During Ramadan, suhoor is an essential part of fasting. It is a traditional act while also a really important way to maintain your energy levels throughout the day. The best practice for suhoor is to, first of all, have it.
Many people opt out of waking up to eat the early morning meal in favour of precious sleep time, but you’re doing yourself a disservice in the long run. Too often, people choose to skip the pre-dawn “suhoor” meal altogether or choose the wrong foods. It’s time to get smart about the food choices you make which is key for an easy fast. A balanced suhoor will leave you feeling energized and help curb feelings of hunger and thirst during the day.
The Prophet Muhammad encouraged those fasting to wake up for this meal, and he is reported to have said: “Eat suhoor; surely there is much blessing in suhoor.”
Some ingredients in your suhoor meal will have a negative effect on your overall wellbeing during the day. Salty items such as salty cheese, smoked meats and pickles should be avoided because they’ll only make you thirsty during the day. Spicy food has the same effect and should be limited. Stay away from simple sugars found in white bread, sweets, candy, cake and plain cereal which can cause a sugar rush followed by a sugar slump, a cue for cravings.
Milk, eggs, beans, yogurt, salt-free cheese, cucumbers, tomatoes, dried fruits or nuts and whole wheat bread are perfect choices for a suhoor meal. Or if you want a quick suhoor, a bowl of soup with a slice of whole wheat bread can also be consumed.
To tame your sugar cravings, it is always advisable to eat a few dates.
Since Ramadan is 30 days of dry intermittent fasting, it’s important to keep hydrated throughout the day . Drinking water is also very important. Try to drink for eight to nine cups of water per day, broken up at various times—two glasses at suhoor, two glasses at iftar and the remaining four cups throughout the night.
Go for waterlogged fruits and veggies, such as watermelons and cucumbers, to keep your water levels stabilized. Soup and coconut water is also quite re-hydrating.
Food like porridge is very good from that perspective. Keep your morning meal light and have nothing fried or nothing fatty as you may get reflux throughout the day trying to digest a heavy meal.
Light puddings or rice pudding can be consumed during suhoor as they leave you feeling full and provide your body with the energy and sugar you need when you are fasting.
