Nutritionists recommend not to waste food and adopt small quantities, taking care to diversify food and drink significant amounts of water, in addition to not neglecting eating fruits, vegetables and fish and staying away from manufactured materials.
large amounts of sugar
The nutritionist, Zohour Benaini, considered that the food table in Ramadan is often unhealthy, because most Moroccan families are accustomed to preparing dishes that contain large amounts of sugar, or that they are dipped in artificial honey made of sugar. The sweets of “chebakia” and “sufuf”, which are among the indispensable appetizers in the holy month, depend mainly on white flour, sugar and some additives, which makes them very harmful, especially after a day of fasting.
And she pointed out, in an interview with “Sky News Arabia”, that drinking industrial juices and eating fried foods increases significantly during the holy month, despite their danger to health, calling for a review of the eating habits of a large number of Moroccans, and correcting their food choices during the month of fasting.
How do we break our fast?
According to the nutritionist, it is best to break the fast after the Maghrib call to prayer, by drinking a glass of water, as the first healthy step to prepare the stomach to receive food, after hours of refraining from eating.
You can put drops of blossom water or a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in a cup of water, and attach it to three dates, with the need to focus on good chewing so that the food interacts with the digestive enzymes present in the saliva.
Zuhour Benaini confirmed that after eating a cup of water and dates, it is necessary to give the stomach a moment that lasts a few minutes, until it wakes up from its laziness, by spending a simple purpose, or doing the Maghrib prayer, and returning immediately after that to eat the rest of the breakfast.
And she stressed the need to eat rich and complete foods, such as vegetables and starches, such as barley bread and foods containing proteins. She pointed out that “harira” soup is considered one of the best dishes on the breakfast table if it is prepared in a healthy way, that is, using vegetables, legumes, fiber, whole wheat flour, and unprocessed municipal yeast, while avoiding the use of concentrated tomato cans and replacing them with tomato sauces prepared at home.
Healthy ways to prepare the table
Benaini flowers put salad at the top of the list of foods that must be focused on at breakfast, provided that it is varied and includes vegetables such as lettuce, tomatoes, radishes, and some types of fish, in addition to seasonal fruits, such as strawberries and oranges that are abundant in Moroccan markets today.
And the nutritionist highlighted that eating fruits is a good thing during the month of Ramadan, stressing the need to eat them as they are without grinding them and turning them into juice, because they lose most of their nutritional components and only natural sugars remain.
Also, salted foods cooked in the oven or steamed can also contribute to complete nutrition, after drinking the “harira” soup. Benaini advises to adopt salted foods such as briouats or pizza pieces that contain local chicken or fish, whether white or black, and to avoid red meat as much as possible.
As for the dessert “Al Sufuf” or “Slaw”, the bride of the breakfast table in Morocco, it is necessary, according to the expert, to be prepared in a way that takes into account proper nutrition, so that it is prepared with whole wheat, barley or oatmeal, instead of white flour.
What do we eat at suhoor?
The nutritionist, Zohour Benaini, warned of the need to pay attention to the foods eaten between breakfast and suhoor. And she called for eating two fruits or some salted foods, after completing the Tarawih prayer or from the items that follow the breakfast, while refraining from eating a full dinner that burdens the body and complicates the task of the stomach.
As for the suhoor meal, it should be rich in fiber, protein, and some carbohydrates and sugars. And I gave an example with two cups of natural yogurt and granola cereal, which contains a variety of grains such as sesame, flaxseeds, pumpkin, sunflower, dry fruits, and oats, and these are all rich and beneficial elements for the body to prepare for a full day of fasting.
