Iftari is water, dates, fruits & light snacks. 'Honestly that's enough'

'IN RAMZAN, FOOD IS NOT THE PRIMARY FOCUS; RATHER, WORSHIP AND DISCIPLINE TAKE PRECEDENCE,'

- Rajeev Mullick

LUCKNOW: As health consciousness grows, those fasting during the month of Ramzan have turned to lighter, more nutritious options, to break fast.

They say they prefer to ease into food intake with easily digestible foods, and prioritize hydration.

The popular choices include dates and sherbet, with fruit salad, roasted chickpeas, aloo tikka, paneer-based snacks and dahi-vadas, also fighting for space on the table.

"Since the time of my grandfather, we have always broken our fast with light food and if we want, followed it with a heavier dinner after a small interval, a tradition which all of us still practise. I can never say no to a good plate of biryani but it is important to be aware of what should be eaten immediately after hours of fasting," says Nashat Hayatullah, a Lucknow-based woman and a postgraduate from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai.

"Iftar is the first meal we have after hours of fasting, so it is essential to focus on what we consume and how our body reacts to it. My family and I have always preferred to have a light Iftar, which would be followed by a light or heavy dinner, as the case maybe - after an hour or two," she said.