The month of Ramadaan – which sees about one billion Muslims fasting during the day – signifies a happy and spiritual time. But it is also a time to worry about diet.
New research conducted on behalf of Philips across four countries, polled more than 4,000 Muslims to determine eating habits and the top foods and drinks consumed at Iftar, the meal eaten after sunset.
Eating and preparing food plays an important role during Ramadaan. However, many of those polled admit to finding it difficult to eat healthily, with a quarter of respondents (27 percent) agreeing that many foods considered to be traditional or associated with Ramadaan are not that healthy.
Fried foods such as samoosas and oil-heavy rice dishes were among the top five most popular dishes enjoyed at Iftar.
A tendency to eat what others are eating is a key barrier to eating healthily for one in four (25 percent) during Ramadaan, while one in five (21 percent) find that length of cooking time plays a role.
Sara Elnakib, a nutrition expert and contributor to the Philips report, said: “Fasting has many proven health benefits if conducted correctly and with a greater awareness of what is consumed before and after the fast begins. However, many tend to overeat particularly at Iftar, and often the meal involves heavy, fatty foods that are high in calories.”
One third of those polled (34 percent) identified that cooking for large numbers and unexpected visitors is common and challenging when it comes to preparing the Iftar meal.
One in four (27 percent) cite cooking culturally important food as one of strongest influences on the meals they prepare, yet the same number confirm that traditional foods can be one of the biggest challenges to balancing a healthy diet.
Philips said in a statement that Muslims are eager to cook healthier meals. Over 90 percent have tried new recipes and more than half turn to the internet as well as family members (44 percent) for recipe inspiration when cooking for loved ones.
Changing eating habits mean though that home-cooked meals are increasingly being replaced thanks to the influx of restaurants, convenience shops and fast foods.
The report said 61 percent of people ate food that wasn’t homemade at least once a week during last year’s Ramadaan, and one in 10 (12 percent) ate convenience food every day.
With families buying and eating out more, Ramadaan can prove an expensive time of year, with 44 percent spending more on food during the month than the rest of the year.
Favourite food and drinks during Ramadaan were also identified in the Philips report:
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FAVOURITE FOODS DURING RAMADAAN
Soup
Samoosas
Rice dishes (Biryani, Mansaf, Kabsas)
Yaprak Sarma
Pide
Fried rolls
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FAVOURITE DRINKS DURING RAMADAAN
Fruit juice
Water
Tea
Soft drink
Gahwa