Indians and paneer have an unbreakable relationship. From early childhood birthday parties when paneer used to be a must on the menu to the modern-day late-night cravings for paneer chilli. From a dhaba to a home, paneer is a must-have dish everywhere. And, one of the most favourite combinations in a paneer dish is definitely palak paneer. With missi roti or plain rice, this delicious dish is a flavourful counterpart to many Indian food combinations.

Experts warn against eating palak paneer

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Experts have warned against consuming this combination together. As per a reel posted by nutritionist Nmami Agarwal, healthy eating means eating the correct combination of food together. However, there exist certain combinations that inhibit the nutrient absorption of each other when eaten together. One such combination is iron and calcium.

While spinach is rich in iron, paneer is rich in calcium. Calcium inhibits the absorption of iron and thus for the maximum utilisation of these ingredients, Agarwal recommends pairing palak with potato or corn.

Nutritionist and TEDx speaker, Simrat Kathuria explained the reason in detail in one of her own reel, writing, “Paneer is high in calcium, while spinach is high in iron; and iron absorption is prevented by calcium. The absorption of iron in spinach is less than 5%, thus it provides very little iron to the body.”
This is because the type of iron present in spinach is non-blood or non-heme iron, which is a plant iron and the body does not absorb it as well as blood (heme) iron. Thus, she advises combining the ingredients with food rich in vitamin C.

Should you avoid palak paneer completely?

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Image Credits: Canva

Well, no you shouldn’t. Palak paneer is rich in protein, B vitamins, folates, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Vitamin A, magnesium, phosphorus and dietary fibre. The dish is not hazardous to health as explained by experts, it is just not the powerhouse of nutrition it’s proclaimed to be. As a clinical nutritionist, Amita Gadre added “As long as you have a diverse diet of whole grains, a lot of different vegetables and good quality protein in your diet, your intestines will figure out how to extract everything they need.” “This combination is not so GOOD for the absorption of Iron but good to take some greens in a tastier way..” added Dr Keta Shah.

Foods to pair with palak and paneer for better nutrient absorption

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In order to enhance the absorption of the right nutrients, you must combine them with supporting counterparts. When focusing on adding a particular nutrient to your diet such as calcium you can pair paneer with aloo, pyaaz, or green peas itself. For iron enhancement, you can pair spinach with corn and aloo or make a puree of it alone.
Thus, people who eat the dish because of iron deficiencies can definitely look for better combinations where the iron absorption by the body is higher. Eating palak paneer is still better than any junk food and a healthy option for homemade meals.