A few years ago, Ramadan cooking meant heavy trays, deep-fried sambousek, syrup-soaked desserts, and long hours in the kitchen.
Today, something has shifted. Home cooks are discovering air-fried kunafa, sugar-free basbousa, protein-packed Iftar bowls, and smoothies that look like desserts but promise “no guilt”.
Social media has not just changed what we eat as a result. It has also changed how we feel about food, especially in a month that is deeply connected to both spirituality and the body.
For many women, the transformation started quietly. Mona Abed, a 39-year-old mother of three, said she used to dread Ramadan cooking.
“I love feeding my family, but I also felt tired, bloated, and honestly unhappy with my body by the end of the month,” she said. “Then I started following a few healthy food pages on Instagram. Suddenly, I saw versions of the same dishes, but lighter. Baked, not fried. Sweet, but without white sugar.”
“Now my table looks the same, but I feel very different after eating.”
Social media has turned many people into cooks, educators, and motivators. On TikTok and Instagram, short videos show audiences how to prepare lentil soup with no oil, oat-based desserts, and protein-rich Sohour meals that keep you full longer.
And the magic is in how simple they make it look. No chef’s jacket, no complicated techniques – just a woman in her kitchen, saying “let me show you what I’m making for Iftar tonight.”
Mai Diaa, a food blogger in her thirties who started her page during the pandemic, said the audience’s appetite for healthy Ramadan recipes surprised her.
“At first, I was just sharing what I eat because I didn’t want to gain weight,” she said. “Then people started asking for more. They wanted desserts without sugar, meals without frying, and ideas that still felt like Ramadan.”
“I realised that people don’t want to stop enjoying food. They just want to stop feeling heavy and guilty afterwards.”
And that word, guilt, comes up a lot. For years, Ramadan food was associated with indulgence – plates overflowing, desserts on repeat, and nights that ended with regret instead of comfort. Now, social media is helping people reframe the relationship between food and the holy month.
Rania Suleiman, a psychologist who works with women on body image and emotional eating, sees this shift clearly. “Ramadan is emotionally loaded,” she explained. “There’s nostalgia, family pressure, and also stress. Social media, when used wisely, is offering a new narrative: that caring for your body is also a form of respect for the month.”
“Healthy recipes aren’t just about calories. They’re about control, awareness, and feeling good instead of ashamed.”
Men are also joining this movement. Omar Ahmed, 31, who lives alone, said Instagram had taught him how to cook. “I used to break my fast with takeout,” he admitted. “But after following a few fitness and food pages, I started trying recipes myself. It felt empowering.”
“Now I make chicken bowls, date smoothies, and even oat pancakes for Sohour. I feel like I upgraded my Ramadan.”
What makes these recipes spread so fast is not just the health factor. There is also the emotional tone. The videos feel friendly, warm, and real. You are not watching a professional chef; you are watching someone like you. Someone tired, fasting, juggling work and family, saying “this is what I made today. Maybe it helps you too.”
Heba Tarek, a 28-year-old housewife, said that is exactly why she trusts social media more than cookbooks. “Cookbooks are perfect. Life isn’t,” she said. “But when I see a woman cooking with kids around her, tired like me, and still making something healthy, I feel encouraged.”
“It doesn’t feel like pressure. It feels like companionship.”
Of course, not everything online is realistic or healthy. Some content can be misleading, extreme, or obsessed with perfection. Suleiman warned about that side too.
“There’s a difference between healthy and restrictive,” she said. “Some accounts promote a fear of food. That can be damaging, especially for young girls.”
“The goal is balance, not punishment.”
But when used thoughtfully, social media has become a space of shared learning. Recipes are no longer secrets passed down only from mother to daughter. They are open, visual, and evolving. A woman in Cairo can learn a healthy dessert from a woman in Dubai in 30 seconds.
Nour Osama, 22, said she bonds with her mother now over food reels. “We send each other recipes all day,” she laughed. “She sends me soups; I send her desserts.”
“Before, food was something she did for me. Now it’s something we do together.”
That emotional shift from obligation to connection is maybe the biggest change. Cooking is no longer just labour. It’s content, creativity, and even self-expression.
For food creators, Ramadan is also a deeply personal season. Samah Lutfi, who is a pharmacist by profession as well as a certified IIN hormone health coach and posts healthy recipes online, said she feels pressure, but also purpose.
“People wait for Ramadan content,” she said. “They trust you with their tables.”
“That’s powerful. You’re not just feeding bodies; you’re feeding moods, habits, and families.”
“From a hormone and health perspective, what we eat in Ramadan really matters. Long fasting hours affect blood sugar, mood, sleep, and energy. So, I don’t just think about taste. I think about how a recipe will make someone feel two hours after Iftar.”
“Balanced meals can change everything. When women eat in a way that supports their hormones, they’re calmer, more focused, and less exhausted. That’s why I’m careful with what I share, because food isn’t just food. It’s chemistry.”
In many homes, the impact of the new cooking styles is visible. Less oil, more vegetables. Fewer sugar crashes, more energy. And emotionally, less shame around food.
Abed said the biggest difference this year won’t be the scale; it will be her relationship with eating. “I don’t feel like I’m failing if I enjoy dessert,” she said. “I just choose better versions.”
“And I don’t hate myself after Iftar anymore.”
And maybe that is the real story: not that social media taught people how to cook, but that it taught them how to be kinder to themselves while doing it.
From reels to real kitchens, and from scrolling to Sohour, social media has turned healthy cooking into a shared language. One that speaks of care, balance, and a Ramadan where food still comforts but no longer hurts.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 12 March, 2026 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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