Dashain, Tihar and the wedding season bring family, visits and plenty of food: meat, sel roti, sweets, achar and endless cups of tea. You don’t need to say no to all of it. The aim is to enjoy the festival and come out of it feeling good, not to follow a perfect diet for two weeks.
Before the festival
- Decide what you love most. If it’s your mother’s sel roti or the Dashain meat, plan to enjoy those — and go easy on the things you don’t care about as much.
- Keep your routine where you can — regular meals and your usual walk.
During visits and feasts
Don’t arrive starving
Skipping meals to “save room” usually leads to eating much more later. Have a normal, lighter meal before you go.
Build a better festival plate
- Start with salad, vegetables or a bowl of soup.
- Take a sensible portion of meat and enjoy it slowly.
- Go lighter on rice when there is a lot of other food.
- Choose a few sweets you really want rather than a bit of everything.
Watch the drinks
Sweet tea at every house, soft drinks and alcohol add up quickly. Ask for tea with less sugar, drink water in between, and keep alcohol to a minimum.
It’s fine to say “pugyo”
Hosts love to offer more. A polite “pugyo, dherai mitho thiyo” — I’ve had enough, it was delicious — is usually understood.
Keep moving
Festivals are a great time to walk: to relatives’ homes, around the neighbourhood after a meal, or with family in the evening. Flying kites, playing deusi-bhailo and dancing count too.
After the festival
- Go straight back to your usual meals — no need to starve yourself to “make up for it”.
- Share or freeze leftover sweets rather than finishing them alone.
- Don’t panic about the scale. Extra salt and carbohydrate hold water, so some of the jump is temporary.
One big meal doesn’t undo your progress, and one healthy meal doesn’t make it. What matters is what you do most of the time.
If you have diabetes or another condition that needs careful eating, plan ahead with your doctor or dietitian so you can enjoy the festival safely.