With Diwali/Deepavali right around the corner, we can't be more excited with the thought of lighting lamps and gorging on sumptuous sweets and savouries to your heart's content.

For once you can forget about the weighing scales, carbs, cholesterol, fat and indulge your sweet tooth as Diwali treats are packed with rich and sugary foods.

Talking about sweets, our traditional mithai stores and sweet shops are buzzing with activity during these five days- right from Dhanteras to Diwali to Bhai dooj. Dry fruits, mithais, laddoos, mysore pak, kaju katli, barfi, soan papadi, gulab jamuns, rasgullas- you name it... they have it.

In a bid to cater to the younger generation and change in taste buds, chocolates have also entered the ''sweet scene''. Seen in different forms apart from the bars, these 'dark succulent bits of sweetness' have also made their place in the shop racks.

Talking about the relevance of sweets and eating them during Diwali, celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar says that eating quintessential Indian sweets made with desi ghee is by far healthier than eating chocolates.

Let's see what she has to say about why you should eat mithai and not chocolates this Diwali

1. Homemade sweets are a unique combination of pulses, millets, grains, nuts, coconut, ghee, etc. These preparations have low glycemic index and are nutrient dense.

2. Making these sweets is a time-tested, cultural way of bringing families together and inculcating a sense of sharing, celebrating and laughing together.

Especially important to introduce our children to this whole process.

3. You can safely eat homemade sweets even if you are diabetic, have hormonal problems, are overweight, etc.

What you should not eat are chocolates, cupcakes, etc.

4. Don't substitute sugar with artificial sweeteners or stevia, etc., in your mithai. Also, don't compensate for eating mithai by not eating regular meals or starving.

Bottomline - Diwali comes once a year. Make your favourite sweets, eat guilt free, share with everyone, and cherish the memories.

So put all doubts to rest with this important information from Rujuta Diwekar herself and go forth to your nearest mithai wala.Pick your favourite sweets and celebrate this Diwali - Guilt-free!

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