Ramadan: Low Calorie and High Energy Food Tips

Ramadan being the month of blessings requires us to maintain a healthy life style so we can fulfill our spiritual and physical requirements of the day. One hot topic every day in the month of Ramadan is “what to prepare for Iftar?”

Oily and fried stuff with a lot of sweets and drinks is a regular iftar menu. But a very important question we need to ask ourselves is about the health concern. We surely need energy to regain the body strength but the fast we keep from dawn to dusk is a regular time in which body utilizes the food energy stored from the consumption of sehri. Once the food energy ends, the body uses fats to provide energy and we reach the time to break the fast. This proves that overeating is not a solution to regain energy for the whole day as body has its own mechanism.

Food to be consumed in Sehri

Slow digesting foods which are also called complex carbohydrates, should be consumed more in sehri time as they take longer time to digest while making you feel less hungry during the day time. Few examples of such food are: lentils, oats, bran, skinned potatoes, beans and fruits.

Food to be avoided at Iftar

Fast burning food which include white flour or fried and oily food should be avoided. Items like sweets, cakes and biscuits are not an ideal choice either. You should also restrain from very spicy food.

Food advice for the weight watchers

Weight watchers are over concerned about the food intake. What they want is a diet which can provide them high energy with a low calorie intake. Let us look into some snacks and meals that provide us with high energy while keeping the calorie count low.

1. Fruit salad: a bowl full of fruits like apple, watermelon, banana, and pear can give you a bowl full of energy.
2. Cereal: a cereal bowl high in fiber with some raisins mixed with honey and milk is a tasty yet energy filled meal.
3. Peanut butter: spread some peanut butter on your bran bread and here you go!
4. Almonds: eat a handful of almonds to maintain your energy level.
5. Yogurt: 8 ounce of yogurt if included in your diet can provide you with a good source of vitamin B. You can add fruits in your fresh yogurt to give you a different taste.
6. Boiled egg: Boil your egg and eat the egg white which will provide you with a great source of protein.
7. Red or green beans: one cup of beans can easily cover half of your daily requirement of potassium. You can simply boil the beans and add them in your pasta or salad to enjoy the energy food.
8. Smoothie and Shakes: milk and fruits combined is a nutrition bomb. Add a few seedless dates to your drink before you blend it to make a delicious fruit shake, to provide you with more power and taste.
9. Berries: yummy and scrumptious berries are a massive source of nutrients and antioxidants. Be it fleshy red strawberries or tasty blue berries, add them in your fruit bowl, cereal, shake or salad and benefit from the tasty source of energy.
10. Dates: they provide quick energy as they are digested easily and fast. Consumption of dates after breaking your fast, provides you with a balanced and healthy diet.

Tips for the month of Ramadan

• Avoid over eating
• Consume a good amount of water during iftar and sehri time, to avoid dehydration
• Eat slow digestive food in sehri
• Eat high energy food in iftar
• Avoid fried, oily and spicy food
• Reduce caffeine and smoking habits before Ramadan to avoid addiction issues
• Adjust your medication schedule if you are on any special medication
• Diabetic patients should keep a regular check on their sugar level to avoid high or low level of sugar in blood

If we take special care of our health in the holy month of Ramadan and keep a balanced diet, while eating all we wish and want we can end up maintaining our weight yet being healthy. Determining the right quantity and the calorie count is the key to do this! Do share with us your views on the article and also add your tips for the month of Ramadan in the comment section.