Dubai
For Egyptian mother of three, Asma Naseff, 37, Ramadan means efficient planning and organising. This is essential to having a smooth switchover in schedules, she said.
One of the aspects of her day that undergoes a change during Ramadan is her sleeping pattern. “We sleep around 10pm and wake up for suhour and then sleep another few hours before it’s time for the school run for the kids,” she said.
Naseff, a health coach who works from home in Dubai, said the key to a smooth Ramadan is to plan ahead and create a checklist.
“Once a week, I sit down with paper and pen and plan the coming week. This includes everything — from errands that have to be run to drawing up the grocery list, the menu and shopping for ingredients,” said Naseff.
Recommending “one hour of intense thinking and planning per week,” Naseff said the weekly lists help her avoid last-minute supermarket runs.
There are also specific tasks she assigns herself to keep on an even keel during Ramadan. When her children are at school, she uses the time to take a two-hour nap, then ready the iftar meal for the family, and run errands.
“The two hours of sleep are a must before the kids come back from school. This nap gives me the power to carry on with my day,” she said. She also dedicates one to two hours to praying, reading the Quran after putting the kids to sleep at night.
Her children, six, eight and 13, head out to school early morning and are back by 2pm.
Naseff often spends time from 2 to 7pm with the kids, either reading, helping them with homework, or simply enjoying quality time with them.
“I use the last hour before iftar to heat the food and give it the final touches. My children help set the table, but I manage the kitchen and have a helper,” said Naseff.
- Asma Naseff | Health coach
“I don’t really face any specific challenges during Ramadan, as I cook fresh food daily, and have a meal plan for the whole week. The only time I feel the pressure is when we have people over,” she said.
Preferring a pragmatic approach, her weekly meal planner does not have any big changes “apart from the addition of a soup to the iftar meal,” she said.
Apart from that, “I love to cook and enjoy my time in the kitchen.”
She also desists from preparing fried foods such samosas and cheese rolls that are Ramadan staples in many homes. She cooks the same healthy dishes and avoids fried foods and heavy meals.
At suhour, Naseff prefers to have dates, cucumber and a banana along with eggs and a side dish of beans every day.
Naseff’s top tips for meal planning in Ramadan:
1. Draw up a grocery list, meal plan for the week, and run errands list once a week.
2. Freeze foods such as homemade sauces and foods that can easily be used on another day.
3. Always keep frozen broth or stock ready.
4. Prepare suhoor meal the night before to prevent a rushed time and arbitrary eating.
5. Wash and dry all greens such as lettuce, arugula, spinach, parsley and coriander and seal them in a container in the fridge ready for use.
