Google Doodle Celebrates Falafel - See Nutritional Facts

If you’ve Googled anything today, you might have figured out that today is International Falafel Day. Google is celebrating with a fun cartoon you can watch above the site’s search bar.

Falafel is a traditional Middle Eastern food, usually served inside pita bread, consisting of deep-fried ground chickpeas and fava beans. It’s a delicious dish (that some of us become intimately acquainted with on late-night food-cart visits). Unfortunately, despite its veggie and legume makeup, it’s not exactly the healthiest dish on the menu. 

“At the end of the day, if you love a great falafel sandwich, enjoy one. Just don’t make it your everyday go-to,” Researchers say.

“Anything that’s going to be higher in saturated fats is not going to be a best choice for somebody with heart disease or a history of heart disease [or] somebody who might be at risk for diabetes,” 

But as far as fried foods go, you could certainly do worse than falafel. “As a general rule, because it’s plant-based it has a good amount of fiber and beneficial nutrients from the chickpeas and beans,” Upton says.

As with anything, the name of the game with falafel is moderation. “It’s a great food to enjoy in moderation, keeping it within your total calorie and fat budget,”