It is celebrated with great enthusiasm and fun in India. Food plays an important role in the festivities. It is hard to resist festive treats, but healthy eating can be thrown out the window during this season. However, fret not! It’s not necessary to give up all your favorite treats, but you can swap them for something healthier.
There are 9 food tips you can try during the festive season:
Consider Sugar Substitutes
No matter how many sweet dishes there are, festivals are incomplete without them. Sweets are bad for your health. They can make you gain weight and be more susceptible to diabetes. Add dates, cardamoms, anjeers, and other natural sweeteners to kheer and fruit salad.
Simple Soda is a Better Alternative
Switch to plain sodas or sparkling water if you’re out drinking. This will not only help you to reduce the total amount of sugar, but also your calorie intake.
Consider Roasting Instead of Frying
This is how you can avoid overindulging on fried food during festival season. You can roast all the food you normally fry. Roasted food is not only delicious, but it also has some health benefits. You can improve the taste and texture of your food by roasting it. Roast the wadas and samosas instead of frying them.
Introduce real food-based dips
Try curd-based dips instead of mayonnaise to make them healthier and lower in fat and calories. Yoghurt contains calcium and probiotics, as well as being packed with protein. You can also opt for Indian chutneys such as the spicy green coriander or sweet and tangy tamarind.
Swap the White and Milk Chocolate
It can be fun to have a bar of chocolate all to yourself. However, if you eat too much of it, you may gain weight. This holiday season, try giving dark chocolate instead of white or milk chocolates. Dark chocolate contains antioxidants that can help to prevent excessive weight gain. White chocolate, however, does not contain any cocoa, and so has no health benefits.
Get the Cinnamon Tea
If you find yourself consuming too much sugar over the holiday season, make a cup or two of cinnamon tea. Cinnamon’s blood glucose-lowering effect may help the tea to lower blood sugar.
Swap the Salty Nuts with Raw Nuts
It is important to keep an eye on your salt cravings, just as you would do with your sweet tooth. Replace salted nuts with raw nuts, which are rich in heart-healthy fats and fibre.
Swap with Fruit
Choose fruits instead of Indian sweetmeats. Fruits contain essential nutrients, and they have many health benefits. They will also satisfy your sweet tooth. This fruit may have anti-inflammatory properties and antioxidants. Fruits are generally low in calories, and rich in fibre. Sweetmeats should only be eaten on rare occasions.
Make Sweets at Home
Try making your own sweets at home instead of buying them for festivals. You can choose from coconut barfi, ghia-katli, energy-balls with dry fruits and carrot cake. You can make nut-based sweets, or chikkis. Nuts contain a lot of carbs, protein, fiber and healthy fats. They also give you an immediate feeling of satiety.