Short answer: Don’t skip suhoor, and eat it as late as you can: whole grains, a protein food such as eggs, yogurt or beans, vegetables and plenty of water. Break the fast with water and a few dates or some fruit, then soup, then a balanced plate. Drink steadily between iftar and suhoor, go easy on fried, salty and syrupy foods, and talk to your doctor before Ramadan if you have a health condition or take regular medication.
During Ramadan everything you eat and drink has to fit between sunset and dawn, and sleep is broken up by the pre-dawn meal. With such a short eating window, the quality of those two meals matters more than usual.
This guide covers the practical, nutritional side of fasting. It does not give religious rulings: questions about who should fast are for a scholar or imam you trust, and questions about whether fasting is safe for your body are for your doctor.
What to eat for suhoor to stay full longer
Suhoor carries you through the day, so skipping it for extra sleep usually backfires. The WHO and Diabetes UK both advise against skipping it, and the international diabetes and Ramadan guidelines suggest eating it as late as possible before dawn. A good suhoor combines:
- Slow-release carbohydrates: oats, whole-grain bread, bulgur, buckwheat or brown rice. High-fiber starchy foods are absorbed more slowly than white bread or sugary cereals.
- Protein: eggs, yogurt, labneh, milk, beans, lentils or nut butter. Protein and healthy fat tend to keep you satisfied longer than carbohydrate alone.
- Water-rich foods: cucumber, tomato, lettuce, watermelon and yogurt add fluid as well as nutrients.
- A little healthy fat: olive oil, tahini, avocado or a few nuts.
What you leave out matters too. Salt makes you thirsty, so go easy on salty cheeses, processed meats, olives and pickles before a day without water. Sugary foods give a quick lift with little staying power. Overnight oats with yogurt and fruit, prepared the night before, make an easy start.
How to break your fast at iftar
After many hours without food or water, rehydrate first and ease into eating rather than filling a large plate straight away.
- Water and dates, or fruit. The WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean office suggests three dates to break the fast; they provide natural sugars, fiber and potassium. In many South Asian homes fresh fruit plays the same role. If you watch your blood sugar, note that two large dates (about 30 g without stones) carry around 20 g of carbohydrate, similar to a medium slice of bread.
- Soup. Lentil soup, harira, chorba or vegetable soup adds fluid and takes the edge off hunger.
- A pause. Some people pray Maghrib after this small start and eat the main meal later, which gives appetite time to settle.
- A balanced main plate. Make vegetables or salad a large part of it, add a portion of protein (grilled or baked chicken, fish, lean meat, beans or lentils) and a portion of whole grains. Unsure what a portion looks like? See how to estimate portions without a scale.
Fried foods and sweets
Iftar tables often hold samosas, pakoras, börek and syrup-soaked sweets such as kunafa or jalebi. You don’t have to give them up, but they are dense in fat and sugar. Have your soup and main plate first, then choose one fried item or one sweet rather than grazing on all of them. At home, bake, grill, steam or cook in sauce instead of deep-frying, and use a little olive or vegetable oil rather than ghee or palm oil. Make fruit such as watermelon or melon the everyday dessert, and eat slowly: big meals after a long fast often cause heartburn.
How to stay hydrated between iftar and suhoor
During fasting hours your body may become mildly dehydrated; thirst, headache and tiredness are typical signs. The WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean office recommends at least 10 glasses of water outside fasting hours, plus hydrating foods such as soup, watermelon and salad. Spread them out instead of drinking a lot just before dawn, for example: two glasses at iftar, two with and after the meal, three through the evening, one before bed and two at suhoor.
- Caffeine: coffee, tea and cola can make some people urinate more, so the WHO suggests avoiding them. If you rely on coffee, cutting down gradually beforehand may ease the first days.
- Sugary drinks: juices, sodas and sweet Ramadan drinks add sugar quickly. Keep them to a small glass and let water do most of the work.
- Salt: salty food at iftar and suhoor makes the next day’s thirst worse.
A sample Ramadan day of eating
This is an example to adapt, not a prescription. Portions depend on your body, activity and goals, and every dish can be swapped for what your family cooks.
| When | What to aim for | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Suhoor, shortly before dawn | Whole grains, protein, water-rich foods, 2 glasses of water | Menemen with whole-grain bread (Turkey); ful medames and labneh (Levant); chapati with dal and unsweetened lassi (South Asia); rice porridge with chicken and egg (Southeast Asia) |
| Sunset | Water and a few dates or fresh fruit | Dates with water or laban (Middle East, North Africa); fresh fruit (South Asia) |
| Soup | One bowl, then a short pause | Lentil soup (Turkey, Levant); harira (Morocco); chorba (Algeria, Tunisia) |
| Main iftar meal | Vegetables, a portion of protein, a portion of whole grains | Grilled chicken, bulgur pilaf and salad; chickpea tagine with whole-wheat bread; lentil curry with brown rice; grilled fish with rice and greens |
| Evening | Water spread out; fruit or a small snack if hungry | Watermelon; a handful of nuts; unsweetened milk or laban |
Sleep and exercise during Ramadan
Late iftars, night prayers and a pre-dawn meal cut into sleep. The IDF-DAR guidelines cite a meta-analysis in which total sleep time fell by around an hour during Ramadan, which can affect mood and concentration. Keep one main block of sleep at a regular time, nap briefly if your day allows, and avoid caffeine and heavy meals late at night.
When to exercise during Ramadan
The WHO notes that some people gain weight during Ramadan partly because they move less, so staying active helps. Aim for light to moderate activity:
- After iftar is the easiest time, because you can drink during and after. Let the meal settle first. The WHO suggests a regular evening walk, and the movement of taraweeh prayers counts too.
- Shortly before iftar can suit a short, easy session, with food and water close. Keep it gentle: this is when you are most dehydrated.
- Avoid hard training in the heat of the day and stay out of the sun when it’s hot. The diabetes guidelines specifically advise against strenuous activity during fasting hours.
If you lift weights, aim to maintain rather than progress this month, and include protein at both meals; see how much protein you need per day. Ramadan is also different from intermittent fasting, because no water is taken during fasting hours.
Who should talk to a doctor before Ramadan
Islamic teaching includes exemptions, for example for illness and travel; how they apply to you is a question for a scholar. From a health point of view, talk to your doctor well before Ramadan if you:
- have diabetes, especially if you use insulin or tablets that can cause low blood sugar
- have heart disease, high blood pressure, kidney disease or another long-term condition
- are pregnant or breastfeeding (the WHO says the decision should be made individually with a healthcare provider)
- are older or frail, or felt unwell while fasting in previous years
- take regular medication, whose timing may need to change; only your doctor or pharmacist should decide how
- have a history of an eating disorder
Diabetes: fasting can lead to low or high blood sugar and dehydration. The IDF-DAR Diabetes and Ramadan Practical Guidelines 2021 set out how people with diabetes and their care teams can plan the month (see the FAQ below), and Diabetes UK advises breaking the fast if blood sugar goes too low or too high. Never change insulin or tablets on your own.
Warning signs: the NHS lists dizziness on standing that doesn’t go away, unusual tiredness, peeing much less than normal and a fast heartbeat as possible signs of serious dehydration that need urgent advice. Confusion or difficulty breathing needs emergency help.
How Portiva helps during Ramadan
Portiva’s Ramadan mode shows imsak and iftar times for your city, helps you plan suhoor and iftar and sends reminders; basic fasting and Ramadan tools are free. You can log dishes from kitchens around the world in bowls, cups and spoons as well as grams. When something changes the calories a lot, such as frying oil or syrup on a dessert, Portiva asks one short question instead of guessing, and you can edit every portion before saving. Water you log is written to Apple Health.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best food to eat at suhoor?
Pair a slow-release carbohydrate such as oats, whole-grain bread, bulgur or brown rice with a protein food such as eggs, yogurt, labneh, beans or lentils. Add water-rich vegetables or fruit and a couple of glasses of water. Go easy on salty cheese, olives, pickles and processed meat, which make you thirsty during the day.
How much water should I drink during Ramadan?
The WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean office recommends at least 10 glasses of water outside fasting hours, plus hydrating foods such as soup, watermelon and salad. Spread them through the evening rather than drinking a lot at once before dawn, and drink more in hot weather or if you exercise. Pale urine is a good sign.
Is it OK to skip suhoor?
It is better not to. Suhoor provides the energy and fluid you rely on until sunset, and the WHO and Diabetes UK both advise against skipping it. The IDF-DAR guidelines explain that without suhoor the body uses up its stored carbohydrate much earlier in the day. Even yogurt, a slice of whole-grain bread, a date and water is better than nothing.
Why do some people gain weight during Ramadan?
Iftar is often a rich, festive meal with fried dishes and syrupy sweets, and many people move less during the month; the WHO names both. Large portions eaten quickly after a long fast add up. Starting with water, dates and soup and building the plate around vegetables and protein helps. Our guide to calorie deficits and plateaus explains the numbers.
Should I fast if I have diabetes?
Make that decision with your diabetes team, not alone. The IDF-DAR guidelines recommend a pre-Ramadan assessment 6–8 weeks before Ramadan to assess your risk, plan blood sugar checks, adjust medication if needed and agree when to break the fast. The WHO notes that people with type 1 diabetes are generally advised not to fast. For religious questions about exemptions, speak to a scholar or imam.
Sources
- Stay healthy during Ramadan, World Health Organization Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean.
- Staying healthy during Ramadan, World Health Organization Bangladesh (2018).
- Healthy Ramadan 2021 (PDF), British Nutrition Foundation (2021).
- Diabetes and Ramadan: Practical Guidelines 2021, International Diabetes Federation and DAR International Alliance (2021).
- Diabetes and Ramadan, Diabetes UK.
- Dehydration, NHS (2026).