Great food, family get-togethers, exchanging gifts, and a riot of colors—what’s not to like about Holi? While sharing gifts with loved ones does not require any occasion, the festival of colours is certainly an inspiration to pick gifts that are warm, cheerful, and thoughtful. Given the year that has gone by, we should be more mindful of how we choose to celebrate the festival and what we gift our loved ones.
This year, replace the stereotypical way of celebrating Holi and instead of applying water-based colors and throwing water balloons, we can be more mindful by opting for organic colors, being less wasteful, and even gifting our loved ones healthy and nutritious food items. While the family gatherings will be limited and smaller in number, when visiting them, instead of taking along the regular sweet delicacies and gujiyas, take an assortment of flavored nuts like almonds. Almonds are also known to be the gift of good health, making them a great gift to share with friends, family and loved ones.
Leading Bollywood actress, Soha Ali Khan said, “Holi is one of my favorite festival, and this year I look forward to celebrating a quiet, safe and socially distant one, with my friends and family. For me personally, Holi is also a great time to share meaningful gifts with people who I care about, and this year my go to choice is almonds. I love having almonds in the house, as they make for a convenient, tasty and satiating snack. Besides that, regular almond consumption is known to provide benefits across heart health 1 , weight 2 and diabetes management 3 as well as skin health 4 , which makes them a thoughtful gift which will surely add to the receivers overall wellness.â€
According to Well-known Fitness and Celebrity instructor, Yasmin Karachiwala, “For all the dancing and fun that Holi celebration entails, it’s important to keep the energy levels up to power through the festival. Before you head out to immerse yourself in color, eat a filling breakfast and supplement this with a handful of almonds. They are known to provide energy and will fuel you to enjoy the festivities.â€
Ritika Samaddar, the Regional Head-Dietetics, Max Healthcare – Delhi, “As we continue to stay safe during this pandemic, taking care of our family and relatives’ health has become of utmost importance. This current situation has highlighted more than ever the need to invest in our health and strive for a better lifestyle. Almonds are a good gifting choice as they are known to have immunity supporting nutrients like copper, zinc, folate, iron and vitamin E 5 , which makes them the perfect gift which add to the receivers’ wellbeing. This Holi, be sure to share almonds with your near and dear ones, to make a small yet impactful investment in their overall health.â€
Sheela Krishnaswamy, Nutrition and Wellness Consultant, said, “Sharing of gifts during Indian festivals is a long standing custom, which has sustained over ages. But as we all embrace more modern lifestyles, it’s important for that thinking to also reflect onto our gifting choices. Instead of choosing mainstream gifts, look for gifts that will supplement the receiver’s health. Almonds are a good gifting choice for promoting heart health. According to recent research from King’s College London in adults with above- average risk of CVD, snacking on almonds every day improved endothelial function of the arteries and also lowered “bad†LDL-cholesterol – both key indicators of heart health. 6 So be sure to share this gift of good health with your loved ones, this Holi.â€
Madhuri Ruia, Pilates Expert, and Diet & Nutrition Consultant said, “For many, Indian festivals feel incomplete without fried food and mithaai or sweets. But festivals are also a time when a lot of us experience unwanted weight gain due to the excess consumption of oily food and dessert. To avoid this, make sure that almonds are a part of your food and gifting plans. Almonds are known to have a good shelf life and can be stored for long durations, which make them a great gift. Besides this, almonds are a source of several nutrients including vitamin E, magnesium, protein, riboflavin, zinc etc. that makes them a nutritious and tasty food which in the long run, will also add to the health of your loved ones.â€
So this year, gift almonds to your loved ones, and contribute to their journey to better health!
Also, here’s a recipe of that you can prepare this year to add to the festivities:
ALMOND AND WHITE CHOCOLATE GUJIYA
Serves: 10
Ingredients Quantity
For Dough
All- purpose flour 2 Cups
Clarified butter (ghee) ¼ Cup
Water ½ cup
For Filling
White chocolate 1 cup
Desiccated coconut ¼ cup
Green cardamom powder a pinch
Almond ½ cup
Jaggery                                                                                                               1 tbsp
Method:
• Rub the flour and ghee together and bind them together with water to form a soft dough. Rest it for ½hour.
• In a bowl, mix the chocolate flakes, coconut, almonds together and add jaggery.
• Make small balls of the dough and roll it out into ½ cm thick rotis.
• Place filling in the center, do not overstuff it as it will result in bursting of gujiya while frying.
• Apply water on the edges and seal the ends, the shape will resemble half-moon. Use cutter to make a design around the edges or pinch and twist the edges.
• Heat oil/ ghee in a deep pan; fry the gujiyas till golden brown.
Nutritional Analysis
Calories 3917 Protein 75 gm
Total fat 207.8 gm Saturated Fats 85.8 gm
Monounsaturated Fats                68.5 gm                                 Polyunsaturated Fats                  18.3 gm
Carbohydrates 442.8 gm Fiber 32.5 gm
Cholesterol                                     149 mg                                   Sodium                                          210.8 mg
Calcium                                           747.8 mg                                Magnesium                                   527.8 mg
Potassium 2219 mg Vitamin E 29.4 mg
