Indulge in festive delicacies but be mindful: Small portions do wonder | The Times of India

But nobody can escape the guilt associated with a festive binge. This happens all the more during this special festival as friends, relatives and offices gift each other sweet platters, which contain an assortment of these delicacies, so much so that these sweets are binged upon not just on festivals but the following few days too. While most people are only concerned about the inevitable heaviness and lethargy after such binging, the real damage is more far-reaching.

The good news however is that with some dietary knowledge, much of this damage can be averted, even while you get to enjoy some sweets this Bhai Dooj. For instance, consider Besan Ladoo, one of the most popular sweets in many parts of India. A single Besan Ladoo delivers you a whopping 300+ calories, which means it makes up 15% of a 2000 calorie healthy diet. And if you think you can exercise those 300 calories off easily, here is what it would take – 32 minutes of skipping rope or 45 minutes of running or 51 minutes of cycling!

But there are some ways to have your ladoo, without overloading yourself with such excess calories. You can try the much softer and smaller Motichoor Ke Ladoo that will deliver you only 200+ calories or 10% calories of a daily diet of 2000 calories. However, there are other considerations here as Motichoors are fried delicacies, and if not fried in pure ghee, they can have unhealthy trans fats. If you can’t do without ladoos, another option to consider is the similarly sized boondi ladoo (of 50 gms) that comes with only 185 calories.