Tips for vegan Ramadan? Check out what dietitians recommend!
A vegan diet during Ramadan can be compassionate, sustainable, budget-friendly, and detoxifying. Contrary to popular belief, vegans can maintain optimum nutrition and energy levels on a vegan diet. In fact, dietitians and nutritionists suggest that fasting's health benefits can be amplified when combined with a vegan diet.
"Following a vegan eating style does not necessarily lead to an imbalance of nutrient intake and improper dietary composition," said Fahmida Jafri, Dietitian-Clinical Nutrition at Thumbay University Hospital. "With careful planning, a vegan diet can provide almost all the macro and micronutrients required for a healthy meal." Jafri recommends consuming high-quality proteins, fiber, iron, magnesium, and calcium from tofu, beans, chickpeas, quinoa, nuts, and soybeans during Suhoor to sustain energy levels while fasting.
In addition to being a sustainable and budget-friendly option, a vegan diet can also improve autoimmune conditions such as gout, lupus, asthma, sinusitis, and muscle damage, reduce overall inflammation in the body, reverse fatty liver and prediabetes issues, clear blood vessels, and trigger cell repair and prevention of cell mutations, according to Juliot Vinolia Rajarathinam, clinical dietitian at Medeor Hospital, Dubai.
However, nutritionists caution that a lack of effort in eating balanced vegan meals could lead to nutritional deficiencies in protein, vitamin B12, K2, vitamin D, calcium, iron, zinc, and omega-3 fatty acids. They suggest taking nutritional supplements or multivitamins as recommended by medical professionals to fill in any gaps in a balanced diet.
Vinolia also advises mindful vegan shopping by reading the nutritional label and ingredients. This is to avoid overindulging in grain-based foods and processed vegan meats that may contain trans fats and sodium similar to processed red meat.
To maintain a balanced nutrition profile during Ramadan, nutritionists recommend considering these vegan-friendly foods for Suhoor and Iftar:
Plant-based milk from sources like soy, almond, coconut, oatmeal, rice, hemp, tempeh, tofu, and edamame can provide calcium, magnesium, and Vitamin D. Aim for 1-2 cups daily.
A handful of nuts, 1-2 teaspoons of chia or flaxseeds, or tahini/sesame seeds can provide essential amino acids and fatty acids.
Incorporating 1-2 cups of lentils, beans, dals, chickpeas, soya meal, mushrooms, quinoa, or buckwheat can provide protein and other nutrients.
Consuming 1-2 servings daily of kimchi, low-salt vegetable pickles, tempeh, kefir, overnight-soaked fermented cooked rice, or sauerkraut (fermented cabbage) can provide probiotics for gut health.
Nut butters, avocado, hummus, and coconut milk yogurt can be used as protein-rich spreads and fillings.
Vegetables can be roasted, pureed, or made into patties/kebabs.
Chickpeas, green moong beans, and green peas are tasty protein alternatives to eggs and chicken. Aim to include these foods in Ramadan recipes.
Try a vegan tofu omelet made with tofu, capsicum, and mushrooms in olive oil. You can also try quinoa bread, and a banana-berry smoothie made with almond milk topped with chia seeds for a delicious meal.
For snacks or lighter meals, consider dates, lentil soup, mixed fruit salad (pineapple/grapes/pomegranates) topped with raisins and flax seeds, and coconut water.
To complement the clean eating and fiber intake of a vegan diet, it's critical to consume enough fluids to detox the body.
Dietitian Fahmida Jafri suggests that iftars can be made even more beneficial by including soups, stews, casseroles, smoothies, and fresh fruit juices.