A fasting person needs good, nutrient-rich food that provides the energy necessary for the priorities of daily life and no other time of year is that more important than during Ramadan when we are fasting for long hours, some of us in very hot climates or in the summer season.
Here are top tips for eating healthy during that short time of day in the month of Ramadan when food and drink are meant to be consumed.
White foods
White foods (i.e., white bread, white rice, white sugar, etc.) can fall into some of the above categories, but they’re worth the mention for what not to eat. White breads are made from white flour, which is processed and stripped of the nutrition that should be in bread and the same goes for rice and even the type of sugar you use. Instead, choose breads from whole grains and organic brown rice (even basmati). Surprisingly, they don’t have to break the bank, either, since much of this is available in bulk at quality grocers like whole Foods.
Know the foods that hydrate your body
When fasting, we’re slowly being dehydrated over the course of the day, so once we break our fast and during the non-fasting period we need to have foods that put water into our body, not deplete it further. It can be difficult to eat a lot of watermelon or squash, even though they’re super-hydrating foods, but you can make juices out of the fruits and soups out of the vegetables to give your body the additional water it needs. Avoid salty spice mixes and condiments that sneak their way into our rice and meat dishes only to leave us wondering why we’re so thirsty afterwards. A great way to break the fast is to enjoy your favorite dates, of course, but also consider having coconut water, or making smoothies, coolers and fruity drinks which are super-hydrating. They can be consumed at the Suhoor (pre-dawn meal before the fasting day begins) or at the Iftar (meal at the time of breaking the fast) followed by soup to preface your main meal.
