You pick up a biscuit with your morning chai. It tastes alright. The packet looks neat enough. But next time, turn it over and read the ingredients list. You will probably spot "edible vegetable oil (palm)" sitting right there. Palm oil is present in almost every packaged biscuit and snack these days, yet hardly anyone stops to think what it is actually doing to our hearts.
Those who have been looking for sugar-free sweets, sugar-free biscuits, or just the best biscuits in India that don't compromise on your health are reading the right blog today. We are going to discuss why palm oil should be avoided, what it does to our hearts, and what alternatives you can choose instead.
What Is Palm Oil and Why Do Biscuit Brands Love It
The oil palm tree is a tropical tree from which palm oil is extracted from the fruits. As it is semi-solid at normal room temperature, it is used to make biscuits crisp, to give long shelf-life, and to facilitate easy biscuit production in factories. It is easy, flexible, and uniform for the companies. It's a tough mix in a cut-throat market.
But, convenience for them is not what is good for us.
There are a number of reasons why palm oil is a frequently used ingredient in biscuits:
|
Reason Brands Use Palm Oil |
What It Does |
|
Semi-solid texture |
Replaces butter to create a flaky, crisp bite |
|
Long shelf life |
Slows rancidity so products last months |
|
Low cost |
Keeps production costs down |
|
Neutral flavour |
Does not interfere with taste profiles |
|
High smoke point |
Withstands baking temperatures |
Most of us never think twice about this when we buy cookies online or grab a pack from the shop. Yet palm oil has become one of the top fats used in Indian packaged snacks.
How Palm Oil Affects Your Heart Health
This is where you should stop and think. Palm oil contains a lot of saturated fats, along with palmitic acid, which is approx 44% of the palm oil. If you consume this regularly, it will lead to an increase in LDL cholesterol, which is also known as the bad cholesterol. This cholesterol is so damaging to the heart and can lead to even a heart attack in some cases.
That raises the risk of:
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Plaque building up in your arteries (atherosclerosis)
-
Coronary heart disease
-
Higher chances of stroke or heart attack down the line
One biscuit does not damage your health. But slowly the consumption increases to 3 biscuits per day, 5 biscuits per day, and then a whole packet in a single day. That can be seriously harmful, but most of the people just take it seriously when their cholesterol report returns high.
Palm Oil vs. Other Fats: A Simple Comparison
|
Fat Type |
Saturated Fat Content |
Heart Health Impact |
|
Palm Oil (refined) |
High (~44%) |
Raises LDL cholesterol |
|
Desi Ghee (moderate use) |
Moderate |
Contains CLA and fat-soluble vitamins |
|
Groundnut Oil |
Low in saturated fat |
Better unsaturated fat profile |
|
Butter (Amul) |
Moderate |
Natural, less processed than margarine |
|
Margarine/Dalda |
High + trans fats |
Among the worst for heart health |
Hidden Palm Oil: How to Spot It on Labels
Indian labels can be tricky. Not all palm oil is necessarily named as such. Carefully search for these:
-
Edible vegetable oil (palm)
-
Partially hydrogenated vegetable oil
-
Dalda ghee or vanaspati
-
Fractionated palm kernel oil
-
Vegetable fat
If you see any of these in your biscuit, cookie, or namkeen, you are likely to find palm oil or something very similar. This holds for both the corner shop and online ordering of cookies.
Why "Vegetable Oil" on the Label Is Misleading
The term "vegetable oil" is associated with cleanliness, purity, and health. But it is not. Vegetable oil is a term that covers oil extracted from a variety of plants, including palm oil, which is closer to butter or lard than groundnut or mustard oil. The term vegetable" is used to indicate that it is from a plant origin. It doesn't convey any information about goodness or badness to you. This is a favorite of brands, and they sometimes use cryptic mixtures that don't specify palms.
What to Eat Instead: Healthier Snack Choices
Eliminating palm oil biscuits doesn't mean that you're going to stop snacking. It simply involves choosing healthier alternatives that are truly natural.
Try to find snacks that use:
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Whole wheat or millet flour instead of maida
-
Desi ghee instead of palm oil
-
Jaggery or mishri instead of white refined sugar
-
Real spices like elaichi and kesar instead of fake flavours
-
Roasted dry fruits, cashew nuts, and seeds for an honest crunch and nutrition
Simple Ingredient Swap Guide
|
Instead Of |
Choose |
|
Maida biscuits with palm oil |
Whole wheat or millet cookies |
|
Refined sugar sweets |
Sugar-free sweets made with jaggery or mishri |
|
Packaged namkeen with vegetable fat |
Namkeen made in groundnut oil |
|
Margarine-based cookies |
Cookies made with Amul butter or desi ghee |
|
Artificially flavoured snacks |
Natural spice-based snacks with real ingredients |
Conclusion
Palm oil used in biscuits isn't a poison. But consumption of it on a regular basis is really damaging to the heart, and most of us stay unaware of it’s presencebecause brands label it as “vegetable oil” or “edible oil”.
So, it is highly advised to spend a few minutes reading the label, checking the ingredients, and avoid the ones having the palm oil and choosing only the healthier alternatives.
But, where to get the healthier alternatives? Well, at Gud Mishri, you can get the best biscuits in india. Visit our website and place your order today for the best sugar-free sweets and sugar-free biscuits. Let's make your chai biscuit better and healthier at the same time.
Make the Switch to Gud Mishri
We strictly avoid using ingredients such as palm oil, refined sugar, artificial colours or flavours, and maida in our sugar-free biscuits. It’s the time to avoid buying sweets, namkeen, and biscuits from your local supermarket and switch to us for something that cares for your heart.
Here is what you get:
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Sweets: Pure gud, mishri, and desi ghee. No refined sugar, no colours, no Dalda or palm oil. Just the way traditional sweets should be.
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Cookies and Bakery: Whole wheat and millet base, Amul butter or desi ghee, sweetened with jaggery or mishri. No maida, no palm oil. Real clean biscuits.
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Namkeen and Mathri: Fried in groundnut oil with proper spices. No palm oil, no cheap additives.
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Power Snacks: Good roasted cashew nuts, mixed dry fruits, and seeds. Nothing artificial.
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Gift Hampers: Thoughtful packs of clean sweets, snacks, and bakery items that actually feel premium.
Whether you want to buy cookies online, order sugar-free sweets online, or just need a decent daily snack for the family, Gud Mishri gives you a proper choice.
Eat clean. Snack smart. Go with Gud Mishri.