Ramadan is the holy month of the Islamic calendar when you are supposed to fast from sunrise to sunset and then feast during Iftar. However, this month of fasting can actually turn your weight loss diet on its head. Ideally, you should lose weight because you are fasting the whole day.
However, if you over compensate during the Iftar feast, you will end up putting on weight. What to eat for Iftar so that you manage your diet? That is a really tough question.
SIGNIFICANCE OF FASTING DURING RAMZAN
However, don't lose hope. You can end up losing a few pounds while you fast for Ramzan. You just need to understand what to eat healthy for Iftar. There are some typical foods for Ramzan like kaboos, shawarma, kaboos and biriyani. Not all these traditional foods are healthy for weight loss.
But there are a certain set of fasting foods for Ramzan that can contribute to weight loss. You just need to plan your meals properly so that you know what to eat and what to avoid.
Even in a traditional set up, you can come with some of the best foods to eat during Iftar. Eat healthy so that you can slim down during this month of fasting instead of getting bloated.
Grilled kebabs are one of the best fasting foods for Ramzan to break your fast. When you are really hungry at the end of the day and yearning for something 'nice' and 'meaty', go straight for tikkas and sheeks.
Pakoras are the fried counterparts of kebabs. They are deep-fried and cost you about 200 calories extra per bite. Avoid pakoras because so much oil also makes you prone to heart burns after an entire day of fasting.
Fruit juices will have a very good impact on your system as you will be dehydrated after going the whole day without food. Have healthy juices such as watermelon juice and banana smoothies.
Avoid citrus fruits such as oranges, apples because they will cause acidity and stomach gas.
Grilled steaks of meat are good for your health. You get to eat a lot of protein and get the taste of spices from it. Avoid mutton because it has high cholesterol. Chicken and lean beef are healthy meats for steak.
Steaks are better than curries because they do not contain the extra oil and salt that goes into making curries. Eating too much curry will also make you prone to acidity and digestive problems.
You should munch on dry fruits during Ramzan because they are storehouse of energy. You will need the extra energy to ride you through the long hours of fasting.
Avoid milky desserts such as kheer and sheera during Iftar. They contains loads of calories, almost as much as a meal itself.
Try to satiate your hunger pangs with healthy breads such as kaboobs or tandoori rotis. You can have kebabs and hummus with it.
It is almost a criminal offence to deny yourself biriyani during Ramzan. But rice is heavy, starchy and fattening. You will tend to overeat when you have biriyani. Save the treat for Eid.