Are deep-fried kuttu pooris and pakodas, greasy sabudana vadas and starch-heavy foods regulars on your Navratri menu? Healthier cooking methods and balanced portions can help reduce the risk of weight gain, acidity, sluggishness and sudden energy crashes.
Kuttu (buckwheat flour), singhara (water chestnut flour), and samak (barnyard millet) add variety and nutrients to your plate, but how you prepare them matters just as much, experts say. Breaking a prolonged fast with a large, carbohydrate-rich meal can cause a rapid rise in blood glucose and insulin, followed by heaviness, sleepiness or renewed hunger in some people. “Instead of deep-frying sabudana vadas or kuttu pooris, try air-frying, baking or preparing them on a tawa with minimal ghee. Roasting makhana, steaming vegetables and using fresh curd-based accompaniments are other excellent options. Fasting should give your digestive system a lighter experience, not burden it with excess oil, sugar and starch,” he adds. Nutritionist Neha Ranglani also recommends measuring oil for sautéing or shallow cooking and avoiding repeatedly reheating or reusing frying oil. (Inputs by chef Harpal Singh Sokhi) (Inputs by nutritionist Neha Ranglani) Pair fasting staples with protein-rich accompaniments such as paneer, nuts and seeds, or tofu and suitable plant-based yoghurt, suggests Sokhi. “Portion control is key.
Fried foods also add calories and may worsen acidity, says dietician Nashra Gufran of Shalby International Hospital, Gurugram. “One of the biggest mistakes people make during fasting is relying too heavily on fried foods,” says chef Harpal Singh Sokhi. So, keep the plate colourful but not overloaded,” says Dr Amit Mittal, gastroenterologist at Marengo Asia Hospitals, Gurugram.
