For many people, Navratri is a time of celebration, devotion and fasting. While some devotees choose to give up grains, onions and specific spices for these nine days, others choose healthy options to ensure that they get the required nutrition. Most of us turn to our favorite vegetable – potatoes – during this time! However, if you are trying to lose weight, consuming potatoes at every meal during these nine days may undermine your weight loss efforts. Although potatoes are a common fasting snack, their high carbohydrate content can cause blood sugar levels to rise rapidly, making weight loss challenging.

If you’re looking to swap out potatoes for healthier, more manageable vegetables during Navratri, you’re in luck! But which vegetables should you choose? We contacted Ms Parmeet Kaur, Principal and Chief Nutritionist and Dietitian at Marengo Asia Hospital, Gurugram, who shared a ranking of Navratri-approved vegetables that will help you lose weight while following the fasting guidelines.

Why it’s an excellent choice: Pumpkin is high in fiber and low in calories, making it ideal weight lossAdditionally, it contains beta-carotene and other antioxidants that are beneficial for your overall health.

Benefits for weight loss: The high fiber content in pumpkin helps control appetite by keeping you full and promoting better digestion. It is a better alternative to potato because it contains less starch.

Use: Pumpkin can be used in soups, sabzi (vegetable dishes) that are suitable for fasting, or even pumpkin puree can be made that goes well with vrat rotis.

Why they are an excellent choice: Sweet potatoes are a great alternative to regular potatoes. They have a low glycemic index, which means they don’t raise blood sugar levels as quickly as regular potatoes. They are high in fiber and contain vitamins A and C, making them more nutritious and helping to prevent overindulgence.

Benefits for weight loss: Sweet potatoes contain more fiber than regular potatoes, which helps keep you feeling full for a longer period of time. This helps in reducing the calorie intake, which is necessary for weight loss.

Use: Sweet potatoes can be baked, mashed, or boiled. You can also make roasted sweet potato salad or fast-friendly sweet potato fries.

Why it’s an excellent choice: Cucumbers are refreshing and hydrating, making them excellent for weight loss. They are composed mostly of water, making them an ideal food to include during fasting, especially if you are trying to lose weight.

Weight Loss Benefits: Cucumber is a great snack or meal supplement due to its high water content and low calorie count, helping you stay hydrated and curb cravings.

Use: Cucumbers can be added to salads or enjoyed as a snack with rock salt and lemon juice.

Why it’s an excellent choice: Rich in water and low in calories, bottle gourd is ideal for anyone trying to lose weight. It is rich in potassium and vitamin C, which are essential nutrients.

Benefits for weight loss: Bottle gourd is very low in calories and high in water content, which promotes a feeling of satiety and hydration, thereby reducing calorie intake during meals.

Use: You can make bottle gourd soup or make a simple stir-fry with bottle gourd. Lauki Kofta, made from water chestnut flour, is another dish suitable for Navratri.

Why they are an excellent choice: Carrots are an excellent vegetable for weight loss due to their high fiber, vitamin and antioxidant content. Their natural sweetness can also satisfy your hunger during Navratri.

Benefits for weight loss: Carrots are a great food choice for people who are trying to control their appetite and avoid overeating because it is high in fiber and low in calories.

Use: Carrots can be cooked in ghee or eaten raw in salads to make delicious dishes suitable for fasting.

Why it’s an excellent choice: Spinach is one of the best leafy vegetables for weight loss. Rich in essential minerals like iron as well as vitamins A, C and K, it keeps you energetic during fasting without adding extra calories.

Benefits for weight loss: Spinach is high in fiber and very low in calories, making it an excellent food for promoting satiety and reducing calorie intake.

Use: Roasting spinach in ghee or adding it to soups and smoothies can make for a nutritious fasting meal.

7. Raw banana

Why it’s an excellent option: Despite looking starchy, raw bananas are a delicious alternative to potatoes during Navratri. They are high in resistant starch and dietary fiber, aiding digestion and weight loss.

Benefits for weight loss: The resistant starch present in raw bananas reduces insulin resistance, which aids in burning fat, making it a good choice for weight loss.

Use: Boiled raw bananas can be added to vegetable dishes or used to make cutlets suitable for fasting.

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