Balanceophile

Ugadi, one of India’s most popular festivals is here soon. While we are excited to celebrate it with families and friends, some of us are also keen to consider a healthy take on all the yumminess that accompanies every festival – Food!

We all know that during festivals, one must not count calories or restrict from eating anything, especially, if it comes from Amma’s kitchen! So, what do people like us who want to eat festival food but not go overboard do? Well, here are some of the strategies that I apply (well, try to!) during festivals so that the guilt fades away when you see a banana leaf in front of you.

1. The Superheroes: Palya (Vegetable stir-fry), Usili (Boiled Lentils), and Salad: In every region of South of India, traditional festival meals include a variety of simple stir-fried vegetables and salads. In Karnataka, we call it Palya, Usili, and Kosambari. We make Palyas using common vegetables like beans, cabbage, carrots, etc. Usili is prepared using black/white chana and Kosambari is prepared using cucumber, carrot, and soaked moong dal. All these items are simple, easy to make, and carry the right balance of proteins and fiber. We fill our banana leaf with these dishes more and savor it slowly. Guess it’s a good thing that these are served at the beginning of the meal.
2. Jaggery-based >> Sugar-based: Well, it is true that both jaggery and sugar are essentially the same. However, from what I have seen, jaggery could be less processed compared to sugar crystals and they also contain some micronutrients. Inevitable that we won’t stop ourselves from eating sweets during festivals, why not pick a jaggery-based sweet like payasa or obbattu (puran-poli) instead of fried sugar-based sweets?
3. Deep-fried snacks Healthy/Air-fried snacks: Festivals call for special snacks like vada, bonda, etc., and when did our stomach refuse such deliciousness? And to add, we don’t stop at one or two of these. Considering the best of both worlds, we could make the same using air fryers instead of deep frying. Alternatively, we can also enjoy some alternatives like sauteed vegetable tikki, salted nuts, etc. Sometimes, I skip making these dishes and if I end up getting it from some where, I ensure to eat in moderate quantities.
4. Fasting during festivals: In my household, we usually fast until all the dishes are offered to the god (Naivedya). By the time, the meal is prepared, it would be lunchtime. This gives us some room to go a little beyond our calorie limit for lunch. By skipping breakfast, we enjoy some calorie-rich dishes without hampering our calorie goals.
5. Hydration: As mentioned above, fasting is a general habit in my household, but it is accompanied by rounds and rounds of filter coffee. There is of course a downside to this, caffeine on an empty stomach and lots of it. Hence, as an alternate option, we try replacing coffee with water (lots of it). If we need something else, we drink tender coconut water or lemon water. This ensures that we hydrate well in our fasting period while we are busy prepping items for the festival.

Festivals are our chance to revisit the cultural brilliance of our land, and the ideal goal of every festival is to enjoy the day. With these steps, I hope you have a healthy and happy festival. Wishing you all a peaceful and prosperous Ugadi!