Hari Raya is the long-awaited celebration of the end of a month-long fasting. It is also the day where Muslims are allowed to feast on various delicacies!
Whether at home or at the home of fellow friends and families, it is common for Muslims to indulge in all kinds of delicacies as a way to celebrate the festive season. Therefore, people also tend to gain weight after a few days of Hari Raya celebrations.
Want to celebrate Hari Raya but avoid weight gain? Here are seven tips on how you can eat healthily during the Hari Raya celebrations.
1. Eat in small portions
A celebratory feast serves you with a variety of delicacies such as rendang, lemang and kuih. Hence, it is no doubt that you will be excited to try every one of these delicacies during the celebration. However, you should remember to control the quantity and portion size taken.
Using a small plate for your food helps in controlling the quantity and portion size of the food that will be eaten.
This is because a small plate will fill up faster, making it seem like there is more food. It will also allow you to have a taste of every delicacy with less guilt!
2. Choose foods that are low-calorie, less oil, less fat, and less coconut milk
Among the many must-have Hari Raya delicacies, there are some foods that are oily, fatty, and contain coconut milk, such as lemang. These foods are high in calories and should be eaten only in small amounts. It is advisable to choose low calorie foods instead of oily and fatty foods. For example,
- Choose fresh fruits over dodol and wajik
- Choose ketupat or nasi impit over lemang
- Choose soto over curry mee
This will help to keep your calorie intake in check!
3. Choose high fibre food to avoid constipation
Almost every open house will serve their guests with food and delicacies. Hence, it is common for people to suffer from constipation during the Hari Raya season. To avoid this, you should eat foods that are high in fibre! For example,
- Eat more fruits instead of sweet and fatty delicacies
- Scoop up more vegetables to your lontong
- Choose whole grain food such as kuah kacang over rendang for your satay and nasi impit
4. Choose fresh fruits as snacks or desserts
During Hari Raya, sweet delicacies such as traditional kuih and dodol are often a choice for snacks and desserts. These delicacies tend to be high in fat (from butter, oil or santan) and sugar. Hence, you are recommended to choose fresh fruits as snacks and desserts instead.
This is because fruits are low in calories and the natural sugar helps you to replenish your energy so you could continue visiting your friends and families throughout the day!
5. Drink plain water instead of carbonated drinks or sweetened drinks
If you noticed, most houses serve carbonated drinks and sweetened drinks during Hari Raya. Therefore, be sure to drink more plain water instead of carbonated drinks or sweetened drinks!
To make your water more refreshing, you can have it iced, squeeze in some lemon juice, or even put in mint leaves.
6. Limit the intake of sweet and fatty food
Wajik, a delicacy that is made using glutinous rice cooked in palm sugar and coconut milk, along with dodol, are the must-have traditional delicacies during Hari Raya. However, these foods are high in sugar and fat! Therefore, you are advised to consume these high-fat and high-sugar foods moderately.
7. Limit the intake of high salt food such as chips
Besides sweet traditional delicacies, savoury chips such as banana chips, tapioca chips and kuih siput are also often served during Hari Raya. However, these foods are high in salt, which can increase the risk of getting a high blood pressure. So, be sure to consume them in moderation no matter how yummy they are.
To practice healthy eating during Hari Raya, be sure to follow the tips above! Remember, it’s not wrong to indulge during the celebration, but be sure to eat responsibly so that you will not regret your food choices in the aftermath!
To all Muslims that are celebrating, Advanx Health wishes you a Selamat Hari Raya!
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References:
Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia. (2012). Makan Secara Sihat di Hari Raya [Ebook] (p. 4). Retrieved 12 May 2020, from https://www.infosihat.gov.my/index.php/multimedia/buku-kecil/item/makan-secara-sihat-di-hari-raya.