Ramadan diet plan: healthy sehri and iftar

Ramadan is a month of worship, family and food. Many people feel tired, thirsty or gain weight during the month, mostly because of what we eat at iftar. With a little planning you can fast with more energy and finish Ramadan healthier than you started.

By Muhammad IshfaqUpdated 25 October 20264 min read

What happens to your body while fasting

After sehri, your body uses the food you ate for energy for several hours. Later in the day, it starts using stored energy from the liver and then from fat. For healthy adults, this is safe. The main challenges are thirst, low energy in the afternoon, headaches from missing tea or coffee, and, for some people, low blood sugar.

Studies show that many people do not lose weight in Ramadan, and some gain, because large, rich iftar and late night meals make up for the hours of fasting.

Sehri: build a meal that lasts

Sehri should keep you going for 12 to 16 hours. Choose foods that digest slowly and include protein, fibre and some healthy fat:

• Protein: eggs, dahi, milk, daal, chicken or a little paneer
• Slow carbs: whole wheat roti, oats or daliya, brown bread
• Fibre and water: cucumber, tomato, fruit like an apple, banana or orange
• Drinks: 2 to 3 glasses of water, a glass of milk or lassi without much sugar

Avoid at sehri: parathas fried in lots of ghee, very salty food (it makes you thirsty), sweet drinks and too much chai (caffeine makes you pass more urine).

Sehri ideas (about 450 to 550 calories)

• 2 eggs (boiled or omelette), 1 roti, 1 cup dahi, 1 banana
• 1 bowl oats or daliya with milk, a few almonds and dates, 1 boiled egg
• 1 roti with leftover daal or chicken salan (little oil), cucumber, 1 cup dahi

Iftar: open gently

After a long day without food, it is tempting to eat everything on the table at once. A better way:

1. Break the fast with water and 1 to 3 dates. Dates give quick natural sugar and fibre, and it is the Sunnah.
2. Pray Maghrib before the main meal. This short break lets your stomach settle and your body notice that you have eaten.
3. Start with soup or fruit chaat (without sugar) and a glass of water.
4. Then have a normal plate: half salad or sabzi, a quarter protein (chicken, daal, chana, fish), a quarter roti or rice.

The fried food problem

The typical iftar table has pakoras, samosas, jalebi, dahi baray, sweet sherbets and fruit chaat with sugar. Here is what a "small" plate can add up to:

That is half a day's calories for many people, before dinner. Some easy fixes:

• Make pakoras and samosas in an air fryer or oven, or limit fried items to 2 pieces.
• Make chana chaat or dahi baray made with baked baray the main snack instead.
• Have fruit chaat with chaat masala and lemon, no sugar or cream.
• Choose water, lemon water or plain lassi instead of sherbet every day.

For more ideas, read healthy swaps for fried snacks.

A sample Ramadan day (about 1,650 calories)

Need a different calorie level? Our diet plan maker can build a day around your target, and our calorie calculator shows how much you need.

Staying hydrated

In hot weather, thirst is the hardest part of fasting. You need to fit a full day's water into a few hours:

• Drink 8 to 10 glasses between iftar and sehri: 2 at iftar, 2 to 3 during dinner and Taraweeh, 2 before bed, 2 at sehri.
• Eat water-rich foods: cucumber, watermelon, melon, tomatoes, dahi and soup.
• Cut down on salty food, pickles and very spicy dishes at sehri.
• Stay in the shade and rest in the hottest hours if you can.

See also how much water to drink in hot summers.

Who should talk to a doctor before fasting?

Islam gives clear exemptions to people for whom fasting could be harmful. Please talk to your doctor before Ramadan if you:

• Have diabetes, especially if you use insulin or tablets that can cause low sugar. Your doses and timing often need to change. International guidelines (IDF-DAR) help doctors plan this.
• Have kidney disease, heart disease, or very high or low blood pressure.
• Are pregnant or breastfeeding.
• Are older and frail, or take several medicines a day.

Common questions

How many dates should I eat at iftar?

One to three dates is enough for most people. Each date has about 20 to 25 calories, so a big bowl of dates adds up quickly.

Can I lose weight in Ramadan?

Yes, if you keep iftar and dinner to normal portions and avoid a lot of fried and sweet food. Many people gain weight because they eat more than usual at night.

Is it okay to exercise while fasting?

Light activity like walking is fine. The best time for exercise is 1 to 2 hours after iftar, when you have eaten and can drink water.

Should people with diabetes fast?

Some people with well-controlled diabetes can fast safely with a plan from their doctor. Others are at high risk and are advised not to fast. Talk to your doctor 6 to 8 weeks before Ramadan.

Sources

1. International Diabetes Federation and DAR International Alliance. Diabetes and Ramadan: Practical Guidelines, 2021. www.daralliance.org
2. Fernando HA, Zibellini J, Harris RA, Seimon RV, Sainsbury A. Effect of Ramadan fasting on weight and body composition in healthy non-athlete adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutrients, 2019;11:478. doi.org/10.3390/nu11020478
3. World Health Organization, Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean. Healthy diet during Ramadan. www.emro.who.int/nutrition
4. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central: dates, deglet noor and medjool. fdc.nal.usda.gov

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