Bought vs homemade: Falafel

Served with salad and pita, falafel is a quick and easy meat-free meal. How does a homemade recipe for these spiced chickpea patties stack up against a bought mix?

Bought

Lisa’s Mediterranean Falafel Mix with Italian Parsley, Garlic and Lemon

Ingredients: Chickpeas, split green peas, water, wheat flour, onion flakes, coriander, Italian parsley, garlic, sea salt, spices, lemon juice concentrate, food acid (ascorbic), preservative (202), chilli.

vs

Homemade

Healthy Food Guide Baked falafels (without tahini yoghurt or tomato salad)

Ingredients: Chickpeas, onion, egg white, parsley, lemon juice, garlic, fresh coriander, ground cumin, ground coriander, baking powder.

Nutrition information per serve (4 x 30g balls)

*In our analysis we assumed the Lisa’s falafels have been baked, not fried in oil.

Falafels are a high protein, high fibre, meat-free snack or meal-base option. Both the Lisa’s Mediterranean Falafel Mix and the Healthy Food Guide Baked falafels contain similar amounts of fat and fibre. Lisa’s is higher in carbs and a little higher in protein, so it’s higher kilojoule too. But be aware of the amount of sodium in the Lisa’s Mediterranean Falafel Mix. Four 30g falafel balls made from the Lisa’s mix contain 564mg sodium, a quarter of the upper daily recommended intake of sodium. That’s not excessive, depending on what you’re eating them with. But if you have falafels frequently, and need to reduce your sodium intake, consider making your own. The Healthy Food Guide Baked falafels contain only 152mg sodium per serve.