The wedding season is here! There’s much to look forward to. Getting all dressed up, meeting long-lost cousins, catching up on neighborhood gossip and, of course – the food. Literally, rows and rows of decadent delicacies teasing you to taste them. Add this temptation to well-meaning relatives nudging you to stuff yourself so you can truly show that you appreciate their hospitality.
Do you wonder what you should or shouldn’t eat? Or do you end up giving in to your cravings?
It’s easy to binge on heavy, oily, spicy foods and tell yourself that it’s a one-time cheat. But the truth is that this indulgence will cause havoc to your carefully-managed blood sugar levels. There are many reasons to celebrate. But your festivities will not lose anything if you practice some restraint with your food choices.
You can still try to make healthy and smart eating choices. We spoke to our Diabetes Care Expert, Jayashree Salian to know how to balance and enjoy your food at a wedding.
Build a ‘COUNTER’ strategy: First things first, scan the entire buffet for the healthiest option. Grab a plate of salad before you start heading out to any other counter. Restrict yourself from eating the fried munchies and opt for foods that are stir-fried, grilled or roasted.
First stop – starters: Skip the crispy starters. You will have a variety of I starters to pick from; paneer tikka, chicken tikka, tandoori baby corn, mushroom, cauliflower, seekh kebab etc. Grab two pieces of any of these starters, and you’re good to go.
Be a picky eater: Live counters are a savior. They are customised and freshly prepared. Pasta, noodles or stir-fried veggies – every wedding has a live counter with one of these. Pick a single serving of anyone; choose 1 tablespoon of your favorite sauce, load it with your favorite veggies, add some seasoning and herbs.
Choose wisely: It’s a feast in all means. With so many options, it gets difficult to control portion size as well as pick low-calorie options.
Since the vegetable gravies are crammed with butter/ ghee/ oil and cream, it would be smart to only pick a piece or two of paneer/ chicken/ fish by smartly avoiding the fat load. Tandoori roti or phulka is always better than naans, kulchas, and parathas. Choose dal tadka over dal makhni/ dal fry. And restrict yourself to 1 roti or phulka and a bowl of dal.
The ‘Complete Avoidance’ stage: Although eating dessert after a meal is always blissful, try to avoid it as much as you can. However, if you’re craving something sweet, pick a bite size or 2-3 spoons of your favorite sweet. A healthy option would be a squeezed rasgulla or a nut-based sweet.
Tips and tricks:
Weddings are full of fun, but they are also full of high-calories. Follow some simple tips that will let you savoir food guilt-free!
- Don’t make the age-old mistake of “being hungry till the big event.” You’ll only end up hungry and likely to inhale everything you see. Not to mention the extreme blood sugar fluctuations.
- Don’t leave on an empty stomach. The trick is to eat a healthy snack before you head out – a bowl of sprouts, a fruit plate, or roasted makhana. This will help you to avoid binging or making wrong food choices.
- Reduce your portion size! For example, you can cut on the size of your breakfast and eat a bowl of salad instead, or you can reduce the size of your main meals, for example, if you eat 1 ½ rotis for lunch in place of 2. Lean protein and high-fibre foods are satisfying. This will help you balance your calorie and sugar levels well.
- Skip the counter laden with juices, shakes and mocktails; these will on lead to your blood sugar skyrocketing.
- Avoid eating fruits with your meal. Eating fruits with a meal is equal to trouble, for your sugar levels. It’s wiser to grab the fruit before heading out.
- Refills should be only for proteins like dal, veggies and salad. Try not to refill roti or rice.
- Make sure to check and note down your weight and blood sugar level before and after the wedding.
