Contrary to popular belief that speaks otherwise, pickles are good for your health. Seemaa Tarneja and Priya Khanna make a case for them

Pickles on the diet page? Well... here's the good news - they have dietary benefits!

To begin with, pickling is nothing but preserving fruits and vegetables, meat or fish in salt alone or with or without the addition of oil and spices. So, what can possibly go wrong with it? Nothing, but you need to be cautious. Read on...

Firstly, there are numerous varieties. As many as you can imagine... or make! Apart from the traditional favourites, like hot lime or mango pickles, you have the exclusives like methi sprouts pickled in tamarind sauce or even the exotic varieties like stuffed lotus stem pickle. What's more, these days, we even have those for the diet conscious as well! Needless to say, they are oil free, and full of vitamins and minerals. There are also pickles made using the rind of certain citrus fruits tossed in chilli or ground aromatic spices. Sounds good?

Good For Health

Let's examine each of the most commonly-used ingredients in pickles. They have their own inherent properties that make them suitable for normal healthy women to relish.