Winters get over and most of us realize that we have put on a lot of weight. Then comes Navratri, and we decide to make amends. Most Hindus get ready to fast for these nine days of Navratri, not only for religious reasons but also to lose a few kilos of weight.
The irony is that most of us find that after the nine-day festival that in place of losing weight, we have gained a few kilos more. Aah!! What a terrible feeling it is. Weight gain becomes a trap, and we feel that we can never come out of it. We fret about our weight, but have we ever thought about how many carbohydrates we have consumed during these nine days daily and all in the name of having Special NavratriVrat foods?
Lose Weight During Navratri
Ditch the Carbohydrates with simple hacks.
Let’s see what we eat during Navratri fasting and get ready to be fat, like real FAT.
Potato
Come to Navratri, and the humble potato becomes the king of the market. It is the most commonly used food during fasting. Do you know that a medium-sized potato is around 100 kcal, and then we have how many potatoes in a day…. Let’s recollect…. Aaloo Bhartha, Aaloo kachori, Aaloo halwa, Aaloo Sago, Aaloo Tamatar Sabzi, and yes, not to forget that spicy Aaloo Ka Raita. The list is unending. Then we fry potatoes for snacks in between, calling it “Falaahar”. Seriously!
Hack
Have sautéd vegetables and cucumber raita instead of potatoes in everything. Why not have Pumpkin or Lauki, which are low-carb vegetables?
Sago/Sabudana
This staple during the Navratri fast is just simple and pure carbohydrates. A 50 g serving of it means 175 kcal. Sago is a high glycemic index food that must be avoided at any cost, even though most of us wait for Navratri to enjoy Sabudana khichdi and sago vada.
Hack
If you must have sago, then add a bit of soaked sago in diluted milk to make Kheer with stevia or add a spoonful of semi-cooked Saabudana to diluted curd to make Sago Raita.
Rajgiri / Amaranth / Chaulai / Ramdana
High in Carbohydrates but otherwise a good source of protein, Amaranth makes an excellent cereal option that can be consumed during Navratri. It is rich in protein, fiber, and various minerals and vitamins. But please avoid adding sugar and Gur to make Chaulai laddoo.
Hack
Make Amaranth kheer or add vegetables to make something like Dalia or Upma out of it.
Sweet potato
Sweet potatoes, though, are high in carbohydrates but low in glycemic index. It is also rich in fiber and vitamin A. One large sweet potato provides 162 kcal. Avoid making Shakarkandi halwa to control carbs as well as calories.
Hack
Add a few cubes to your salads or fruit chaat. It will boost your energy well and keep you going for all the Navratri days.
Kuttu (Buckwheat) floor
Kuttu ka atta, the favorite of fasting people, is 75% carb and 25% high-quality protein. It is also a good source of fiber, magnesium, iron, vitamin B, and calcium. But a rider here is that it is good food only if you keep it fat-free.
Hack, Lose Weight During Navratri
Rather than eating fried Kuttu puris, Kachories, or Pakoras, make Kuttu Cheela or Chapatti with added spinach.
Samak (Vrat ka Chawal)
100g of Samak or swank rice provides 170 calories with a lot of carbohydrates. Better be had in low quantity.
Hack
Use Samak rice as a vegetable Upma, Dalia, Idli, Dosa, or Pulao with extra vegetables to keep the carb content low and fiber high. Make kheer without sugar and either add stevia or a few almonds, dates, and raisins to add that much-needed sweetness. You can add some Samak with Kuttu flour to make roti.
So these are some commonly used carb-laden foods during the Navratri fast. Eat them, but use your wisdom and remember never mix up Carbohydrates with Fats. If you do that, then you are guilty of a suicidal attempt, no, seriously, overuse of carbs kills you.
Stay healthy and stay alive.
Do you think you can control carbs and lose weight during Navratri?
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