It's tough to know how to eat while you're fasting. Here's what you should be eating when...

Your meals should include all of the basic food groups during Ramadan...

Suhoor (early morning meal)
The early morning meal should be a wholesome meal that provides enough energy for the day.
Ensure that your breakfast includes high-fibre foods and complex starches to provide you with the short bursts of energy throughout the day. A meal rich in fibre will also keep you fuller for longer.
Include whole-grains, wholewheat bread, and fruits with your breakfast. Avoid any fried and fatty foods. Also drink enough fluids.

Iftar (evening meal)
The meal to break your fast should remain a meal and not become overindulgence. Keep within the normal portion sizes. Avoid the rich, special dishes that are traditionally cooked. Try to change the cooking methods of these meals to either baking or grilling. Do not rush to start eating, and avoid eating fast.

Tips:

  • Start your meal with two to three pieces of dates; they are a great source of energy and fibre.
  • Ensure that you meal consists of vegetables, especially in the form of salads.
  • Include more complex starches into your meals: oats, wheat, beans (e.g. chickpeas), lentils, and wholewheat products.
  • Include more high fibre foods.
  • Have a fruit in place of a sweet or a pudding.

    • Change your cooking methods:

  • Grill meat, chicken and fish.
  • Bake samoosas and rather fill it with vegetables, lentils, legumes or low-fat cheese.
  • When preparing your meals try to limit the amount of oil used to one to two teaspoons of oil per person.
  • When preparing curries reduce the amount of oil in the foods and add more bulk to the curry by adding more tomatoes, onions and beans.
  • Make roti without oil and ghee, cook it on a non-stick frying pan using spray and cook.
  • Try to make pastry at home and use only a single layer, avoid using ghee.
  • Rasmalai and Barfee can be prepared with low-fat milk.

    • Avoid the following:

  • Avoid fried foods such as partha, puri, samoosas, chevera, fried kebabs.
  • Avoid excess caffeine and soda as they can dehydrate you and provide empty calories.
  • Avoid excessive high protein foods and saturated fats.
  • Avoid eating fast foods.
  • Avoid high sugar/high fat foods such as Ghulab Jamun, Rasgulla, Fulooda, Baklawa.