Navratri 2025: 5 foods to keep you fuller when fasting
Navratri 2025: This year, Shardiya Navratri will conclude on October 2, with Vijayadashami. Here are five foods to keep you fuller during the fast
Navratri 2025: The nine-day festival dedicated to Goddess Durga, also known as Sharad Navratri, is in full swing. During this time, devotees observe fasts and a host of other rituals to mark the divine occassion.
Keeping your energy levels up and staying hydrated is crucial during the Navratri fast. Here are five food options to keep you fuller:
1. Sweet Potatoes: Packed with complex carbohydrates and fiber, sweet potatoes provide a slow and steady release of energy. This prevents sudden spikes and drops in blood sugar, curbing hunger pangs – thereby keeping one fuller during fasting days.
2. Tapioca pearls, or Sabudana: Sabudana khichdi, made with peanuts and very mild spices, is a common go-to food option for all devotees who observe a fast during Navratri. Tapioca pearls are light on digestion yet rich enough to sustain long hours of fasting — making snacks made from Sabudana a popular choice among all devotees.
3. Soups: Sattvic foods – including soups – which are made without onion, garlic, and different vegetables, pulses are not only filling, but also nourishing.
Not just soups or broths made with vegetables – Shengdana or peanut amti is a gluten-free curry with peanuts as the base – also helps to keep one fuller when fasting. It is a popular dish for fasts in Maharashtra, and is best accompanied with sabudana khichdi.
4. Kuttu atta: Kuttu atta rotis are the ideal option to keep you satiated and fuller during Navratri. It is a popular choice when you can't consume wheat rotis, but still need the daily dose of power.
5. Makhanas: Fox nuts, or Makhanas are low in calories, high in fiber, and make for a good source of protein. The high fiber content slows down digestion, making a person feel fuller for a longer time.
Each day of the 9-day Navratri festival honours a unique manifestation of the Goddess, symbolising different virtues, powers, and aspects of life. Read here
This year, Shardiya Navratri will be observed from September 22 to October 2, concluding with Vijayadashami.