7 healthy snacks that you must try during Navratri

Add a few delicious drinks and munchies to your palate while celebrating Navratri this year. They will not pamper your taste buds during the fasting period, but also offer health benefits that you don't know about.

Editorial Team | Published: April 10, 2019 8:44 pm

Despite limited food options, you can treat yourself with lip-smacking healthy snacks. ©Shutterstock

Navratri celebrations are going on all across India now. It started from 6th of April and will continue till 14th of the month. Navratri is a festival that is celebrated twice a year where people observe fast for nine days to worship different avatars of Goddess Durga. For these nine days, people avoid having non-vegetarian foods while many exclude onion and garlic from their diet. Alcohol is also avoided during these nine days. Usually, the Navratri diet is loaded with fruits and milk. People prefer rock salt in place of regular salt while preparing food during this festival. Rock salt is unprocessed.

Apart from the religious significance, fasting can also be a healthy way to detoxify your body. Now, it is backed by science as well. Moreover, certain dietary restrictions during this period of the year, when the season changes, has some health benefits. This is because our immune system becomes weak during season change. Experts in the field of Ayurveda suggest that non-vegetarian foods, onion and garlic can negatively affect your defence mechanism during this time. So you should stay away from these foods when there is a seasonal shift.

However, there are some adverse effects of these food rules as well. Though fasting offers you many health benefits, but sudden change in your eating habits can take a toll on your stomach and may even lead to slow metabolism. The food options available while fasting during Navratri are limited and the long gaps between meals could also result in acidity.

THE SCIENCE BEHIND NAVRATRI DIET

As explained already, fasting and avoiding certain foods during season change is good for your health. Scientifically speaking, onion and garlic are rich in sulphur which produce heat in your body. So it is good to avoid them during the onset of summer. Similarly, abstaining from alcohol during Navratri also comes with its share of scientific reason. Having alcohol when your immune system is weak can disrupt your body clock and inhibit the development of immune cells (T cells and B cells) in your body. Also, eating non-vegetarian foods that include animal proteins, could be a bad idea during this time of the year as your immune system is weak now. Moreover, the digestive system finds it difficult to process protein-rich foods during season change. So, a light diet minus animal protein , onion and garlic is easy on your stomach.

SNACK OPTIONS YOU CAN TRY

True that the food options are limited during Navratri. However, you can still make the most out of them and treat yourself with lip-smacking healthy snacks. Here, we share with you seven healthy snacks that you can try while fasting during Navratri.

Sabudana Khichdi

Make sabudana khichdi using ghee, jeera, peanuts and potatoes to add nutritional value to your snack. ©Shutterstock

This is one of the best go-to snacks because it is easy to make, and it helps you stay full for a long period of time. This healthy snack is loaded with carbs and helps you get the energy that is needed when you are fasting. Sabudana khichdi may not provide you with the essential nutrients but you can add ingredients like ghee, jeera, peanuts and potatoes to make it nutritious and healthy.

Kuttu (buckwheat) dosa:

Buckwheat dosa can provide protien, magnesium, vitamin B6, iron and zinc to your body while you fast during Navratri. ©Shutterstock

Buckwheat flour is most commonly used in Indian households during the Navratri season. During this festival, people generally make chapattis or pakoras made up of this flour. However, you can make an interesting addition to your snack options by making dosa with buckwheat. Buckwheat provides protein, magnesium, vitamin B6, iron and zinc among other essential nutrients. This healthy yet delicious snack will make your Navratri fasting quite enjoyable.

Water chestnut (singhara) samosa:

Eat water chestnut (singhara) samosa to get important nutrients like carbohydrates and iron while you fast. ©Shutterstock

If you are fasting during Navratri and looking for a healthy option to accompany your evening tea, you can make delicious samosas using water chestnut (singhara) flour. For the filling, you can use potatoes. The best accompaniment for this snack is mint chutney. Not only does this waste chestnut samosa taste good, you can also reap many health benefits from it. Water chestnut is loaded with carbohydrates, phosphate, iron, copper, magnesium, manganese, sodium, and potassium that take care of your nutrient intake throughout the day.

Fox nut (makhana) kheer:

Treat kidney-related problems with a bowl of makhana kheer. ©Shutterstock

What is a festival without those delicious deserts? Especially when you are fasting, the sweet dishes catch your attention even more. You can make makhana kheer within 5 to 10 minutes. All you need is milk, fox nuts, and few dry fruits. Fox nuts are a rich source of soluble fibre that helps with irregular bowel movement and its astringent properties make it effective against kidney-related problems.

Buckwheat puri:

Eating buckwheat puris can help you shed those extra kilos. ©Shutterstock

Navratri foods are incomplete without puris made up of buckwheat flour. It is the perfect alternate for your regular flour and can offer you many health benefits. It helps you manage your blood sugar levels, aids weight loss and works as an antioxidant.

Milk and juices:

When you are fasting, you may forget about the most important thing that you should keep in mind: Keeping yourself hydrated. You can opt for a glass of milk twice in a day or have buttermilk and other fruit juices. Apart from keeping you hydrated, these liquids will help you make up for the nutritional deficit triggered by restricted diet.

Sweet potato kheer

Another snack that can satisfy your sweet tooth during Navratri is kheer made up of sweet potato. It is prepared by using milk, ghee and cardamom along with some dry fruits. This could be a healthy option because sweet potatoes are known to be the best source of vitamin A that enhances your vision, improves your immune system and strengthens your bone.

Published: April 10, 2019 8:44 pm

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