Ramadan Nutrition Guide: Balancing Meals for a Healthy Fast

The Ftour allows to appease the sensation of hunger. It must be made up of water, dates or other sugary products, in small quantities, in order to provide energy to the body. While dinner should be taken at least three hours later, to allow the body to assimilate the ingested food. It must be made up of semolina, rice, pasta, potatoes, wheat... ; which allows to reconstitute the energy reserves. The Shor is a meal that should not be ignored. It allows to fill up on energy for the day to come. It can be salty or sweet, made up of leftovers from the day before, a hot drink, a dairy product, and especially bread and starches. However, it is important to avoid excesses that can cause indigestion, informs sehati.gov.ma.

Among the traditional Ramadan dishes not to be neglected during the fasting period, we can mention the Harira, a soup made with vermicelli, flour and dried vegetables, chickpeas, lentils. The soups usually prepared, correspond to a portion of starch. A bowl of Chorba, Harira or Tchicha, provide an average of 20 to 30 g of carbohydrates.

The dates usually consumed at Ftour can be eaten in equivalence with fresh fruits. Bread retains its full place during this month. We can also choose it whole, to limit constipation problems. For drinks, only water is essential. We can add soup, tea, coffee, herbal tea.

During the month of Ramadan, it is advisable to structure the food intake around 3 meals. This corresponds to an early breakfast "shor", a lunch at the breaking of the fast and a dinner at night. It is not recommended to snack continuously throughout the evening. Hydration must be sufficient and regular during this period. It is necessary to balance the different meals by ensuring to bring foods from the main groups such as starches, fruits and vegetables, meat, fish or eggs, dairy products. It is recommended to think about dishes that allow you to eat a little more vegetables. Do not neglect slow sugars, semolina, barley, vermicelli, which are too often replaced by fast sugars, cakes, pastries, sodas... Oriental pastries, Msemen, biscuits, oilseeds, viennoiseries are to be consumed in moderation.

The consumption of tea during the shor is not recommended, as tea stimulates urine and therefore promotes the loss of precious minerals that the body needs during the day. It can also create a state of dehydration, especially in hot weather.