As Muslims observe the holy month of Ramadan in Canada, protecting the grocery payments in verify might be a problem amid hovering meals costs.
Ramadan, which started Thursday, is the fasting month for Muslims, throughout which they chorus from consuming, ingesting and smoking from daybreak to sundown.
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From getting ready wholesome, filling meals to internet hosting iftar events, “Ramadan could be a very overwhelming time,” stated private finance skilled Rubina Ahmed-Haq, who additionally hosts For What It’s Value on the Corus Leisure radio community. Corus is the guardian firm of World Information.
That’s why Ahmed-Haq says a little bit of planning can go a good distance.
Listed here are some useful tricks to get you thru the month.
What to eat and what to keep away from
In Canada this yr, the fasts are going to be about 13 and a half hours to fifteen hours lengthy, relying on which a part of the nation you’re in.
For suhoor, the morning meal eaten earlier than daybreak, a balanced mixture of advanced carbohydrates, protein, wholesome fat and fibre will show you how to really feel energized all through the day, stated Nazima Qureshi, a registered dietician and co-author of The Wholesome Ramadan Information.
If you happen to’re on the lookout for wholesome suhoor concepts, Qureshi suggests in a single day oats or a vegetable omelette with whole-grain toast and a serving of fruit.
To maintain your self hydrated, drink about half a litre of water within the morning, she stated.
After an extended day of fasting, one is likely to be tempted to overeat or eat too rapidly at iftar – the night meal eaten after sundown. That may make you’re feeling drained and trigger digestive discomfort, Qureshi stated.
To keep away from this, she advises breaking the quick with dates, water and a small bowl of fruit. Then, after prayers, have your principal meal, together with protein, carbs and greens.
“Being extra aware about your portion sizes and the way you break your quick will actually impression your power ranges and the way you’re feeling,” she stated.
How to economize on Ramadan groceries
Canadians proceed to face excessive prices at grocery shops.
Despite the fact that the annual price of inflation has cooled, the worth of meals bought from the grocery retailer was up 10.6 per cent year-over-year final month, based on Statistics Canada’s newest Shopper Value Index report, launched Tuesday.
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Meals value development slowed on some key objects in February equivalent to meat, greens, dairy merchandise and bakery merchandise. However costs for objects like cereal merchandise, sugar and confectionary, fish and different seafood accelerated on a year-to-year foundation final month.
“One of many perks of Ramadan is you might be consuming (fewer) meals so that you don’t have to fret about … that center meal and the additional snacks, in order that’s a technique to economize,” Qureshi stated.
Whenever you exit procuring, Ahmed-Haq advises making a grocery record and sticking to it to keep away from overspending on additional objects.
There are additionally completely different apps that may show you how to get monetary savings.
Flashfood, for instance, helps you to find discounted objects which can be nearing their best-before date at grocery shops throughout Canada and the USA.
Value matching apps — like Reebee, Flipp, Flyerify, SmartCanucks — are a helpful approach to verify if the objects in your cart are cheaper at one other grocery retailer, Ahmed-Haq stated.
However you additionally wish to just remember to solely purchase stuff that you just want, not simply because it’s on sale, she added.
“Be aware of the belongings you’re bringing residence, ensuring you’re getting the most effective value.”
Beans and lentils are filled with protein and fibre. Each are wholesome, reasonably priced choices that may assist bulk up curries and stews, Qureshi stated.
She additionally suggested shopping for recent fruits which can be in season whereas these which can be out of season will be purchased frozen as an alternative.
“For instance, berries proper now (are) not in season in Canada, in order that they’re very expensive.”
Managing meals throughout Ramadan
When fasting throughout Ramadan, folks are inclined to eat much less, so they need to set up their meals and cook dinner accordingly, Ahmed-Haq stated.
Slicing down on meals waste may even minimize prices, so leftovers ought to be used up rapidly or repurposed the following morning for suhoor or the next iftar, each Qureshi and Ahmed-Haq stated.
When placing meals in a fridge, retailer it the place it’ll keep recent longer to assist reduce on meals waste.
This implies greens ought to go within the crisper drawer. Dairy and meat — which might spoil extra rapidly — ought to be saved behind the fridge, Ahmed-Haq stated.
“Even easy issues like that may actually prevent cash.”
Iftar events and dinners are frequent throughout Ramadan, so as an alternative of the host taking over the monetary burden of getting ready your entire meal, having a potluck is an effective choice.
“Making it a potluck, particularly throughout these instances the place the price of residing goes up and grocery costs stay persistently excessive, I feel it’s a very cheap ask,” Ahmed-Haq stated.
