Guides To Eating Patterns When Fasting To Stay Fit With The Right Nutrition

Illustration of a healthy diet (Freepic)

JAKARTA - Living a healthy diet while fasting is very important to maintain a balance of nutrients and energy throughout the day. Despite changes in eating time, nutritional needs must still be met so that the body remains fit during fasting.

Nutritionist from Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital (RSCM) Jakarta, Fitri Hudayani, explained that the principle of eating when fasting is basically the same as a normal day, it's just that the meal time is different.

"Regulating the diet of fasting is in principle the same as other days, only different in setting meal times," Fitri said as quoted by ANTARA.

On a regular day, a person generally eats three meals a day with two additions of Selingan food. During fasting, the schedule can be adjusted to two main meals and three times the Selingan food to keep up with the nutritional needs.

Nutrition needs also need to be adjusted to factors such as age, gender, and daily activities. Fitri recommends breaking the fast starting with dates and water or warm tea, then followed by the main food after performing Maghrib Prayers.

The main foods should consist of staple foods, animal side dishes, vegetable side dishes, vegetables, and fruit. After Tarawih Prayers, Selingan foods can be consumed to maintain an energy balance until suhoor.

"When suhoor, it is important to continue to eat complete food so that energy is maintained throughout the day," he added.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Association of Indonesian Clinical Nutrition Specialists (PDGKI) Banten Branch, dr. Dian Permatasari, MGzi, SpGK, reminded the public to limit the consumption of sweet foods such as sugar, bread, or cakes with high sugar levels during fasting.

Instead, Dian suggested eating foods that contain complex carbohydrates such as rice, wheat bread, noodles, or pasta.

Animal and plant protein sources, such as fish, chicken, eggs, tofu, and tempeh, are also important to maintain nutritional balance. In addition, consumption of vegetables and fruit rich in vitamins and minerals is highly recommended.

"Sufficient nutrition must still be fulfilled during fasting, even though there is a change in meal time," said Dian.

For those who undergo a diet program or have certain health conditions such as diabetes or kidney disorders, Dian emphasized that fasting can still be carried out by taking into account the appropriate diet.

"During fasting, the diet program can still run because what changes is only meal time, not daily nutritional needs," he concluded.