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Chaitra Navratri is one of the many Indian celebrations that are renowned for their elaborate desserts and culinary preparations. Many decadent sweets are made on Chaitra Navratri, including rasmalai, gulab jamun, kalakand, Mysore pak, and kaju katli. These sweets all taste so good that it's impossible to put them down.
That being said, Navratri does not mean you have to abandon all of your dietary objectives and mindlessly consume all of those goodies. While moderation is advised to ensure that all of your hard work doesn't go to waste, no one is advocating that you should entirely shun such delicacies. Here are some suggestions for a nutritious diet throughout Navratri.
Say No To Packaged Food
Steer clear of prepackaged snacks and sweets, both throughout the holiday season and after. These foods are fundamentally low in nourishment, may not satisfy your hunger, and are easy to overindulge in. Processed components like milk solids and natural stabilisers are often included in pre-packaged sweets like laddoos and peda.
The majority of these store-bought sweets are created with processed palm oil substitutes, which may not be healthy, rather than ghee throughout production. Wafers, nimkis, and other deep-fried treats are cooked in processed fats, which may be harmful to your health. These are essentially empty calories, and while it might be simple to overindulge in highly processed meals during celebrations, these modest decisions are what affect your body afterwards.
Hydration Is Key
It's normal to overlook drinking enough water while events are in full swing. However, you need to be very careful about it because drinking enough water daily might help you avoid consuming junk food and snacks. Therefore, while enjoying the celebrations, make an additional effort to stay hydrated.
Plan Your Eating
Eating finger foods is a popular joy during Navratri; no judgement is intended; they're difficult to resist. But it makes sense to refrain from indulging in those little sweets if you're trying to consume them in moderation. Why? Since the main meal is still to come, even if these nibbles are delicious, they are high in calories but low in satiety. Later, enjoying a full meal increases calorie intake and may cause weight gain.
Prioritise Homemade Sweets
Celebrations wouldn't be complete without desserts. With their immense diversity, they embody the true spirit of Indian festivities, offering something for everyone to enjoy. These days, with confectionery adulteration on the rise, it would be advisable to prepare confections at home using high-quality components.
This gives you complete control over the type and amount of ingredients used in mithai preparations, including laddoos, barfi, and other dishes. Examples of these items include sugar, flour, and ghee. By doing this, you can ensure that the sweets you prepare have less sugar than those that are purchased from stores, which are often packed with it.
Practice Portion Control
It makes sense if you have extreme cravings and find it impossible to avoid eating snacks and sweets. Then just learn to regulate your portion sizes and limit yourself to no more than two or three bites to satisfy your desires.
Avoid Fried Food
There is an abundance of finger snacks available during Navratri that have a very tempting taste. But the majority of these treats—think nimkis, malpua, pakoras, or samosas—require deep-frying. Simply opt for comparatively healthier options.
