Last Update:31 October 2024 14:49 IST

By adding healthier ingredients to your favorite dishes, you can enjoy the best of both worlds—delicious meals that are good for your body.

Lakshmi Puja is performed in the evening on Diwali. (Image: Shutterstock)

Festivals have great importance in cultures around the world and are often associated with a wide variety of traditional dishes. Diwali is just around the corner, it’s time to celebrate with our loved ones and express our love through gifts and sweets. Nowadays these meals tend to be full of sugar and fats, for example. chocolates, cookies, pastries, desserts, etc. But traditional delicacies made by our grandmothers and mothers were often inherently healthier because they used whole, natural ingredients and cooking methods that promote better health.

Dr Meghana Pasi, President, MyThali, shares some ways we can make our festive foods healthier and healthier.

Use natural sweeteners instead of refined sugar

Halwas, laddoos, barfis contain large amounts of refined sugar. Using natural sweeteners like dates, honey or jaggery instead of sugar is an easy yet effective approach to make these desserts healthy.

1. Jaggery has a higher nutritional profile than white sugar as it is loaded with minerals like iron and magnesium. It’s rich in fiber and antioxidants, and its natural sweetness goes a long way in adding a nutritious twist to many traditional desserts. Studies also show that jaggery helps reduce oxidative stress and prevents a rapid rise in blood sugar levels by providing a more stable energy release.
2. Honey is a great alternative to sugar in desserts like kheer or payasam. It offers antibacterial properties and adds a delicate sweetness.
3. Coconut Sugar is a great option for diabetics with its low glycemic index.
4. Dates can be used in kheer, cakes, brownies, shakes and ice creams by adding fiber and essential nutrients.
5. Puran Poli: Stuffed with a mixture of chana dal (split chickpeas) and jaggery, this traditional Maharashtrian sweet flatbread offers protein from dal and minerals from jaggery, making it healthier than modern sugary desserts.
6. Pongal: This South Indian dish made with rice and moong dal was traditionally flavored with jaggery. It provides the perfect balance of protein, carbohydrates and minerals.
   

   Use whole grain instead of refined flour

Refined flour (maida) is used in many sweet and savory dishes. The fiber, protein, and mineral content of these recipes can be greatly increased by using whole grains such as quinoa, whole wheat, or millet instead of refined flour.

1. Use whole wheat flour in dishes like puran poli or gujiya to increase fiber content while maintaining texture.
2. Use millets (Ragi, Bajra, Jowar) in your ladoos or dosas to add fibre, vitamins and minerals. Millet is gluten-free and excellent for heart health.
3. Ragi Halwa: Made with finger millet, ghee and jaggery, this delicious dessert is rich in calcium, iron and healthy fats, making this dish nutritious and suitable for all age groups.
4. Bajra Rotis or Pithas: Made from pearl millet, served with ghee or jaggery, these rotis are rich in fiber and have a low glycemic index, which helps keep blood sugar levels stable.

Include Healthy Fats

Packaged sweets often contain high amounts of hydrogenated vegetable oil (dalda). Using ghee or cold-pressed oils such as coconut, peanut or olive oil in desserts and namkeas can add healthy fats to your meals. Multigrain, besan or ragi laddoos can be made with ghee and jaggery. Ghee aids digestion and boosts immunity. But pay attention to portion sizes. Also pay attention to cooking methods. You can bake namkeens like samosas, kachoris, mathris instead of frying them in oil. This will significantly reduce oil consumption without sacrificing crunch.

Add Nutrient-Dense Ingredients

Nuts and seeds not only add texture but also improve the nutritional profile of desserts and snacks. Almonds, walnuts, pistachios can be added to kheer, halwa or barfi for healthy fats, vitamin E, proteins and antioxidants. Chia Seeds and flaxseeds can be added to ladoos, granola bars or smoothies for extra omega-3 fatty acids and fiber boost.

You don’t have to give up flavor or tradition to stay healthy during the holidays. By adding healthier ingredients to your favorite dishes, you can enjoy the best of both worlds—delicious meals that are good for your body. Celebrate this Diwali with a blend of tradition and healthy living!