Dr. Meghana Pasi, Nutrition Consultant, MyThali Program, ArogyaWorld shares expert tips.
Select foods lower in calories, saturated fat, trans fat, sugar, and salt. Choose fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and low-fat milk.
Carb rich foods can spike blood glucose; hence be careful about the portion you select. Always go for smaller portions, use smaller bowls / plates and share your sweets / desserts with family and friends.
Fresh fruits, honey, dates, cinnamon, cardamom, figs and raisins can be good substitutes for refined sugarin your sweets.
Consume foods that have a low glycemic index (GI). Mix foods having low and high GI values to lowers the overall GI of a meal like adding veggies to upma, poha, rice, parathas; adding dals to rice based recipes like khichadi, pongal, bisibele rice, pulao, dhokla, dosa.
Learn to decode food labels and turn the package of all processed foods to know the ingredient list and nutrition content. Go for more natural foods. Avoid foods high in sugar, salt, fat/oils.
This is not just another way to express your love but it also helps you to make healthier choices with the ingredients. You can choose whole wheat flour instead of maida, banana instead of sugar and be generous with nuts.