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Swapping chocolate and mithai for fruit this festive season!

(Photo: Pexel)

Fruit hampers are a great gifting option, especially when health and wellness are of the highest priority

ByN. Lothungbeni Humtsoe

September 12, 2021 (IANSlife) Festivals are just around the corner. It’s that time of the year when sweets and other delicacies get a little more tempting and you end up binge-eating. Sticking to a fitness routine can be especially tough during the festive season, which means it is hard to prevent adding on some extra flab! 

Covid has prompted a major shift towards healthy eating, as building a strong immunity system is the need of the hour. Fruit is loaded with essential nutrients and several health benefits that can boost immunity. Incorporating fruit into the festive delicacies can be the best way to satisfy your sweet tooth. 

Here are some tips by Grow with Kimaye - INI Farms, on picking the healthier option for yourself as well as for your loved ones.

•    Fruit for dessert

Please your appetite after a meal with a fruitful dessert instead of cookies and cakes. A slice of watermelon, a peach, or a bowl of blueberries is a great way to satisfy your sweet tooth. If you are craving something fancy, go for easy-to-make chia pudding topped with berries or popsicles made with fresh fruit like strawberry, watermelon, orange, mango, or even coconut. 

•    Say yes to fruit juice!

Mocktails and soft drinks are often served as welcome drinks to the guests. Go for freshly squeezed fruit juices instead which contain vitamins, minerals, and beneficial compounds which the sugary soda lacks. A glass of coconut water is also a good alternative for soda drinks and will help to quench thirst.

•    Refresh with fruit salsa

Festivals can be exhausting and will leave you parched. This often pushes you to reach out for unhealthy beverages like carbonated drinks and ice creams. Make your fruit-based salsas instead with fresh pineapple, mango or papayas and can mix it with onions, ginger, a bit of garlic, mint leaves, sprinkle some chilli flakes and relax. This is a good way to refresh yourself and chill. 

•    Swap sweets with fresh fruit

You can opt for fruit instead of binge-eating on sweets. When you are craving extra sweets, switch to fruits like strawberries, melons, bananas, and peaches that are low in acidity and the best choice for your teeth as well. This will keep you from gaining that extra kilo you don’t want.
Fresh fruit is also a great option as a gift instead of sweets that can satisfy even the sweetest tooth while still being healthy.

•    Put on your creative hat!

A lot can be done with fruit starting from unique recipes to home décor. Put on your creative hat and switch things up a little. A practical and yet that is preferred from kids to adults, you can serve fruit skewers too during festivals. Just don’t forget to sprinkle with lemon juice on the assembled fruits.  

Fruit carving is an age-old art that will never go out of style. This will not only add colour to your décor but can be eaten later too!

•    Fruit Hampers for Gifting!

Fruit hampers can also be a great gifting option for your near and dear ones, especially for relatives above the age of 40 who are health conscious! A basket or a box loaded with colourful fruits like cherry, kiwi, avocado, apples, grapes, pomegranates, and many more are a great gift idea at a time when health and wellness are of the highest priority. To make it look more attractive you can add fresh fruit juice bottles with a little bit of décor.

 

 

 

 


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N. Lothungbeni Humtsoe can be contacted at lothungbeni.h@ians.in 

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