Holi Festival: 10 Expert Diet Tips For This Holi

Holi is the most exciting and colourful event of the year, and everyone looks forward to it. It is a time for celebration, connection, and, of course, delicious cuisine. It can be difficult to resist when surrounded by a range of mouthwatering foods, such as Gujiya and Dahi Vada. Most festival dishes are greasy, spicy, or high in sugar, leading to weight gain and throwing your diet off track. However, certain healthy cooking methods can make the cuisine as distinctive as the festival. While Holi is a lot of fun, you may not be able to stick to your weight-loss diet during this time, but you should try. ToneOp brings tips to help you stick to your diet this season.

Table Of Contents

1. 10 Dietary Tips For Holi

 2. 8 Post-Holi Dietary Tips

3. Dietitian’s Recommendation

4.The Final Say 

5. FAQs

10 Dietary Tips For Holi

One may do various things on Holi to keep healthy, from making healthier versions of popular Holi foods to eating correctly. Here are some tips for the festival day:

1. Breakfast

On Holi, go for a light breakfast, such as plain poha or combine it with curd. This keeps your stomach full even after breakfast and is light enough to be easily digested. Also, having a salad or a bowl of oats before the Holi party will keep you from going hungry and overeating.

2. Hydrate Yourself

Despite the abundance of water around us on Holi, we often need to pay more attention to hydrating ourselves during Holi. It is essential to consume plenty of water to keep yourself hydrated. Warm water aids in detoxification and benefits your throat and metabolism. To assist in flushing out toxins from your system, add freshly squeezed lemon juice to the warm water.

3. Go For A Healthy Dessert

Instead of eating dessert, which contains significant amounts of sugar, check out some healthy options which are also enjoyable. Tasty and healthful sweets such as beetroot halwa, fruit smoothies, makhana kheer, and dates kheer are available. Replace sugar with dates as a sweetener.

4. Prepare Healthy Substitutes

A little tinkering with your favourite Holi recipes can really go a long way in making your Holi healthy. Here are some healthier alternatives to your favourite Holi dishes:

• Baked Gujiya
• Brown Bread Dahi Vada
• Ragi Malpua
• Low Fat Thandai
• Frozen Yogurt
• Baked Kachori with Chana Masala in Rice Bran Oil
• Fruit Raita

5. Eat In Moderation 

An overdose of foods coupled with sweet, sour, spicy and high fats could lead to potentially serious repercussions. It is best to moderate yourself and then let yourself go with the flow.

6. Avoid Touching The Food

Some harmful colour particles could remain in your hands despite having washed your hands vigorously. Therefore, eating with forks or spoons is best to avoid dangerous substances entering your body.

7. Do Not Feel Obligated To Consume Everything

Festival food comes in various flavours and colours; you will want to try a little of everything. Do not give in to the temptation! Instead, exercise restraint and eat only a few items; the host would not mind. Topping your plate with ghee-laden sweets and deep-fried savouries is a definite way to increase your waistline.

8. Only One Serving

Returning to the table for a second (and third) serving may increase your daily steps, but it does nothing for your health. Limit yourself to one small portion of the festival foods to avoid gaining weight.

9. Avoid Overindulging In Alcohol

Festivals encourage binge drinking. We already tend to eat high-calorie foods. After the festivals, give your system a vacation from alcohol because it causes weight growth.

10. Before Splurging On The Festival Meal, Have A Healthy Meal

Eating a salad or a bowl of oats will keep you from going hungry or overeating during the Holi celebration. It will help you feel fuller, and you will not feel like eating anything else when you are already full.

8 Post-Holi Dietary Tips

Some of the post-Holi diet tips are as follows:

1. Drink Detoxifying Drinks

Lemons can naturally treat everything connected to your digestive system, from bloating to indigestion. Lemons are crucial in post-Holi detox diet plans, especially as a health ritual in the morning. Also, you can begin your day after Holi with a glass of cucumber water, which will quench your thirst and make you feel full. It also helps to cleanse your body of the trash and sweets consumed throughout the celebration.

2. Consume Fresh Fruits And Veggies

Choose low-glycemic whole fruits and vegetables such as apples, kiwi, papaya, berries, and so on to satisfy your stomach. Consume delicious vegetable broth, blanched vegetables, or a light homemade vegetable soup. Fruits and vegetables include fibre, which helps your gut and digestive system stay healthy, helping you stick to your weight loss diet. 

3. Stick To Light Home-Cooked Foods With No Oil

Preparations like khichdi, rice poha, oats, oatmeal, and quinoa salad for the next few meals. Restrict your salt intake and avoid sugar over the following few days. This will help your liver detoxify and rejuvenate itself.

4. Sleep Well

Following a frantic Holi celebration, allow your body 8-9 hours of rest to recover and revitalise. Keep your devices and phone away from you for at least one night. Have green tea or turmeric milk before going to bed. To fall asleep, listen to calm instrumental or relaxing music.

5. Consume Protein-Rich, Complex Carbohydrate-Rich, And Fibre-Rich Foods

Avoid eating rich and oily foods as they irritate the digestive system. Have a well-balanced diet to keep your energy levels up. Avoid sugar to offset the excess sugar you consume during Holi.

6. Avoid Late-Night Eating

It is usual to stay up late during the Holidays but avoid binge eating. Late-night snacking is a major contributor. You also suffer intestinal troubles by having food late at night.

7. Workout Or Exercise

Do simple home-based activities such as breathing exercises, aerobic warm-ups, and stretching. Exercise will aid in the relief of strained and tired muscles. You can also go for a long walk or perform yoga or pranayama.

8. Hydrate Your Body

Holi is a physically intense and exhausting festival. Drinking alcohol frequently dehydrates our bodies. Fried foods add to its promises. Thus, once you have finished your bath and are ready to rest, consume sugary soft beverages such as lemon and mint water, coriander water, coconut water, green tea, camomile or jasmine tea, and so on. These fluids will help you replenish the depleted electrolyte stores in your system.

Dietitian’s Recommendation

Holi is a time to celebrate with excellent food and good company. But, it is also critical to eat healthily and stick to a diet. So, try to follow the principles below and consider any additional ideas for eating well on Holi.

-Dietitian Lavina Chauhan 

The Final Say 

In our culture, festivals and cuisine have a very deep association. Holi is a festival that celebrates the vitality of life itself. You can eat delectable foods while keeping your health in mind. Our health is crucial to living a full and happy life. We wish you a joyous, healthy, and colourful Holi.

FAQs

1. What food do we eat on Holi?

Several dishes are served on Holi specifically to commemorate the festival of colours. Papri chaat, dahi vada, chana masala, puran poli, and besan papdi are a few of the most popular.

2. What should we avoid in Holi?

Avoid drinking bhaang and having sweets at the same time. Ensure you do not apply colour near your mouth and do not let the colour enter your mouth while you eat food. Also, along with food, keeping your skin and hair covered or protected is very important to prevent any reactions from colours.

3. Why is food important in Holi?

The Hindu religious festival Holi is all about colours. Still, it is also an excuse to eat foods that awaken the senses and keep your spirits high. However, traditional Holi delicacies vary from region to region and family to family.

4. Which is the best popular dish prepared during Holi?

Gujiya, puran poli, malpua, and thandai are traditional Holi delicacies, the most popular dishes prepared during the festival in almost every home.

5. Do we eat non-veg on Holi?

A large section of Hindus does not consume non-vegetarian food at festivals.

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