Iftar and Suhoor, being the two meals at two very different times during the fasting days of Ramadan, fulfill different needs. Iftar is the daily fast-breaking meal taken after sunset, while Suhoor is the daily pre-dawn meal taken before the day’s fast begins.
Iftar is more popular among these two special meals, mainly due to its often public and sumptuous nature. Suhoor, on the other hand, is almost always a private affair inside homes and tends to be leaner than the Iftar dishes. However, in reality, it needs to be a more carefully planned meal. Suhoor requires meticulous planning as it happens pre-dawn. The body is relatively well-supplied by energy and nutrients for immediate needs from the previous evening’s Iftar but still has to create a store for the rest of the fasting day.
Hence, at least three guidelines should be followed while planning the daily Suhoor meals. Firstly, it should include slow-burning energy sources like complex carbohydrates with a lower glycemic index. Secondly, when selecting protein-rich foods, it is better to include slow-releasing protein sources. Lastly, the Suhoor meal should be wholesomely nutritious.
With these three guidelines in mind, here are ten of the most beneficial foods for including in a Suhoor meal:
Dates: Dates are a nutritional powerhouse with a relatively lower glycemic index, due to their fiber-rich nature. They are also an excellent source of carbohydrates, proteins, vitamin B6, and minerals including potassium, magnesium, copper, manganese & iron.
Whey Protein: Whey protein, taken from milk, is one of the most complete proteins. From a Suhoor angle, it makes immense sense to be included in this special pre-dawn meal, especially if it contains both slow-releasing and fast-releasing proteins. Such whey protein mixes are nowadays available as meal replacement shakes.
Wholegrain Foods: Wholegrain foods, as opposed to refined flour-based foods, have a low glycemic index as they release their carbohydrates slowly during digestion and metabolism, making them excellent choices as Suhoor foods. Examples include wholegrain cereals, wholegrain oats, wholegrain rice, and wholegrain bread.
Low Glycemic Fresh Fruits: While most fruits are rich in simple carbohydrates, some of them still have a low glycemic index. These include apples, oranges, papaya, grapes, cherries, pears, plums, strawberries & peaches, all excellent choices for inclusion in a Suhoor meal.
Nuts: Most nuts have too few carbohydrates to have a glycemic index at all. Examples include almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, pine nuts, pecan nuts & Brazil nuts, making them suitable for inclusion in a Suhoor meal. Even those nuts with a glycemic index like chestnuts, pistachios, cashews & peanuts have a lower GI than most foods and can be included in Suhoor, as nuts are generally great sources of proteins, higher quality fats, minerals & vitamins.
Dry Fruits: Dried versions of fruits like apricots, prunes, raisins, figs, cranberries, etc., are very high in nutrients as a percentage of their weight due to the removal of water. They can be good additions to a Suhoor meal, but in lower quantities, as some of them tend to be higher in calories too.
Eggs: Eggs are not only one of the richest sources of high-quality proteins and several other nutrients, but the egg protein is a medium-release protein, which means it will take around three hours to be fully absorbed, making them an excellent addition to a Suhoor meal.
Milk: While lactose intolerance among a high percentage of the population makes milk a difficult choice for many, for those who can easily digest it, milk is one of the best choices for Suhoor. This is because casein, the main protein in milk, is one of the slowest releasing proteins, taking over 4 hours to be fully absorbed.
Legumes & Seeds: Most legumes are excellent sources of slow-acting proteins, even though their amino acid profiles are not as complete as eggs or milk or whey. Still, legumes like chickpeas, beans, soy, etc., should be ideally included in a Suhoor meal as they also have high satiety value, which works against hunger. Seeds, on the other hand, are also excellent sources of beneficial fats like Omega-3s.
Yogurt: Any meal, especially a Suhoor meal, would be incomplete without a dash of probiotics, and yogurt is one fantastic source of probiotic agents or beneficial bacteria. Probiotics optimize the gut microbiome, which in turn works against most physical and mental fatigue and confusion.
