Plan a balanced Navratri fasting diet with varied meals, vegetables, dairy or nuts, sensible portions and fewer fried snacks.
A healthy Navratri menu starts with variety and sensible portions. Where your observance permits, combine a fasting staple with vegetables and a protein-containing food such as curd, paneer, milk or peanuts.
For example, serve samak khichdi with plain curd, or pair a kuttu cheela with paneer and cucumber. These are meal suggestions that can be adapted to household customs.
General healthy-eating guidance emphasises diverse foods, fruit and vegetables, while limiting excessive salt, free sugars and unhealthy fats. Apply those principles when choosing between homemade meals, fried snacks and sweets.
Prefer whole fruit to sweetened juice. Measure cooking oil instead of pouring freely, and keep festival desserts in modest portions.
Avoid treating fasting as a guaranteed weight-loss programme or a “detox.” Plan meals around your nutritional needs and religious practice, with medical guidance where necessary.
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