Saturday 21 / December / 2024
If your child is observing fasts during Ramadan, add fruit salads during Suhoor and Iftar meals to keep up their energy levels. Watermelons or other high water content fruits and vegetables are also great way to rehydrate. A fun and healthier way to encourage consumption of fruits is to slice them in small cubes and shapes and serving them as popsicles. Make sure your children stay hydrated and drink plenty of water during non-fasting hours. Organic juices and yoghurt based drinks can be used if your child won’t eat fruit.
Ensure that your kids get the right start by planning a protein powered Suhoor. It is essential that kids consume a lot of proteins, such as peanut butter, cheese, yoghurt or milk. Adding nuts, especially almonds, to Suhoor because they have protein and carbs in them.Other protein based items that can be included are beans, lentils, eggs, and other dairy products. If lactose intolerant, there are choices such as almond or soy milks. Serving dried nuts with French toasts and pancakes is a great way to encourage their consumption. Scrambled eggs and omelettes are other alternatives that are appealing to kids and contains protein, iron, and other important nutrients.
Encourage your child to break their fast with high-fibre items, such as dates and lentil soups. Breaking fast with items rich in fibre, minerals, and vitamins helps in retaining hydrating ingredients and fluids and also prevents constipation. Fruit salads and soups are another great way of ensuring that your children get the right amount of nutrients. Dates are also excellent natural power packs and are rich in fibre. Encourage the tradition of breaking fasts with a date.
Avoid deep fried items and consuming too much oil, as it could lead to nausea attacks and vomiting. Dr Steelman suggests sticking to grilled meats instead, especially during Iftar. Using cooking methods such as air frying and steaming can be used as an alternative to deep frying. A common mistake made by parents is to encourage their children to overeat during Suhoor or Iftar. This is an extremely unhealthy habit which causes indigestion and bloating. Overeating can also lead to extreme case of vomiting and nausea.
Words of Wisdom
“Say, ‘O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah . Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful'” [Quran 39:53]
Another verse of the Holy Quran that reminds us of the greatness of Allah’s mercy, this is another source of inspiration for those who need the gentle reminder that Allah will always be there for us. Knowing that with sincere repentance, Allah can and inshallah will forgive us, this verse is another reminder of the greatness of Allah’s mercy and compassion.
Health tip
Keep your surrounding clean
A saying that we’ve all grown up reading is ‘Cleanliness is next to Godliness’. Perhaps, it’s time to start practising it. Start at home. Make sure your house and the surroundings are clean. Once you’ve achieved that, get out with a few friends and stop people from littering and trash every garbage you see on the road. And once that is done, you could clean up the beaches and islands and help maintain Oman’s cleanliness and beauty.
