The foodie in you must be overjoyed but, one can’t ignore the health hazards associated with festive foods. Aishwarya Parameshwaran lists few tips which can make your festival both fun and healthy
The season of fun, frolic, food and feasting is around the corner and yes we are all excited for Ganesh Chaturthi.Modaks, puri-bhaji, aluwadi, puran polis… the list of mouthwatering food in all sizes and shapes, dripping with sugar, oil and ghee are enough to make your heart melt. We tend to lose our control looking at that yummy food everywhere and it’s a fact that without sweets and delicious food, Ganesh Chaturthi would feel incomplete.
It’s a festival to cherish but for people with cholesterol, obesity and diabetes, Ganesh Chaturthi may feel like a daunting prospect because eating sweets and fried food is a traditional way of celebration but it could affect cholesterol, blood glucose level and weight management. This season, try to make your own sweets and delicacies at home. Apart from reviving the traditional way of celebration, you will be able to control your sugar and oil intake and enjoy a guilt-free Ganesh Chaturthi without compromising on your health. Here are a few tips to go healthy this festival.
*Modak:
We all love binging on this particular sweet but consuming it in excess can affect your health. It seems a healthy sweet since it is steamed and not fried, but it is still unhealthy, thanks to the sugar content. You can make it healthy and nutritious by replacing sugar with jaggery. Jaggery is a natural sweetener which is rich in iron and it helps in cleansing the liver by flushing out nasty toxins from the body. This will not only make your modaks healthy but also make it tastier.
*Puri:
Oh, we love those fried, crispy puris but when the oil drips it leaves us doubtful—whether to have it or not. To make it healthier, we rely on tissues. But, it is a hard fact that it is impossible to soak all the oil from these deep fried puris. Those with cholesterol are often left in a dilemma, whether to savour it or not! If you’ve been there we assure, you can relishing on those crispy puris with shrikhand or potato vegetable and won’t really have to think twice. All you need to do is, bake and not fry! Use nachni flour or whole grain flour, knead it well. Divide the dough into equal parts and roll it into a puri. Now, prick them with a fork and place it on a greasy tray. Bake it in a pre-heated oven for 10 minutes, 200 degree Celsius. And tadah! Healthy puris are ready.
*Puran Poli:
This is the most popular dish from Maharashtra; a mouth-watering sweet flatbread which is a must during Ganesh Chaturthi. It is a classic Maharashtrian dish which is made with yellow gram (chana dal) or red gram (tuvar dal) and stuffed with a mixture of coconut, jaggery, ghee and cardamom. Since the mixture is sweet, it’s bomb of calories. So, to make it healthier, we suggest you to opt for wheat flour and use ghee in a minimal quantity.
*Aluwadi:
This Maharashtrian food can make anyone drool. Aluwadi, (also called patra) is a savoury dish which is prepared during special occasions and festivals in Maharashtra. This dish is made using taro leaves, which is considered very good for diabetic patients. Apart from this, the leaves are highly fibrous which makes it good for digestion. During Ganesh festival, when people avoid eating non-vegetarian food, aluwadi comes to rescue. You must definitely add this snack in your diet once a week. To make this snack even healthier, you can choose shallow frying or just consume it after it’s steamed. This way your taste buds would relish amazing food and you won’t have to ignore your health.
* Sheera:
It may savour your taste buds but it is actually a calorie-bomb! But you need not worry because you can still indulge in it and make it healthy. All you have to do is use ghee sparingly and replace sugar with natural sweeteners like dates, figs or banana. By making it home, you will be able to get everyone at home involved and also keep a check on the amount of calories/sugar that the sweet will contain. Not to mention, it will be relatively safe and healthy when compared to the ones bought from the shop.
*Fruits:
whenever we are hungry between our meals, we tend to rely on fried chips, sweets etc and some even ignore that hunger. we suggest you to grab a bite and not let your body be vulnerable to acidity, because it will just make you feel tired and restless. rather binge on some fruits; this will temporarily fill your stomach, won’t make you feel lazy and it is a healthy option too.
*juices and drinks:
Most processed foods of beverages contain large amount of fructose that pose threat to the health. We suggest you to opt for natural fruit juices like mosambi juice, coconut water, lemon juice and avoid soft drinks. You can also opt for masala dudh and use honey as sweetener.
