Ramadan is that golden opportunity to detoxify the body, control diet and benefit the body with highly nutritious and beneficial foods. It’s hard to believe that we fill our stomachs with all sort of acidic, less nutritional and difficult to digest foods in this golden month. Maybe it’s because we all are running in the Marathon “Because we eat and drink nothing during the day, we can fill ourselves up with ALL THAT YOU CAN EAT while we can”.

We are diluted with the misconception that more beneficial and nutritious foods are not that delicious don’t look so attractive. I remember feeling really good and healthy during Ramadan when my grandmother was with us and used to plan Suhoor and Iftar for us. Today I’ll let you take a peep into my grandmother’s wise cookbook and tell you how you can prepare and enjoy best foods for Ramadan.

Dates and Nuts: Dates and nuts are one of the smallest, most nutritious and energizing foods. I don’t need to say anything about dates, since we all know that dates are the crown of Ramadan. The problem with dates and nuts is we grownups well aware of their nutritional value just can’t resist them, but it’s difficult to make the younger generation understand their worth. My grandmother always used to say, “Why eat plain dates and nuts, when we can go creative and tasteful”. The young generation will be more than eager to support my grandmother on this. We can make a number of dates and nuts sweets, beverages and desserts. It will save us from gaining unnecessary from calories from other sugar rich desserts and sweets. And we get to enjoy highly nutritious, energizing and delicious dates and nuts sweets, beverages and desserts.

Yogurt and Cheese: Yogurt and cheese are two foods that provide our body great building material. Yogurt and cheese are not only rich in calcium, they are also filling and you can enjoy them anytime of the day without worrying about acidity and indigestion. Yogurt and cheese are everyone’s favorite and can find their way in every other savory or dessert. I need not advice you on how to use cheese because no matter what, cheese always seem to find a VIP seat in most pasta, sandwich, appetizers and baking recipes. Yogurt is a very nourishing, light and cooling food. My grandmother was so found of yogurt that apart from making us realize its importance, she would place a large bowl of semi sweet yogurt with fresh fruits or fruit puree on table at Suhoor and Iftar and insist us on eating a large helping of it. Benefit yourself generously with yogurt in Ramadan. Prepare yogurt based dips and sauces, smoothies, curries and buttermilk etc.

Fresh Fruits and Vegetables: Fruits and vegetables are benefitted from most when you take them fresh. Instead of tiring yourself making fruit desserts, make a large bowl of fresh fruit salad and season it with a new dressing every day. Vegetable curries always lack valuable nutrients and are flooded with spices and cooking oil which cause acidity and indigestion. Replace your vegetable curries with fresh vegetable salad, steamed vegetables or broiled vegetables. Or you can enjoy lovely fresh vegetables or pan seared or steamed vegetables in your favorite sandwich or wrap, lasagna and pasta recipes.

Whole Grains, Lentils and Beans: Whole grains, lentils and legumes are great source of fiber and carbohydrates. My grandmother always use to make a pan of porridge for Suhoor and a barley, lentils or beans soup for Iftar. You can go versatile by serving deliciously crusty whole wheat bread with cheese, fresh vegetable salad and greek yogurt dip or brown rice with broiled vegetable and meat for Suhoor. It will digest slowly and provide your body all that it needs to keep you going while fasting. For Iftar you can walk in my grandmother’s shoes with a twist and after breaking your fast, start your Iftar with a bowl of delicious barley, lentils or bean soup prepared with chunks of meat or vegetables and topped with a drizzle of cream to replenish your body with proteins.

Milk: Milk is the most basic requirement of every baby, child, teenager, adult and old age. Make decent allowance for milk in Suhoor and Iftar meals in Ramadan. I’m sure you and your children will love their pasta, vegetables or meat with milky white sauce at Iftar or a glass of fruity milkshake or milk based buttermilk for Suhoor.