BALANCE FEASTING WITH FASTING THIS DIWALI
Diwali is the time when
families come together to celebrate. And no
celebration is complete without sweets and fried farsan. It is advisable
not to indulge in tonnes of sugarloaded mithais. Make a wise
choice.Look for healthy options this year. Also, the food cooked during
this festival is high in calories, so opt for dishes that aren't loaded
with ghee or oil.
PREPARE HEALTHIER SWEETS
Sweets are hard to resist especially during Diwali when there are plenty on offer. But if you are conscious and don't want to pile on kilos, you can opt for healthy options. “Make the sweets at home. By doing this, you will get to know what is going into them. Opt for jaggery or honey instead of white sugar and oil instead of ghee. You can even make your own sweets using olive oil.Try not to use ghee or butter as saturated fat can lead to heart problems,“ says Sumona Ganguly , a nutritionist.
Using skimmed milk instead of full cream milk is a wise option. You could also opt for soya milk or cow's milk instead of the high fat buffalo milk.Soya milk is wholesome because it is high in protein and fibre and low in calories. Make healthy sweets at home by using dry fruits like dates, almonds, raisins, figs and walnuts. Do not use too many cashews and peanuts in your sweets as they are rich in calories.
GIFT THOUGHTFULLY
“If you love your family and friends, do not gift them chocolates and high calorie sweets. Instead, gift dry fruit and fresh fruit baskets. Buy an air frier, oven or tandoor this Diwali and learn how to roast, bake or air fry cutlets, pattice, potato chips or spring rolls instead of deep frying them,“ says nutritionist Sheela Tanna.
If you plan to present shrikhand to your friends, then make it at home. “Get the whole family together for the preparations. Use fat-free milk, dry fruits, and fresh fruits instead of lots of refined sugar or khoya to cut down on calories.You can't entertain guests during Diwali without offering them a platter of shev, chaklis, poha chivda, which are unfortunately fried. However, a healthy way out is to bake them. Instead of artificially sweetened cold drinks, opt for coconut water, fresh lime juice or buttermilk,“ adds Tanna.
HEALTHY TWIST TO DISHES
Diwali is that time of the year when you have the opportunity to indulge in good food. However, good food does not necessarily mean dishes rich in cream, ghee and cheese. Opt for almond paste which is a lot healthier and will give your Diwali dishes the perfect thick texture.
It is that time of the year when the weather is perfect for hot butter-laden parathas. For a twist, make stuffed parathas with a dash of olive oil or replace them with rotis made of whole wheat. When you are making pulao rice, add a lot of vegetables and dry fruits and cook it in very little olive oil instead of ghee or butter. Make the paneer at home in low-fat milk. Don't fry the paneer, grill it with special Indian spices like chilli, nutmeg, coriander powder and lemon juice with a little grated ginger and garlic paste. Why deep fry small eats and starters -which are served with drinks -when you can grill or bake them?
Brush them with a little olive oil before putting them on the grill.
For people who eat meat during Diwali, it is time to opt for healthy low cal meat preparations. Use lean meat without the fat and lard, and cook it in olive oil. Add spinach and tomato paste to your mutton curry . You could also marinate the meat in lots of curd so that it becomes tender and you don't need to cook it for too long.
TIPS FOR A HEALTHY DIWALI
Sweets are hard to resist especially during Diwali when there are plenty on offer. But if you are conscious and don't want to pile on kilos, you can opt for healthy options. “Make the sweets at home. By doing this, you will get to know what is going into them. Opt for jaggery or honey instead of white sugar and oil instead of ghee. You can even make your own sweets using olive oil.Try not to use ghee or butter as saturated fat can lead to heart problems,“ says Sumona Ganguly , a nutritionist.
Using skimmed milk instead of full cream milk is a wise option. You could also opt for soya milk or cow's milk instead of the high fat buffalo milk.Soya milk is wholesome because it is high in protein and fibre and low in calories. Make healthy sweets at home by using dry fruits like dates, almonds, raisins, figs and walnuts. Do not use too many cashews and peanuts in your sweets as they are rich in calories.
GIFT THOUGHTFULLY
“If you love your family and friends, do not gift them chocolates and high calorie sweets. Instead, gift dry fruit and fresh fruit baskets. Buy an air frier, oven or tandoor this Diwali and learn how to roast, bake or air fry cutlets, pattice, potato chips or spring rolls instead of deep frying them,“ says nutritionist Sheela Tanna.
If you plan to present shrikhand to your friends, then make it at home. “Get the whole family together for the preparations. Use fat-free milk, dry fruits, and fresh fruits instead of lots of refined sugar or khoya to cut down on calories.You can't entertain guests during Diwali without offering them a platter of shev, chaklis, poha chivda, which are unfortunately fried. However, a healthy way out is to bake them. Instead of artificially sweetened cold drinks, opt for coconut water, fresh lime juice or buttermilk,“ adds Tanna.
HEALTHY TWIST TO DISHES
Diwali is that time of the year when you have the opportunity to indulge in good food. However, good food does not necessarily mean dishes rich in cream, ghee and cheese. Opt for almond paste which is a lot healthier and will give your Diwali dishes the perfect thick texture.
It is that time of the year when the weather is perfect for hot butter-laden parathas. For a twist, make stuffed parathas with a dash of olive oil or replace them with rotis made of whole wheat. When you are making pulao rice, add a lot of vegetables and dry fruits and cook it in very little olive oil instead of ghee or butter. Make the paneer at home in low-fat milk. Don't fry the paneer, grill it with special Indian spices like chilli, nutmeg, coriander powder and lemon juice with a little grated ginger and garlic paste. Why deep fry small eats and starters -which are served with drinks -when you can grill or bake them?
Brush them with a little olive oil before putting them on the grill.
For people who eat meat during Diwali, it is time to opt for healthy low cal meat preparations. Use lean meat without the fat and lard, and cook it in olive oil. Add spinach and tomato paste to your mutton curry . You could also marinate the meat in lots of curd so that it becomes tender and you don't need to cook it for too long.
TIPS FOR A HEALTHY DIWALI
- If you are keen on sweets, then cut down on the namkeens.
- Avoid feasting at dinner time.
- Make sure that you are drinking enough water because people forget to drink water when they are busy with all the celebrations around.
- Try to eat as much fruit and vegetables before and after Diwali. This should work as a kind of a detox.
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