Actress Soha Ali Khan is opting for healthy food alternatives during the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations, to fully enjoy the festival. The first thing she is doing is replacing sugar with jaggery. "As everyone knows, sugar is the refined product of sugarcane whereas jaggery is a more natural and less processed sweetener. As a child, my mom was particular to instill a sense of consciousness in my brother and me, and seeing her I have imbibed some of the same qualities," she said. Ganesh Chaturthi 2020: Shilpa Shetty Kundra and Shraddha Kapoor Bid Adieu to Ganpati Bappa (Watch Visarjan Videos)

She added: "I am very conscious about what my family and I eat, and its health quotient. Hence, during festivals, one thing that I do is replace sugar with jaggery for all sweets that are prepared at home, and even as the sweetener we use for drinks consumed at home. Adding jaggery to the diet may help boost the body's metabolism and gradually helps burn fat, which is an added benefit. Besides this, I also prefer jaggery over white sugar as it helps cleanse the body by flushing out toxins." Ganesh Chaturthi 2020: Arpita Khan Sharma And Alvira Agnihotri Welcome Lord Ganesha At Sohail Khan’s Home (View Pics)

Soha feels it is easy to get carried away, during festivals. "The best way to avoid that is by making sure your spread includes healthy foods like almonds, which are a great snack to munch on anytime of the day and they have health benefits across weight and diabetes management, heart and skin health. And with all the festivities abuzz, it's important to also keep energy levels up," she said.

The actress also suggests alternatives like exotic fruits. "Another good way of avoiding sweets during the festivities is replacing conventional sweet dishes with fresh fruit or berries like mulberries. I personally make sure I keep a plate of mulberries, as the dessert course because they are a healthier choice. Consuming berries or fruits after a meal will satiate your sugar craving without adding many unwanted calories," said the mother of one.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 24, 2020 11:58 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).