Eid-ul-Adha 2023: Healthy eating tips for a balanced Bakrid feast

Eid-ul-Adha or Bakrid, the festival of sacrifice, is round the corner. One of the biggest festivals celebrated by Muslims all over the world.

it falls on the tenth day of the twelfth month of the Islamic lunar calendar Dhu-al-Hijjah. Bakrid is declared in India and other countries upon the sighting of the crescent moon. The act of sacrifice (of sheep, lamb, goat, cow, bull or a camel) or qurbani is carried out after the Eid prayers which are performed at the nearest mosque on the morning of Eid.

The meat is then divided into three equal parts, one for family, second for friends and relatives, and the third for poor and needy. On the day of Bakrid, people dress up in the best of their clothes, eat to their heart’s content and exchange gifts with each other. While enjoying Bakrid feast, one should consider certain health tips to avoid digestive issues or keep chronic diseases at bay.

“Eid Al Adha is a festival of sacrifice when the sheep is slaughtered and meat is eaten, and also shared with relatives, poor, and needy. It’s a customary religious practice to consume meat on this day such as mutton biryani, kofta, kebab etc. Meat is a nutritious food, but the quantity of its consumption is of utmost importance as it can lead to gastrointestinal problems, hypercholesterolemia or cardiovascular diseases if consumed in high amounts.

1. Go for grilled instead of fried
Rather than consuming meat in the fried form such as fried mutton, fried liver or kebabs, choose baked or grilled alternatives with just a brushing of oil as it will be tastier, crispier and healthier too.

2. Simple gravies are better than thick and creamy ones
Rather than making your meat with a thick, creamy and greasy gravy, that includes a lot of oil, cream, butter etc., opt for a healthier alternative with less oil and just onion-tomato puree, excluding any rich gravy thickener such as cream, ghee, cashew nuts etc.

3. Add fibre in the form of vegetables and fruits
To make the meat dish more healthy and gut friendly which is easily digestible too, include more veggies with the meat in the form of salad without creamy dressings, sautéed or grilled veggies. Also make fruits your best friend as their fibre content will help in eliminating toxins from the body and keep your gut clean. Also, fruits help to keep the sugar cravings at bay and keep a person fuller for a longer time too.

4. Small and frequent meals
Instead of feasting in one meal, have small and frequent meals that will keep your gut in a healthy condition. Also keep a check on your portion size as most problems will be vanished with just portion control.

5. Avoid mutton’s internal organs
Internal organs such as liver, heart, kidney etc. are high in fat and cholesterol, so avoid their consumption. Rather choose healthier low-fat alternatives such as mutton breasts, neck or wings.

6. Avoid sweet desserts and sugar-sweetened beverages
Avoid sweet foods if you aim to limit your calories and fat consumption and also don’t have empty calories in the form of sweet beverages. Replace these beverages with fruit juices.