A man once went to a doctor, and asked him for a solution to lose weight. The doctor gave him a simple exercise, of looking left, and then right, and repeating it twice. The man was puzzled – this was just too simple! “When should I do this, doctor? How many times in a day?” asked the man, curiously. “Every time anyone offers you anything to eat!” said the doctor.

Hold on, before you think this is our advice for you, there’s more – and better advice in store. With the festive part of the year on us now, stocking up on sweets and savories automatically – for most of us, means an expanding waistline. Staying in shape this season can be a challenge, agreed. So we’ve decided to help you out with some low-calorie sweets for Diwali. Just remember, though: low carbohydrate and sugar free options are the way to go, if you want to make your sweets low in the calorie count.  Here are some simple and fun recipes that you can try out at home this festive season!

 

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1. Make a brilliant Apple cinnamon kheer. All you need is  75 ml milk, 40 grams rice, 2 grams sugar free, 1 gram cinnamon powder, 20 grams green apple that has been finely chopped, 75 ml water and 5 grams granola. Wash and soak the rice for two hours, and then cook it with milk and water till it is well cooked. Add the cinnamon powder to the kheer. Cool the kheer and add chopped green apple and sugar free to it. Garnish with granola and green apple. Serve cold!

 

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2. Try a delicious Bulgur Wheat Kheer! Use high-fibre bulgur wheat with low fat milk and no sugar – by cooking down the bulgur wheat in milk and water, and adding a small dose of sugar substitutes. If you want to tone down the calories further on this marvel, used skimmed milk instead.

3. Fancy a nice Choconut Banana dish? Peel a few bananas and slice them. Set them aside. Chill a silicon sheet. Melt chocolate in the microwave. Meanwhile, dry roast almonds, cashews and walnuts on low heat until they are golden brown. Once the chocolate is done, remove from the microwave and whisk it until it is smooth. Grind the nuts coarsely and transfer it all into a bowl. Add some desiccated coconut and mix it well. Pick up each banana piece with a fork, dip in the chocolate and then roll it in this nut-coconut mixture until it is well-coated and place it on the silicon sheet. Set it in the fridge for a bit and serve chilled!

 

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4. Indulge in some delicious Gajar Halwa, but the healthy way. Pop in some carrots in a non stick pan and add some orange juice and cook on high heat. Add sugar and mix, and cook on high heat until all the liquid is absorbed. Add ghee and mix it up. Preheat the oven to 160°C, and put the carrot mixture into moulds. Drizzle a tablespoon of condensed milk in each mould, cook in the oven for 20-25 minutes. Serve hot!

References:

http://www.blisstree.com/2012/11/13/food/healthy-diwali-recipes/#1

http://www.idiva.com/photogallery-work-life/low-cal-mithai-recipes-for-diwali/17414