A main purpose of Ramadan is to get closer to God and to become more compassionate toward those in need. But The second thing that comes to mind when we mention Ramadan is the delicious food we share with our families, and many people ask how we can enjoy it while maintaining our health? In an interview with the Arabian Sun, Zainah Al-Ghamdi, a senior clinical dietitian from Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare, addresses some common questions:
“Do not deprive yourself. That is one of the important rules we talk about in nutrition. It is not about saying no. It is all about how you cook the food and the amount that you consume. let's talk about deeply fried Samosas. These could be high in calories, like 250 calories per piece, but when you grill it, it's less than 100 calories. So that's a big difference in your diet.
“Vegetables, fibers, whole grains are some of the foods that you should increase during this month, while also reducing the salt as much as we can. Also, soups are very important to increase your body hydration. You can enjoy a small amount of sweet, or you can go to healthier alternative such as fresh or dried fruits, or non-salted nuts.
“Usually in nutrition we say, ‘Don't deprive yourself from everything. It's good to have moderation and to make wise choices when you choose your foods.”
“Do not deprive yourself. That is one of the important rules we talk about in nutrition. It is not about saying no. It is all about how you cook the food and the amount that you consume. let's talk about deeply fried Samosas. These could be high in calories, like 250 calories per piece, but when you grill it, it's less than 100 calories. So that's a big difference in your diet.
“Vegetables, fibers, whole grains are some of the foods that you should increase during this month, while also reducing the salt as much as we can. Also, soups are very important to increase your body hydration. You can enjoy a small amount of sweet, or you can go to healthier alternative such as fresh or dried fruits, or non-salted nuts.
“Usually in nutrition we say, ‘Don't deprive yourself from everything. It's good to have moderation and to make wise choices when you choose your foods.”