Ramadan meal guide: Breakfast & meal prep planning

Ramadan is a special month full of meaning, family and those brilliant moments around the table. When you’re fasting all day, you won’t want to be standing in the kitchen at sunset wondering what to cook. That’s why meal prep is such a game-changer. Cook batches of dishes once, portion them up and suddenly you’ve got the foundation for proper, filling meals in minutes. Whether that’s a soothing iftar or a delicious suhoor that keeps you going through the day.

Rice is a blank canvas. Keep it simple, or dress it up with herbs, spices, sauces and leftovers, so you can eat well without it feeling repetitive.

Getting ready for Ramadan

You don’t need to spend hours in the kitchen to feel organised during Ramadan. A few small jobs here and there can take the pressure off, reduce waste and make it much easier to pull together tasty meals when you’re low on energy.
A typical iftar often starts with dates and water, followed by something gentle to break the fast like soup before moving onto a more filling main meal. Think dhal, curry, tagines, grilled meats, roasted veg and rice dishes served with salads, chutneys and yoghurt. A lot of these are perfect for prepping in advance. You can batch-cook soups and stews, make curry bases ahead of time and portion everything out in containers ready for the week. That way, when it’s time to eat, you’re not cooking from scratch, you’re simply warming, serving and enjoying.

Here are a few simple prep tips to keep in mind:

• Use versatile ingredients
  You’ll keep food waste to a minimum by choosing ingredients you can use across multiple meals. Rice is a great staple to have in and works in everything from soups and mains to desserts.
• Check what you have at home
  Don’t worry about buying everything from scratch. Use up what you already have in the cupboard, fridge and freezer first.
• Think ahead with spices and flavour bases
  Gather your masalas, spice pastes and mixes ahead of time. You can portion them out to marinate meats, build quick sauces or add instant flavour while you cook.
• Prep vegetables the day before
  You can boil, blanch and freeze vegetables ready for suhoor, so you’re not doing everything from scratch early in the morning.
• Make use of leftovers
  Because you’re not overindulging during iftar, you’ll often have leftovers that can be used for the next day’s suhoor or iftar. You can also batch-cook a few dishes and freeze portions for later in the month.

Batch-cook once, portion straight away

Cook a bigger batch than you need, then divide it into meal-sized portions while it’s still fresh. It makes dishing up much easier.

Cool it quickly

Spread cooked rice out on a tray or shallow dish so it cools faster. It stops it going claggy and keeps the grains fluffy. Once cooled, pop rice into containers and keep it in the fridge so it’s ready to add to curries, salads and sides.

Freeze extra portions for the later weeks of Ramadan

Rice freezes brilliantly. Portion it first, freeze flat if you can so it’ll defrost faster later.

Revive leftover rice when reheating

Add a small splash of water or stock before reheating, then fluff with a fork. It brings the rice back to life and stops it drying out. Read our blog to find out how to store and reheat cooked rice.

Keep flavours flexible

Plain rice is your best friend for mixing and matching. You can add spice, herbs, sauces or toppings afterwards so it suits whatever you fancy that day.

Make it feel fresh with finishing touches

A squeeze of lemon, chopped herbs, toasted nuts, yoghurt, chilli oil or crispy onions can take a basic rice bowl to another level.

Use microwave rice pouches for busy days

On the days you’re short on time, Tilda microwave rice pouches are a great shortcut. They’re ready in minutes and make it easy to pull together a quick and delicious meal just by adding your protein, veg and a sauce or spice mix.

Hydration tips during Ramadan

Staying hydrated during Ramadan is just as important as what you eat, so it’s worth keeping these quick tips in mind:

• Water is best but drinks like juice, milk, coffee and tea can all help.
• Avoid fizzy drinks as they can lead to bloating and cause digestion problems.
• Work hydrating foods into your meal plan like yoghurt, soups, fruit, jellies and cucumber.

Ramadan meals can be some of the most meaningful of the year, but they do take a bit of organising when your day is focused around fasting. Having a few ingredients and recipes ready to go makes it much easier to put something filling and nutrient-packed on the table when the sun goes down, or before the day begins. Rice is a brilliant staple to lean on because it fits so effortlessly into quick dinners as well as bigger shared dishes. However you’re spending the month, a little forward-thinking can help you eat well, waste less and enjoy mealtimes that bit more. Ramadan Mubarak to you all.

Check out our blog on Easy Ramadan Recipes for more inspo!