It’s that time of the year again. The month of self-containment and discipline is over; it’s time to celebrate the joyous days of Eid and meet all our friends and relatives whom we are unable to see the rest of the year.
And obviously, these get-togethers are nothing but bland if they are not accompanied by dinners, lunches, brunches and whatnot. However, these mealtimes bring so much more than just joy and happiness; they bring with them unhealthy and oily foods galore, which are not only dangerous for your health but are also a nightmare for diet-conscious people.
So how about you make it a little differently this year? Just by making minor changes, you would be able to set a scrumptious meal for your loved ones that’s not only healthy but fulfilling as well.
Here are a few tips for what you can do to make your meals healthier.
Modify your sugars
Replace the sugar with brown sugar. Obviously, subtracting desserts from your Eid menu would be downright torturous. We all deserve a break after a month of constant resilience and self control. However, replacing white sugar with brown sugar would be comparatively beneficial as white sugar is processed. You can also add honey to sweeten your sheer or kheer and it will also be different from all the mainstream desserts.
Increase the amount of nuts
Our desserts usually have a certain quantity of nuts in them; however, if you increase the amount of cashews and walnuts, it will increase the portion of omega-3 fatty acids, protein, potassium and essential oils that will make your heart and mind healthier and stronger.
Change you oil:
Instead of using the typical oils, use olive oil. Olive oil is the main staple of the Mediterranean people. They add it in all their foods – and it is the secret to their healthy lifestyle. Olive oil contains HDL that lowers the amount of bad lipids which cause heart diseases. Olive oil is high in Vitamin E and mono-saturated fats. These nutrients take care of the bad affects caused by the spices and oils in other foods. Olive oil has anti-cancer properties too.
Replace soft drinks with fresh juices
Soft drinks contain a lot of harmful chemicals that can cause acidity, blood pressure, diabetes and many other diseases. The acid in soft drinks ruins all the nutrients in your food and makes everything junk. Fresh juices would contain vitamins and antioxidants that would help your body to get rid of the free radicals. Free radicals harm the body in numerous ways, which includes leading to cancer.
However, fresh juices can help you sustain a lot more of your nutrients. If you take lemonade or lemon juice, it would help in digesting your food. Taking mango or banana shake would give you a needed dose of calcium and potassium. You would get a healthy dose off protein and the milk would cool down your stomach as it will decrease acidity.
Don’t forget the dates
Just because Ramadan is over doesn’t mean you ditch the dates. Arabs had dates as their only source of nutrients, and it kept them going in the worst of days. Dates help in keeping you hydrated. It is said that dates are iron capsules that help in making blood. Eating out frequently can cause your iron levels to deplete; eating dates would maintain your haemoglobin.
Fruit chat isn’t just for iftar
Everyone knows how beneficial fruits are. Sadly the yummy fruit salad is usually left only for Ramadan. Add those as a snack or dessert in your diet. Adding a few fruits to your meals will have more benefits than you can imagine.
Eid has always been more about food than anything else. Perhaps it is time that we took on a healthier lifestyle so that the Ramadan cleanse that we go through isn’t wasted in these three festive days.