Healthy Ramadan treats

During the month of fasting, people tend to overeat. Try these recipes with vegetables and superfoods to get the nutrient count right.

During Ramadan we tend to indulge in food and drink without worrying about health. It can be a time of eating excesses but it needn't be. The trick is to include a lot of fruit, vegetables and superfoods. It is also critical to avoid the obvious culprits - french fries, samosas, bread, cakes, muffins, biscuits, fizzy drinks and desserts.

These foods can cause bloating and weight gain. Here are some ideas to stay healthy during Ramadan:

Suhour

The healthiest suhour options are foods with a low glycaemic index. These foods take a long time to break down during digestion and release energy slower than the foods with a high glycaemic index. .

Porridge made with jumbo oats

This dish will keep you full for a long time, besides providing you with all the nutrients.

• - 4 tbs jumbo oats
• - 1 tbs almonds, flaked
• - 1 cup water
• - 1 cup low-fat milk
• - 1 tsp honey
• - 1 banana
• - Cinnamon powder

Boil the oats for seven minutes in a cup of water. Add the low-fat milk and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Add a teaspoon of honey and some banana slices. Sprinkle flaked almonds and a pinch of cinnamon powder, and serve.

Iftar

After fasting for 12-14 hours, avoid overloading your stomach all of a sudden. The trick is to start with fibre-rich foods to prevent constipation.

Usually, when it's time for iftar, we are so thirsty that we tend to have too many sweet beverages under the pretext "my body needs it". Try drinking some green tea or mint tea with a teaspoon of honey.

Your source of sugar is the dates you will have to break the fast. Follow it up with a bowl of non-citrus fruits.

Exotic fruit salad

This low-calorie dish is high on nutrients.

• - 3 kiwis, peeled and cubed
• - 1 mango, peeled
• - 1 banana, peeled
• - 10 strawberries, hulled
• - ½ cup blackberries
• - ½ cup raspberries
• -½ cup blueberries
• - 1 glass of apple juice

Cut all the fruits. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Pour the apple juice and toss well. Chill and serve.

Quinoa and vegetable soup

Cook this broth slowly so all the flavours to seep in.

• - ½ cup quinoa
• - 2 carrots
• - 2 sticks of celery
• - A bunch of long beans
• - 1 courgette, large
• - 1 bunch of green spinach
• - 6 cloves of garlic
• - 1 inch of ginger
• - 1 cup tomato passata
• - A pinch of Italian herbs
• - Juice from half a lemon
• - A dash of salt and pepper

Cook the quinoa in a pan of salted water. Finely chop the vegetables, ginger and garlic. Add to a pan of boiling water with passata.

Cook on a low flame for 30 minutes. Add cooked quinoa, salt, pepper and herbs. Let simmer for ten minutes. Add lemon juice and serve hot.

- Ahlaam Ali is a UAE-based freelance writer