Maintaining your energy while fasting isn’t just about resisting hunger and thirst. Many people are not yet aware that the food choices made during suhoor and iftar have a significant impact on stamina, concentration, and productivity throughout the day.

However, many people still choose foods based solely on taste, for example, breaking the fast with various fried snacks or sweet drinks like ice teler (a refreshing dessert made with avocado, jackfruit, young coconut, coconut milk, and shaved ice).

In fact, an unbalanced diet can leave the body tired easily and cause drowsiness during activities, especially among office workers.

By choosing the right foods, you can stay energized from morning to evening, even while fasting.

The Importance of a Balanced Diet During Fasting

To stay fit while working during Ramadan, it’s important to maintain a balanced diet.

Your diet should include carbohydrates, protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals, along with healthy fats to support optimal nutrient absorption.

In addition, it’s important to monitor your fluid intake. Ideal fluid intake is about 8 glasses of water a day to avoid dehydration.

Remember also to avoid overly sweet, salty, or fatty foods, as they can tire your body more quickly.

Healthy Suhoor Meal Recommendations

Suhoor isn’t just about eating to fuel your body and avoid hunger while fasting. A suhoor menu should include a balanced mix of nutrients that provide sustained energy. Check out some suhoor meal ideas below.

1. Complex Carbohydrates

Complex carbohydrates are digested more slowly by the body, helping you feel fuller for longer and keeping your energy levels stable. Examples include brown rice, whole wheat bread, and oatmeal.

2. Source of Protein

Protein plays an important role in maintaining stamina and supporting the body’s cell regeneration process. Some good sources of protein to eat during suhoor include eggs, skinless chicken, fish, red meat, tofu, and tempeh.

3. Vegetables and Fruit

Vegetables and fruits are rich sources of vitamins, minerals, and fiber, which are essential to the body. Excellent choices for suhoor include spinach, broccoli, long beans, bananas, apples, and dates.

4. Stay Hydrated

Make sure to drink enough water at suhoor so your body doesn’t become easily dehydrated during daytime activities.

In addition, drinking water before and after your suhoor meal can help maintain proper fluid balance in the body.

Iftar Meal Recommendations

After a full day of fasting, your body naturally needs to replenish its energy. But it’s important to break the fast properly so the digestive system isn’t overworked. Here are some iftar menu options.

1. Start with Snacks

When breaking fast, it’s best to start with light refreshments, such as dates and water. Dates contain natural sugars that can quickly restore energy without causing an excessive spike in blood sugar levels.

2. Pause Before the Main Course

After having snacks for iftar, it’s best to take a short pause before your main course so your digestive system has time to adjust. This step also helps your body digest food more effectively.

For the main course, choose foods that contain a complete combination of nutrients, such as brown rice or other complex carbohydrates, grilled fish or chicken as a source of protein, and vegetables and fruits rich in fiber.

This combination of healthy foods is believed to help the body restore its energy optimally.

3. Limit Overly Sweet and Fatty Foods

Foods that are high in fat—such as fried foods—and overly sweet can leave you feeling sluggish and drowsy after eating. It’s wise to limit your intake of such foods.

4. Stay Hydrated

After breaking fast, the body needs to replenish lost fluids. In addition to water, pure coconut water can also be a good option as it contains electrolytes that help restore the body’s fluid balance.

By choosing healthy suhoor and iftar meals, your body can remain fit, allowing work activities during Ramadan to continue running optimally.

In addition to maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle, a positive work environment also contributes to employee productivity.

One company known for such advantages is PT Serasi Autoraya (SERA), part of the Astra Group.

SERA is one of the largest transportation, auction, and logistics companies in Indonesia, established in 1990 under the Astra Group. To this day, SERA regularly opens job openings across various fields and positions.

For more detailed information, visit https://career.sera.astra.co.id/. Select one of the available job openings, then click “Apply” and follow the process until it is completed.

Follow SERA on Instagram @serasiautoraya and LinkedIn Serasi Autoraya for career advice and the latest job openings.