Navratri: 7 Foods You Didn’t Know You Can Have While Fasting

Navratris are on and devotees of Goddess Durga across the country are busy fasting and feasting to show their devotion and seek her blessings. These 9-days of fasting are considered to be very auspicious and end with celebrating the grand festival of Dussehra which signifies the triumph of good over evil. Those who are fasting may know that certain vrat ingredients like singhara ke atta, sendha namak and sabudana are allowed to be consumed while others like regular salt, non-vegetarian items and alcohol are prohibited. Besides these regular vrat ingredients, there are some other ingredients that you may also consume as they abide by the general fasting rules. Remember, that fasting rules may differ from family to family and we’ll leave it up to you whether or not you would like to include these ingredients in your fasting meals. 

1. Amaranth: Amaranth is full of protein and it is not a grain but a pseudeo-cereal. These are edible starchy seeds that may resemble cereals but they are not from the family of wheat or rice. You can make lovely amaranth tikkis or try a wholesome amaranth pulao.

2. Quinoa: Quinoa is a gluten-free edible seed that belongs to the same family as amaranth. It is native to South America but is even grown and available in India. It is prized for its high quality of proteins. You can use it as a substitute for rice and try a one pot meal with quinoa, sweet potatoes, coconut and nuts. 

3. Pink Salt: Himalayan pink salt is considered to be the purest form of salt on Earth and it is perhaps purer than sendha namak. It is not subjected to any industrial processes and is unrefined and unprocessed. It is believed to be one of the healthiest versions salt rich with many minerals. 

4. Dry Fruits and Nuts: You can chomp on a variety of nuts, dry fruits and dried berries. Add raisins or cranberries to your milk. You can even make a date shake. 

5. Brown Sugar: Although, regular sugar is permitted during Navratri fasts. You can ditch the refined version and opt for healthier brown sugar. Honey and jaggery are also other better options to try if you are looking for healthy ways to fast.

6. Seeds: Flax seeds, sunflower seeds or chia seeds are all good options. Sprinkle them over some veggies or roll them into kuttu atta, these tiny seeds are healthy ways to keep your energy levels up.

7. Coconut: Sprinkle some dried coconut flakes on your bowl of veggies or try a lovely coconut kheer for dessert instead of the regular sabudana version. 

Fasting need not be boring. There are a lot of options to explore and if you’re out of ideas, turn to these.