📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Shyjucherian98
Food
Healthy Modaks Gain Popularity for Ganesh Chaturthi Offerings
✍️ Amar Ujala · Delhi
🗓 09 Sep 2026, 10:47 PM
👁 46
Vendors report a surge in demand for low‑calorie, nutritious modaks as devotees seek healthier options for Ganesh Chaturthi.
Ganesh Chaturthi, one of the most widely celebrated festivals in India, traditionally features the sweet dumpling known as modak as the deity's favorite offering. This year, a noticeable shift has emerged as devotees increasingly prefer healthier versions of the classic treat.
Street vendors and confectionery shops across major cities report a sharp rise in orders for steamed, millet‑based, sugar‑free, or low‑fat modaks. Many have introduced recipes using oats, quinoa, jaggery, and natural sweeteners to cater to the growing health‑conscious crowd.
Nutritionists attribute the trend to heightened awareness about diet-related diseases and a broader move toward balanced eating, even during festive occasions. As a result, sales of traditional deep‑fried modaks have dipped, while packaged 'healthy modak' products are seeing faster turnover.
Manufacturers are responding by expanding their product lines, offering ready‑to‑eat variants with clear labeling of calorie counts and ingredient sources. Industry observers expect the demand for nutritious festive sweets to remain strong in the coming years.
Street vendors and confectionery shops across major cities report a sharp rise in orders for steamed, millet‑based, sugar‑free, or low‑fat modaks. Many have introduced recipes using oats, quinoa, jaggery, and natural sweeteners to cater to the growing health‑conscious crowd.
Nutritionists attribute the trend to heightened awareness about diet-related diseases and a broader move toward balanced eating, even during festive occasions. As a result, sales of traditional deep‑fried modaks have dipped, while packaged 'healthy modak' products are seeing faster turnover.
Manufacturers are responding by expanding their product lines, offering ready‑to‑eat variants with clear labeling of calorie counts and ingredient sources. Industry observers expect the demand for nutritious festive sweets to remain strong in the coming years.