Spinney shares recipes and suhoor tips from a dietician
Choosing your food wisely during Ramadan is key to making sure you remain healthy and energised throughout.
This Ramadan, Spinneys has compiled a selection of delicious and nutritious recipes to keep you feeling healthy throughout the Holy Month, and with a little help from Clinical Dietician Yasmine Haddad, here’s how you can make your suhoor meals count.
“When you fast, your body’s metabolism slows down in order to conserve its energy stores and therefore becomes an energy storing device” says Yasmine Haddad, Clinical Dietitian at myPediaclinic, Dubai.
“It then craves food in large amounts, especially foods high in fat and sugar. Once these foods are consumed the body may store the energy as fat. Thus, planning your meals during the holy month of Ramadan is crucial to keeping your metabolism and energy levels strong, and your digestion at ease. Try to consume iftar, some nutritionally dense snacks, and suhoor. And don’t forget to hydrate with water.”
Protein-packed lentil pancakes release their energy slowly throughout the day
The key to all of this is to make sure you’re consuming energy-packed suhoor dishes – the meal you consume before the sun comes up for a new day.
“A lot of people may skip or make wrong choices for suhoor – not knowing that it dictates insulin levels and the way you feel the following day,” Yasmine Haddad explains.
“That said, try to consume a light and balanced suhoor, which includes a combination of complex carbohydrates like whole wheat bread, oats and quinoa, protein such as Greek yoghurt, cheese and eggs, and some healthy fats that you find in peanut butter, avocado or olive oil.”
Sourdough banana bread is a good option for a healthy pre-dawn boost
Whilst we’re talking about what’s good for suhoor, there are bad items that you should avoid too.
Yasmine Haddad says “Stay away from sugary, caffeinated, spicy and salty drinks and meals – they may induce thirst the following day.”
Looking for some inspiration for your homemade suhoor dishes? Then take a look at this tried, tested, and tasty recipe we suggest below:
Aloo parathas with spicy tomato scrambled eggs
Jazz up this classic stuffed paratha by serving it with perfectly scrambled eggs with a hint of heat for a filling and satisfying breakfast
| Serves: 4 Ingredients Cake flour 450g Chickpea flour 2 tbsp Spinneys FOOD Salt ½ tsp Spinneys FOOD bottled drinking water 250ml Spinneys FOOD sunflower oil5 tbsp Russet potatoes 800g Spinneys FOOD organic ginger 2 tsp Green chillies 2 | Cook time: 60 minutes Spinneys FOOD fresh coriander 10g Garam masala 1 tsp Spinneys FOOD fine cumin 1 tsp Red chilli powder ¼ tsp Carom seeds ¼ tsp Mango powder ½ tsp SpinneysFOOD fine sea salt 1 tsp Chilli oil 1 tsp | Calories: 914 SpinneysFOOD mixed cherry tomatoes on the vine 250g Sweet peppers 2 Salted butter 40g Black mustard seeds ½ tsp SpinneysFOOD free-range eggs 8 Fresh parsley 10g Parmesan 50g |
Top of Form
Bottom of Form
Cooking Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine 350g of the cake flour, the chickpea flour and ½ tsp of salt.
- Using your hands, form a well in the centre and slowly pour in the water while mixing the dough. Once the mixture forms a shaggy dough, knead it in the bowl for 2-3 minutes. At this point, the dough will be quite sticky.
- Add 1 tbsp of oil and knead it for another 2 minutes to incorporate.
- Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel for 20 minutes. 5 In the meantime, peel and cube the potatoes.
- Place the potatoes in a pot of cold water and bring to a boil. Cook until tender, approx. 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes and mash or pass through a potato ricer into a medium-sized bowl.
- Chop the ginger and finely chop the green chillies and coriander. Add these to the potato along with the garam masala, fine cumin, red chilli powder, carom seeds, mango powder and ½ tsp of fine sea salt and mix to combine completely. The mixture should hold its shape when rolled into a ball.
- Divide the mixture into 10 balls.
- Then divide the rested dough into balls equivalent to the potato-mixture balls.
- Roll one ball of dough into an 8cm round and place a ball of the potato filling in the centre and enclose the dough around it, pinching the ends to close it.
- Place the remaining cake flour in a small bowl and place the potato filled dough ball in the centre. Using your fingertips, press the dough into the flour to form a thick round disc. Starting in the centre and gently pressing outwards to spread the filling out evenly.
- Place the round on a clean surface and gently roll out the disc in a circular motion, to paratha approx. 5mm thick. Repeat this process until all the dough and potato mixture has been used up.
- Preheat a large non-stick or cast-iron pan over a medium-high heat. Place one paratha on the hot pan and cook for 30 seconds before flipping it over. Brush a tsp or 2 of the oil over the surface of the paratha and flip over after 30 seconds. Do the same to the other side. Cook until each side is golden brown.
- Remove from the pan and set aside. Repeat with the remaining parathas.
- To make the scrambled eggs, halve the cherry tomatoes and finely slice the sweet peppers.
- Place a medium-sized non-stick pan over a medium heat and melt the butter and add the tomatoes, peppers, mustard seeds and chilli oil. Cook for 5 minutes, or until tender.
- Whisk the eggs together and pour into the pan, increase the heat and cook until desired doneness. Season to taste.
- Serve the parathas with the scrambled eggs, chopped parsley and grated Parmesan over the top.