flavors and contains less sucrose than white sugar thus making it a much healthier alternative for health-conscious people who try to avoid sugar.

The other main healthy source of Gajak is the presence of superfoods - Peanut & Almond or any other ingredient from the “Nut Family”. These superfoods are a rich source of vegetarian protein. Although high in fat, these fats are considered “healthy fats” that are also vital to a body’s growth.

Is Chikki Good for Health?

You might have this question in mind, "is peanut chikki healthy? " Considering the various peanut chikki benefits, one piece of Jaggery Chikki provides a balance of essential Nutrients, Vitamins, and Minerals.

You might see a lot of vendors and shopkeepers keeping peanut jaggery chikki in their stock during winters and that is because the ingredients used to make gajak have a warm taste that protects your body from the winds of winter and the related illness that comes with it.

Nutritional Values of Jaggery Chikki

A Jaggery Chikki contains 102 calories that are 5% of the daily recommended calories intake for an adult which is 2000 calories. Beyond calories, it also comprises 3.1g of protein, 10.3g of carbohydrates, 1g fiber, 6g fat, and more importantly, 0g of cholesterol per piece of gur chikki.

In terms of essential Vitamins, It contains 4.4mcg of Vitamin A, 0.1mg of Vitamin B1, 1.5mg of Vitamin B3, 1mg of Vitamin E, and a whopping 28.9mcg amount of Vitamin B9(Folic Acid).

Minerals are where Gur Chikki really shines as you consume 18g of Calcium, 0.8mg Iron, 20.2mg Magnesium, 48.6mg Phosphorus, 85mg Potassium, and 0.4mg Zinc per piece of this sweet delicacy.

Let us take you through to some of the major Peanut Chikki benefits

1. Peanut Jaggery Chikki is great for people with cholesterol problems

The amount of 0 cholesterol makes Peanut Jaggery Chikki a great choice of food for people with high cholesterol. The presence of monounsaturated fatty acids in peanuts helps in the prevention of coronary and artery diseases along with strokes.

With the addition of peanut jaggery chikki in your diet, it will help you lower down your bad cholesterol levels, help you prevent heart diseases, and boost your heart health.

2. Peanut Chikki helps your skin glow and fight bacterias that cause acne

Putting the essential nutrient factors aside, the beauty benefits of peanut chikki makes it among the most popular sweet choice for candy for people. People with rigorous skin-care routines tend to avoid sweet dishes or anything with refined sugar as it leads to acne and a bloated face. This isn’t the case with Gajak as the anti-inflammatory properties of jaggery chikki help your skin fight issues like psoriasis and eczema.

The richness of Vitamin E, zinc, and magnesium found in peanuts are helpful in keeping glowing skin and fed off any bacteria that causes acne from within.

Peanut Chikki are a great source of natural sweetener that helps you fight off the effects of aging your skin like fending off wrinkles, decoloration, and reduced elastic bounciness on the skin.

3. Peanut Chikki may help in weight-loss

When it comes it losing weight, it’s all about managing your diet. Trainers often tell you to avoid anything that proves to be sweet to your taste buds and that includes all sorts of candies. But by eating jaggery chikki, which contains a good amount of protein that is essential for muscle growth, it also contains healthy fats that help you feel full and control your hunger.

With Peanut Jaggery Chikki, you also consume a total of 5% of your daily calorie intake that keeps you energized for a long period of time. You can use it as a pre-workout snack to give you an energy boost right before you start exercising.

4. Peanut Jaggery Chikki helps in the growth and development of children

Raising kids and fulfilling their potential growth might prove to be challenging if their body does not meet the necessary requirements for their body growth. It’s already challenging enough as children are very picky eaters and it is too early for them to understand the benefits of fruits or green vegetables. Children crave junk food more than anything over healthy eating.

If there’s one thing children cannot resist, that is the sweet-savory snack and Peanut Chikki could prove to be the saving grace you needed all along. Its crispy and sweet taste could be a great replacement for any junk food your children crave for an evening snack. Peanut Chikki contains essential amino acids that prove to be a catalyst for the growth hormones in a child.

If your child detests fruits or vegetables, then you could treat them to gajak that can provide them with anti-inflammatory properties they miss out on not eating fruits.

5. Jaggery Chikki helps you fight nervous diseases

One of the most amazing peanut chikki benefits is that you can use it as a detoxifying snack. The presence of antioxidants and polyphenols in jaggery makes Peanut Chikki a great blood detoxification agent which adulterates the blood clots and helps you fight various nervous diseases like Dementia and Alzheimer’s. Peanuts are also a great source of resveratrol that helps prevent the chance of nervous diseases.

6. Peanut Chikki is a great addition to the diet plan of a diabetic patient

As noted in the nutritional values section, Peanut Chikki is a great source of carbohydrates that helps diabetic patients defend against their low blood sugar levels. Chikki also contains an essential fat & carbohydrates metabolizing mineral - manganese, that also aids your body in prominent calcium absorption and maintains the regulation of blood sugar levels. Peanuts also contain a low glycemic index of 14 that won’t increase your sugar levels anytime soon.

It is worth noting that although peanut chikki might be a great addition to a diabetic diet plan, it must not be consumed in excessive amounts.

7. Gur Chikki is a good snack for women during pregnancy

Pregnancy cravings really limit your snack options as what a woman eats during pregnancy may affect the baby growing inside her. But with Peanut Chikki as a snack option, this proves to have positive growth effects on the baby. A study has proven that women who eat peanut chikki during pregnancy will help their baby less prone to allergies to peanut or peanut products. It also helps in reducing the chances of children being prone to asthma.

Peanuts and jaggery are rich in protein and calcium, where calcium helps in the dental growth of the mother, along protein are also essential for fetal growth as well. More factors contributing to healthy fetal growth are that both peanuts and jaggery help in enhancing and maintaining blood circulation for the female.

As gestational diabetes are quite common during pregnancies, the consumption of peanut chikkis helps keep the blood sugar level in control.

In order for the expecting mother to maintain a healthy bowel movement, peanut chikki is a great source of high fiber snack to aid her in maintaining the smoothness of such process.

Peanut Chikki’s richness in manganese is also crucial to the bone development of the mother-to-be.

8. Why Peanut Chikki is a must-have snack for people of old age

You may have noticed that your grandfather or grandmother may have been quite fond of this delicious chikki and that’s because doctors highly recommend them to add it to their diet as it makes their bodies stronger to fend off various diseases that come with old age.

Peanut Chikkis is a great, delicious source of nutrients and minerals to keep the body functioning strong during old age.

As peanut chikkis are high in calcium and manganese, these are vital in maintaining stronger bones and preventing joint pains for people with growing age.

9. Peanut Chikki helps prevent cancer cells, and gallstones

The presence of polyphenolic antioxidants in Pea Peanut Chikkis are essential in preventing the growth of gastric cancer cells and lowering the production of carcinogenic nitrosamines that are responsible for the growth of cancer cells in various organs and tissues.

If you consume peanut chikki regularly, then it will help you reduce the chances of being diagnosed with gallstones. Studies have shown that 30g of peanuts a day could lower your risk of gallstone by nearly 25% which is boosted even more when consumed in the form of Peanut Chikkis.

10. Peanut Chikkis help in the growth of the neural system, brain growth and fight depression

Most people are already aware of the effects that peanuts have on the better functioning of the brain. Peanut Chikkis are enriched with Vitamin B3 that is high beneficial for the better functioning of the neural system and help your brain in improving memory.

If you are suffering from depression and anxiety then peanut chikki are a great source of increasing serotonin in your body. Serotonin is called a “happy chemical” that is significant for your brain in improving your mood, calming your nerves, and helping you fight depression.

Are there any Peanut Chikki disadvantages?

Although the various peanut chikki benefits are unmatched and a recommended addition to your daily diet, it’s still very high in calories and sweetness. It is recommended to not overeat the servings of gur gajak as too much consumption of it may prompt you to gain weight. Another disadvantage is in form of constipation that occurs from excessive eating of gajak. These disadvantages can be overlooked if you eat only 1 or 2 pieces of chikki per day and according to your daily calorie intake.

Buy Peanut Chikkis online

Although Peanut Chikki is a great healthy snack for you, it is possible that some vendors may add an unpurified form of jaggery which could have side effects on your body. If you are looking to buy Peanut Chikkis online then we provide the most delicious Gur Chikki that is made from the purest form of Jaggery and doesn’t contain any preservatives or added flavors. Buy these delicious peanut jaggery chikkis online right here and helo your body build stronger immunity!