A Guide To How To Eat Healthy At A Wedding

We are well into the wedding season and what to eat at a wedding is a question bothering many. While through the day, you may eat consciously, you are clueless as to how to manage eating at a wedding. Many simply surrender, thinking there is no way out. Some try to compensate in advance by starving through the day. Then there are those who simply feast themselves and then 'detox' the following day by eating only fruits, veggies and green tea.

These strategies never work and you end up gaining significantly by the end of the festive wedding season. To complicate the problems, caterers these days dish out hundreds of irresistible delicacies. There is something to tempt every palate. Well, there are simple workable solutions to enjoy the weddings without abusing our digestive system.

• Firstly, don't starve yourself in advance to compensate for the extra eating at the party. If you starve yourself, you are sure to ravenously attack anything that comes your way (starters, fried or tandoori, followed by dal makhani, paneer lababdar, butter chicken and butter naan).
• Follow your regular meal plan through the day and, grab something healthy like dal/soups/fruits while you are dressing up or before you head out. It ensures that you are in a sane state of mind when you arrive at the party.
• At the party, stick to tandoori starters (paneer /soya /chicken /mushroom / broccoli) but go easy on portions if you intend to pick up the main course plate. If you end up filling yourself with starters, please stay away from the main course buffet.
• When you head out to the main course, go around the entire buffet at least once before you pick up the plate. Wisely choose 3-4 dishes maximum, you could opt for yellow dal, chhole, missi roti with raita, sambar-idli/dosa, rice with kadhi/ thai curry, sautéed vegetables and the likes. Serve in limited amounts (just a few bites, good enough for tasting), avoid second serving.
• Desserts are best avoided if you don't really have a sweet tooth. Yet, if you can't forego 'meetha', opt for ras malai/ phirni/ rasgulla/ halwa/ jalebi in bite size portions. Avoid creamy stuff and baked confections that use refined flours, whole grain/chenna based desserts score better. No second helpings to be taken. 
• Next morning may require adjustment. Even if you didn't overeat, the time of eating at the party is usually way beyond the time at which dinner is routinely eaten at home. So, take green tea first thing in the morning, you should be fresh and hungry by the time of second meal/ breakfast. If still not hungry, take cues from body signals and eat accordingly. Eat light meals like khichadi/ daliya etc.

• Do not drink alcohol on empty stomach.
• Limit your portion size to a maximum of two drinks. It will limit the harm it causes to your liver as well as your reputation.
• Follow up each drink with atleast 2 glasses of water as alcohol dehydrates your system.
• In case you have a hangover the next morning, take fresh lime water in place of green tea.

So enjoy the weddings and dance your way to burn a few extra calories.

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.