5 diet tips to avoid that post-lunch nap

Feeling sleepy after lunch is quite common but changing your food habits can help. Here are 5 such tips.

Do you often feel too full and sleepy after lunch? This poses a problem when you are in office as you can't stop work and take a nap. On the other hand, frequent tea breaks is not the healthy answer to avoid afternoon slump. Have a light lunch to stay active and fit, says an expert. Honey Tandon, chief executive dietician, Columbia Asia Hospital, Gurgaon, emphasises that a lot depends on what goes into the preparation of dishes. Here are some tips to make heavy dishes light by the expert.

'Rajma and dal makhni are generally considered to be heavy dishes, and any dish with high calories leads to lethargy. But the way to prepare makes a lot of difference.' (Read: Dal makhni recipe minus the calories)

Tip: Replace butter and ghee with low-fat milk. Add curd too. This way you'll get a low-fat dish, which is also tasty.

Instead of eating rajma in the form of curries, she suggests eating kidney beans and pulses in the form of sprouts.

Kadhi is another favourite amongst Indians. But while there's nothing wrong with the curry which is made of curd and gram flour, Tandon advises preparing it without fried pakodas.

Tip: Use low-fat curd, onion, gram flour, garlic and less amount of oil and avoid pakodas while making kadhi.

To prevent lethargy, she advises choosing rotis over rice. But if rice is your staple diet, concentrate on portions.

'When people eat rice, they tend to eat double the amount compared to rotis (Indian bread) and this causes sleepiness.' (Read: Traditional Indian dishes made healthy)

Tip: In lieu of two chapatis, eat one and a half bowl of rice, preferably brown. Eat it with salad for fibre-rich meal.

Gajar ka halwa (carrot-based Indian dessert) is fondly consumed by foodies, especially during winter. Tandon warns against fattening ingredients while preparing it.

Tip: Make it with lots of carrots, low-fat milk and no sugar. You can add small amount of sugar free tablets. (Read: Low-cal carrot halwa recipe)

Dishes cooked in excess oil are sure to put you to sleep. Too much oil is not good for your overall health too.

Tip: Eat something which is low on oil content and high in veggies, even if it is a meat dish. Oil does not add taste to the food so refrain from eating too much oily food. (Read: Healthier alternatives to your favourite food items)

With inputs from IANS

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