How To Avoid Being Hangry During The Navratra Fast
The festive season has begun (yay!), and we welcome it with the Navratras. These nine days build up to the day of Dussehra, when we burn effigies of Ravana and his two brothers as a symbolic burning of the evil. Symbolic because in the literal sense we are fighting the real evil – the food that’s deliciously tempting- but horrible for you, your waistline, your skin etc. You get the drift. For these nine days, you have to avoid certain foods – onion, garlic, meat, and alcohol – even for those who don’t keep the fast. As if this isn’t frustrating enough, those who do keep the fast have to put with many food restrictions, and have only a few ingredients to choose from. No wonder, you are likely to get all hangry, lose your head while your family cowers in a corner and generally breathe fire because you aren’t eating enough. So maybe, instead of screaming murder, if you reframe how you view this fast, it won’t be so bad. By this we mean, that your family can come of hiding without worrying about losing their heads.
The navratra fast is not a fast, but a diet.
You’re not starving yourself. You’re not expected to skip meals. In fact, you can eat anytime you want. Just not anything you want. And honestly, even the things you are allowed to eat are pretty decadent and filling. So, what’s the problem? We make a bigger deal out of it than it is. In fact, the fast is more like a diet. Surely, doing a 10-day paleo diet wouldn’t be as bad for you, right? So, consider this endless supply of aloo and sabudana a diet chart given to you by the latest celebrity dietician. Also, yum!
You CAN eat out, and you can eat dessert, too.
Most restaurants serve navratra special meals. So, you are not holding off the celebration and being a spoiled sport. You can go out for a nice family dinner, and enjoy the pangs for a good rogan josh together, while you eat your sabudana sabzi. Family bonding time like none other.
There is a lot to experiment when it comes to making fast-approved dishes.
Do you know how many dishes you can make if you have only eggs, tomatoes, onion, and pepper? Plenty! The same applies for all the ingredients you are allowed to consume during the fast. You know what this means? Family cooking time! Yep. Get your loved ones together, and instead of bickering about how you are not allowed to eat this or that, get your creative juices flowing, and whip up some new dishes for everyone to savour.
