When it is time to break your fast, the time-honoured way really is the best. Nutrient-rich dates contain essential minerals such as potassium, magnesium and zinc, as well as vitamins A, K and folate.
They are also a good source of fibre, all-important for digestion, which can become sluggish after long periods without food. Most crucially of all in the short term, dates offer an instant injection of natural sugar and a much-needed energy boost.
Easily digestible laban, meanwhile, provides a dose of non-meat protein, along with calcium, potassium and vitamin B12 (often only found in animal products and needed for the productions of red blood cells).
Moving on to the meal itself, following a traditional iftar menu again makes perfect sense.
To start with, soup is gentle on the stomach and filling, without being heavy, nourishing and just right for revitalising a tired mind and restoring energy levels.
While less conventional then harira or shorbat adas, chilled avocado soup is delicious, healthy, quick to prepare and wonderfully refreshing in the summer heat.
Antioxidant-rich avocados are a great source of healthy, unsaturated fats (which help lower LDL or bad cholesterol levels) and brimming with vitamin E, iron and potassium. The cucumber in our recipe, below, is also great for hydration, while the red chilli help kick-start the metabolism.
Moreish samosas and savoury pastries are much-loved at iftar, yet with their pastry casing, calorific fillings and deep-fried preparation, they do not score highly from a health perspective.
Make a few simple changes though and you can easily reduce the fat and calories, increase the nutritional benefits and still be left with a delicious treat.
First up, switch traditional samosa pastry for filo which, unlike most types of pastry, it is made without fat.
Swapping a meat-heavy filling for a vegetable option is a further nutritional boon. The recipe below uses low-fat, high-fibre butternut squash which, as its orange hue indicates, contains beta- carotenoids the body converts into vitamin A for good eye and skin health.
The kale adds a plethora of other advantages, almost too lengthy to list. This leafy green vegetable is an excellent digestive aid, antioxidant rich and packed with calcium and vitamins A, C and K, as well as a host of other essential vitamins and minerals.
Feta cheese, meanwhile, is high in calcium, protein and chloride (which is needed to produce hydrochloric acid for digestion) and because of its punchy flavour, you only need use a small amount to make an impact.
Finally, baking the samosas in the oven, rather than deep frying them, lowers the fat content significantly.
For the main part of your iftar meal, in terms of health and budget it pays to adopt a flexitarian (a person who mostly eats a vegetarian diet but occasionally has meat or fish) state of mind. What this means is that, in a twist on tradition, rather than being the centrepiece of the meal, meat and fish instead become the garnish – an added extra if you like – to a dish, meal or diet that is primarily made up of fruit, vegetables and grains.
The recipe below features a carbohydrate base made from low fat, high-protein chickpeas, along with starchy, fibre-rich wholegrain rice. It takes longer for the body to break down wholegrain rice than white rice, so you feel fuller for longer and energy is released over an extended period of time.
Brazil nuts offer flavour, crunch, healthy fats and selenium, which promotes thyroid function and supports immunity. The lamb chops add a meat element so no one feels deprived – but the dish is also delicious meat-free.
Finishing your meal with a dessert that leans more towards healthy than hearty really need not mean missing out on taste.
Fruit might sound like a boring closing act, but grilled slices of immunity-boosting, low-sugar papaya give the dish an extra flavour hit, and the ginger in the syrup is great for digestion.
Calcium and protein-packed creamy Greek yogurt feels decadent, yet does not ruin all the good work you have put in so far.
Chilled avocado soup with chilli, lime and toasted coconut
Serves 4
• 2 avocados, stoned and chopped
• 1 cucumber, chopped
• zest and juice of 1 lime
• 4 spring onions, finely chopped
• 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
• 200ml chilled vegetable stock
• 4 tbsp toasted coconut flakes, to garnish
• extra-virgin olive oil
Blitz the avocado, cucumber, lime juice, spring onions, chilli and stock in a blender until smooth. Season generously and chill in the fridge.
When you are ready to serve, divide the soup among bowls. Add a couple of ice cubes to each one and top with toasted coconut flakes, lime zest and a drizzle of olive oil.
Butternut, kale and feta filo samosas
Serves 4 (12 samosas)
• 1 large butternut squash, halved and deseeded
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• 1 bunch kale, destalked and thinly sliced
• 100g feta, crumbled
• ¼tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 3 egg whites, beaten
• 12 sheets filo pastry
Preheat the oven to 200°C, gas mark 6. Score the surface of the butternut squash in a criss-cross pattern. Drizzle with the olive oil and chilli flakes and season. Roast in the oven for 45 minutes, until soft. Leave to cool.
Scoop the cooled butternut squash flesh into a bowl, discarding the skin. Add the kale, feta, cinnamon and cumin. Season and mix well.
Lay a sheet of filo out on a board (cover the rest with a damp tea towel to prevent them from drying out) and brush with egg white. Layer a second sheet on top and brush with egg white again. Slice in half to give you two squares. Brush the edges with egg white and spoon a large tablespoon of the mix into the top left corner of one square. Fold the opposite corner over the filling, and press the edges together to seal. Lightly brush the upper surface with more egg white and repeat with the remaining pastry and mix, until you have 12 samosas.
Arrange on a baking tray and cook for 12 minutes, until crisp and lightly browned.
Wild rice, chickpeas and Brazil nuts with cumin-spiced lamb
Serves 4
• 4 lamb chops
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 200g wild rice
•400g canned chickpeas, drained
• 150g Brazil nuts, toasted and chopped
• seeds from 1 pomegranate
• 1 bunch parsley, chopped
• 1 bunch coriander, chopped
• juice of 1 lemon
Marinate the lamb chops in the cumin and coriander, garlic and 1 tablespoon oil for 4 hours.
Cook the rice according to instructions on the pack. Drain well. Tip into a bowl and add the chickpeas. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil, season, mix and leave to cool.
Set a griddle pan over a high heat and add the lamb chops. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, until done to your liking.
Add Brazil nuts, pomegranate seeds, parsley, coriander and lemon juice to the rice and chickpeas. Mix well. Arrange on a platter and top with the cumin-spiced lamb chops.
Grilled papaya with yogurt and ginger syrup
Serves 4
• 30g caster sugar
• 4cm piece ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 papayas, deseeded and sliced into slim wedges
• 400g Greek yogurt
Put the sugar, ginger, cinnamon and 75ml water in a pan set over a medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved. Leave to cool.
Coat the papaya with three-quarters of the syrup and cook in a hot griddle pan for 1 to 2 minutes on each side, until lightly charred. Divide the yogurt between bowls and top with the papaya. Spoon over the remaining syrup and serve.
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