When breaking the fast, nutrition experts recommend starting with small snacks like fruits. After that, you can consume heavier meals after the Maghrib prayer. There are many fruits you can choose from for breaking the fast, such as bananas, watermelons, apples, or the more common dates during Ramadan. These fruits are suitable for breaking the fast because they are easily digestible and contain sugars that can quickly replenish your energy.
However, you might sometimes get bored of eating fruits in small slices served on a plate, so you opt for fruit juice as a solution. The liquid texture of juice is indeed easier to consume. But when breaking the fast, what is the best way to consume fruit: in slices or as juice?
Here’s an explanation:
Fruit Juice for Breaking Fast
In reality, whether in slices or juice, the nutrients you get are the same. However, because juice typically requires more fruit, the nutritional content will be higher. Thus, you can directly consume a lot of fruit in one glass of juice. Additionally, the minerals and vitamins contained in juice are more easily absorbed by your body.
When making juice, it is better not to add additional sweeteners like syrup or liquid sugar, as this will reduce the benefits of the fruit in the juice itself. Also, the juice you make should be consumed immediately. If you leave it for too long, the nutritional content will diminish due to oxygen exposure. Therefore, make the juice approximately 20 minutes before the Maghrib call to prayer to ensure its freshness and nutrient content.
Advantages of Consuming Fresh Fruit
Although fruit juice is more favored by children, consuming fresh fruit slices is actually more beneficial. When you eat fresh fruit, the process of chewing occurs, causing your body to produce amylase enzymes that are known to aid in digesting and absorbing the nutrients in the fruit. When you chew fresh fruit, your stomach will also work and burn up to 20 kilocalories. Moreover, fresh fruit can prevent your digestive system from the risk of constipation.
It’s better to keep consuming fresh fruit slices. Not all benefits can be obtained if the fruits are in juice form. Just like with fruit juice, you should consume fresh fruit slices immediately to prevent the nutrients from diminishing due to oxygen exposure or ultraviolet light.
Now you understand that fresh fruit slices are more beneficial for your digestive system. If you get bored, it’s also fine to consume fruit juice. The normal fruit consumption is 2–3 servings per day, so you can consume it when breaking the fast, at Suhoor, and before bed. This is important because fruits are a natural source of vitamins and minerals needed for your body’s metabolism. Besides consuming healthy food when breaking the fast, you should also maintain your fitness by exercising regularly without overdoing it.
