Healthy evening snacks and diet management; perfect combo to enjoy monsoon rains

Hyderabad: The monsoon season is when the rains make us crave hot, spicy, and tasty meals. Such delectable rainy season recipes can be made healthier by using vegetables and fruits to avoid diseases caused by unsanitary cooking techniques.

“Monsoon means infections, where the most common diseases are cold cough, malaria, dengue fever, typhoid fever, pneumonia, and stomach infections occur. So, during the rainy season, foods should be prepared fresh, balanced, and easy to digest,” said Dr Deepika Chalasani, nutritionist and dietician.

“Adding vegetables and rainy season fruits to the recipes is a must this season. For more fun options, try no-fry vada, baked Dahi vada, and baked bhakarwadi as rainy-day foods,” she added.

Diet choices during monsoon

Fruits: Consume rainy season fruits such as peaches, jamun, pears, plums, cherries, lychee, and pomegranates. Monsoon season fruits have higher levels of nutrients such as vitamins A and C, fibre, and other antioxidants.

Vegetables: Consume vegetables such as bitter gourd, bottle gourd, ridge gourd, pointed gourd, and Indian squash in large quantities during the rainy season.

Fluids: Drink plenty of warm water, as well as freshly made soups and broths. These aid in rehydrating the body and are essential for the immune system, as they are easily digested. Soup is a must-have dish during the rainy season. Turmeric and ginger are well-known antiseptics, anti-inflammatory, and immune-boosting substances that must be used in recipes. These are weather-specific and help maintain the body’s optimal health.

Best foods for rainy season

Corn: Corn is the greatest monsoon food for folks who like to warm up with something hot and spicy. Spice, butter, garlic, and lemon bring that zinger to corn recipes. It is a low-cost, readily digested snack for the monsoon season.

Pakoras: Pakoras with a cup of tea are an ideal match for monsoon and the fantastic delicacies are available as a street-side snack in practically every nook and corner during the rainy season. These rainy-season snacks can be made with various components such as cauliflower, onion rings, green capsicum, potatoes, and paneer. Pakoras are enhanced by mint sauce and other chutneys. Baked or fried in less oil, homemade pakoras are healthy alternatives.

Samosa: Samosas are rainy-season dishes that serve as the greatest mouth-watering snack, especially when cooked with potatoes. Samosas are created with a variety of ingredients, including keema, paneer, and even pasta. People experiment with different fillings for samosas and other elements.

Masala Chai: Masala Chai is the perfect drink to consume when sitting under a roof listening to music. Strong masala chai contains ginger and green cardamom. It is the most effective stress reliever.

Kachoris: To counteract the cold weather, delicious kachoris are among the greatest rainy season dishes when paired with spicy potato curry. Hot fries and chips can enhance the flavour of the complete dish.

Soup: Hot soup with vegetables or clear broth helps keep the body free of illnesses, flu, and viruses while also keeping the body warm. It brings peace as the pleasant taste relieves stress and provides several health advantages.

Momos: The finest monsoon cuisine and a must-have during the rainy season is a dish of steamy dim sum. These rainy-day nibbles, combined with mayonnaise or garlic chutney can transport a person’s senses to heaven.

Jalebi: This is a delicious delicacy that can be added to the rainy season cuisine to keep you warm. Hot thin jalebis are great rainy season snacks for monsoon and may be coupled with any of the spicy foods described above for a delicious combo. These are delectable and tasty cold-weather treats that can be made at home by frying the batter in a sweet syrup. During the rainy season, jalebis are a must-have. A healthier option can be jalebis made of jaggery.

Healthy diet tips during rains

“Various common infections find their way into the human system due to a weakened immune system. The best way to keep the body in perfect health is to eat a healthy diet of rainy season foods,” said Dr Chalasani.

Reduce the amount of salt in your diet to retain and raise your blood pressure. However, this causes extra issues during the wet season. So, avoiding salt is the best option for you during rainy weather.

Foods and liquids that lower body temperature, such as buttermilk, lassi, and watermelon, increase the risk of swelling in the body, therefore avoiding such foods will assist the body in recovering from water retention. Garlic, when added to rainy season dishes, helps to boost the immune system and should be included in the diet.

Consume more curd and yoghurt to lower the danger of harmful germs. To impart excellent health and keep the body warm and safe, try to pick warm drinks over-caffeinated ones.

Use corn oil instead of sesame, peanut, and mustard oils, which encourage more diseases. Since monsoon is an infection-prone season, stick to boiling and filtered water. Water is the principal source of pollution; hence precautions must be taken.

Reduce the quantity of red meat in your diet during the rainy season and replace it with chicken. Warm herbal water infused with ginger, tulsi, cinnamon, pepper, cardamom, and cloves helps to prevent infections and boosts immunity.