During Ramadan many people eat foods at iftar that are not good for their health, deep-fried food and fast food among them. These foods later have harmful effects on the body.

According to experts, during the fast one should eat a third less than the amount eaten at other times. After fasting all day, it is especially important to be careful about what you eat at iftar.

Remember that an adult needs to eat food equivalent to about 2,000-2,500 calories a day, but during the fast 1,000-1,500 calories is enough. Eating little during the fast lets the body clear harmful cells through the process of autophagy; otherwise you could fall ill. A total of 600 calories should be eaten at iftar.

Dr Ismail Azhari, director of the Centre for Clinical Excellence and Research, said that after fasting all day, how well you will be the next day depends on what you eat at iftar and sehri. Iftar must be nutritious. Here is what to eat at iftar and what to avoid.

Breaking the fast with dates is sunnah. Dates are among the main carbohydrate foods and, besides carbohydrate, contain almost every kind of vitamin and mineral. Four medium-sized dates (35 grams) contain about 100 calories.

You can eat 4-5 dates at iftar. But diabetic patients must measure their blood sugar before eating dates, or their diabetes could rise.

Among fruit, a banana is important at iftar. One banana contains about 105 calories, so keep one banana on the iftar menu. Other fruits such as watermelon, apple and orange help prevent dehydration.

Chickpeas and gram can be eaten. Fifty grams of chickpeas contains about 180 calories. Eat them in small amounts, no more than 20-25 grams, because they take a long time to digest.

You can eat one egg, which provides 80 calories. Drink green coconut water, isabgol husk, lemon sherbet and the like, which also prevent dehydration.

Avoid very oily or deep-fried foods at iftar, such as peyaju, beguni, potato chops, chicken fry and jilapi. These foods cause gastric problems. Do not eat too much at once.

Sour fruits contain plenty of vitamin C, but they also contain citric acid, so do not eat too much sour fruit during the fast.

It is best to eat fruit after finishing the evening meal. Tomatoes contain a lot of citric and malic acid, which can cause a burning sensation in the stomach if eaten at iftar, so it is better not to eat too many.

Spicy food increases acidity in the stomach, so green chillies and very spicy food should be avoided. Hot drinks such as tea and coffee increase the secretion of hydrochloric acid in the stomach, so avoid tea and coffee during the fast.

Because our eating habits and meal times change in the month of fasting, we should be health-conscious, and following the advice above should make it possible to stay well during Ramadan.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.