What Not to Eat In Ramadan

By: Yvonne Maffei

It seems like everyone these days is worried not just about eating healthy for the sake of dieting, but for the sake of real concern over what’s in our food. Put the two together and when we pay attention to both, we should have some super-healthy people on the planet, right?

Not so. We’re still just as busy as ever and the cost of high quality ingredients is an issue for so many struggling families. We need good, nutrient-rich food to give us the energy necessary for daily life and no other time of year is that more important than during Ramadan when we’re fasting for long hours, some of us in very hot climates.

Based on years of experience of fasting myself and listening to community members and school kids with stories about how they’d like to change the foods they eat in Ramadan in order to feel healthier, I think it’s time to list the things that might help to be eliminated from our diets.

Processed Foods

Sure, processed foods can seem convenient, but they’re usually filled with unhealthy things like high-fructose corn syrup, MSG (to enhance flavor), lots of sodium and typically all the wrong heart-clogging oils. If you’re in a hurry, there are healthy convenient options particularly good for breaking the fast, such as the halal frozen entrees and chicken products by Saffron Road that are available in many Whole Foods stores throughout the U.S.

Junk Foods

Junk foods like chips, candies, and more are basically void of nutrients and should not be used as a side dish (believe me, I’ve seen it before). How will you have any energy to get you through a long day of fasting and long night of prayer if your food gives you nothing in return for eating it? Instead, try eating locally-produced fruits and veggies from farmers markets and grocery stores, which are now following the trend of sourcing ingredients from local vendors. Because of a higher demand for such goods, the prices are finally coming down somewhat. Furthermore, when you eat food that is wholesome and packed with nutrition, you’ll feel more satisfied and in fact, need to eat less of it than filler foods that hardly satisfy and make you crave more and more of them.

Dehydrating Foods

When fasting, we’re slowly being dehydrated so once we break our fast we need to have foods that put water into our body, not deplete it further. It can be difficult to eat a lot of watermelon or squash, even though they’re super-hydrating foods, but you can make juices out of the fruits and soups out of the vegetables to give your body the additional water it needs.  Avoid salty spice mixes and condiments that sneak their way into our rice and meat dishes only to leave us wondering why we’re so thirsty afterwards. A great way to break the fast is to enjoy your favorite dates, of course, but to have coconut water, which is super-hydrating, followed by soup to preface your main meal. Consider limiting coffee and tea to about half of what you normally drink.

Fried Foods

In an effort not to spoil any cultural traditions in Ramadan foods, I’m not advocating that everyone forgo their favorite samosas or empanadas at iftar. I love them, too! But, it is possible to bake them instead of fry, so consider that an option. Fried foods are heavy in oil and that makes them harder to digest, especially when they’re the first foods to be eaten after a long fast.

Sugary Foods

Let’s save the sweets for ‘Eid and try to hold off on as many desserts as possible to avoid any sugar crashes later in the day. If you must have something sweet, make it natural- use either natural raw cane sugar (turbinado) or eat fruits that are a bit more on the sweet side to satisfy the craving.

Carb Overload

While I love a good bowl of pasta, a hefty portion of potatoes or rice with meat, these are all carbohydrates to minimize during Ramadan. Carbohydrates are converted into sugars and can eventually take their toll on your body way after you’ve finished eating. Any carbs you do eat, be sure to pair it with protein to offset the effects.

White Foods

White foods (i.e. white bread, white rice, white sugar, etc.) can fall into some of the above categories, but they’re worth the mention for what not to eat. White breads are made from white flour, which is processed and stripped of the nutrition that should be in bread and the same goes for rice and even the type of sugar you use. Instead, choose breads from whole grains and organic brown rice {even basmati}. Surprisingly, they don’t have to break the bank, either, since much of this is available in bulk at quality grocers like Whole Foods.

Follow some of these guidelines and you’ll find yourself with the ability to get through the fast with some ease, while still experiencing all the lessons that we’re meant to learn from this blessed month.

Yvonne Maffei is a Chicago-based Food Writer and the Publisher of MyHalalKitchen.com, a popular food blog focused on halal cooking, eating and halal food topics. She is also a Culinary Consultant to Schools and Businesses.  She can be found offering cooking tips and more on her Facebook page and on Twitter @myhalalkitchen.