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Celebrating a
festival in India has its own charm and has a regional touch to it.
Celebration with special foods is common. Different communities in
India, have their own typical ways of celebrating festivals by
preparing special sweets, snacks and other food.
While these are an integral part of traditional celebrations, unfortunately some of the foods we eat for pleasure are not always foods that are best for our health and are loaded with calories, especially from fats and carbohydrates. The way to, therefore, indulge in the festivities would be to have a very small portion only. Or else if you do indulge, then make the subsequent meal or meals much lighter and better. You could also reduce your caloric intake in the subsequent meal by having soups / salads/ a bowl of yogurt / skimmed milk or walking an extra mile. If you have indulged and gorged on high-calorie food, balance is the golden word before, after and during if you can help it. Cut down carbohydrates intake from fruits or grains. Balancing can also be done by following a low-calorie diet over a period of time under professional guidance for maintaining optimum nutrition. Remember the principle of moderation works the best. Also don't forget to account for the added sugar in sweetened drinks and sherbets. A single serve can give almost six to seven teaspoons of sugar. So, whatever you do —indulgence comes at a price. Make sure, you pay the price as soon as possible or else the carry forward could pile-up as unwanted extra pounds. Is possible to
celebrate without a toll on our health? The answer is yes. Just a few
tips and common sense, can protect from the ills of dining and wining.
Plan: Just like you plan your clothes and meetings, plan your eating too. If you know you are to dine out, then under-eat during the day. Remember; don't go starving to the party. Eat a light snack before leaving. Maintain a food diary: A food diary helps you to track your caloric intake and make appropriate choices accordingly. Balance: For those trying to lose weight or preventing weight gain during the festive season, it may be a good idea to perform the balancing act in anticipation, prior to the festivities. This could be done a week or few days earlier and during the festive season. Appetisers: Don't go out to dine or reach a party ravenous. Make sure you take a light snack (salads, soups, vegetables, lentils, milk, yogurt or nuts make good choices) before leaving your home to prevent over-indulgence of the first thing that you are served. Or else, eat most of your meal at home and choose light snacks or vegetables while you are out. Snack smart: Go for roasted/ baked, non-fried, grilled or barbequed snacks. Choose small portions preferably. If overindulged in snacks, keep the dinner light or skip it all together. Use whole grains instead of white flour to make traditional preparations. Use atta, ragi and chana flour to prepare snacks and sweets. Limit alcoholic beverages: Avoid drinking more than two medium glasses of wine or other alcoholic beverages. Women should limit their intake to one medium glass. If you have to go through a long evening over drinks, dilute your drinks or else take water or soda intermittently. Diabetics should watch out for alcohol intake as it can lead to hypoglycemia. Other beverages: Save yourself from sugar calories and avoid drinking sweetened beverages. Go in for sugar-free substitutes, diet sodas or fruit juices diluted with soda. Vegetables: One must look for vegetables with less gravy or without gravy as gravies are loaded with fats and calories. Try grilled, stir-fried or lightly sautéed vegetables. Avoid fried/ oily dishes. If non- vegetarian, choose light roasted/ grilled fish/poultry to mutton/beef/pork. Prefer lean cuts of meat. Desserts: Skip desserts if possible, or choose light ones in place of ones with cream or deep-fried ones. If temptation overtakes you or you have a sweet tooth, share your favourite ones with your friends. Social pressure: Learn to say 'no' politely but firmly. A lot of people don't take 'no' for an answer, so it may be a good idea to ask them for an alternative which you would like to have. Some people may even force things on your plate or pour you a drink which you may not want; you can be discrete and put it away without offending anyone. Another strategy which can work is to let people know that you are off-sweets or alcohol etc., as the case may be. It's really difficult for a person to strike a balance between an individual's likes and availability. However, maintaining this delicate balance helps a lot in our health and well being. With a little effort, celebration need not burden you with extra calories and can be a joyful experience. Small changes can combine pleasure with good health. — The writer is a Clinical Nutritionist & Founder, theweightmonitor.com, Founder, WholeFoodsIndia and Founder President Celiac Society for Delhi Choose well Sweets, desserts and cakes can be prepared healthier by-Balancing sweetness by using less sugar or combination of natural low calorie sweeteners. Caramelising sugar helps cut back on calories. Best combinations work with half sweeteners and half fruit puree/ pulp or sugar/honey. Fruit purees can be used to sweeten ice creams, kulfis and cakes. Natural dry fruits like dates, figs, apricots, raisins and even jaggery can add sweetness to cakes, cookies, sweets, yogurts and ice creams. Prefer sweets such as honey-coated nuts, chocolate-coated nuts, jiggery-coated nuts, sesame balls, peanut balls, dark chocolate, squeezed rasgulla, sandesh, fruit yogurt, or sugar-free ice-creams. Gift healthy: Find alternatives to traditional high calorie sweets: Dry fruits (figs/ apricots/ prunes), chocolate-coated nuts, honey-coated nuts, jaggery-based sweets, etc.
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