PCOS, PMOS & PCOD at Festival Time: Your Vegetarian Guide to Navratri, Dussehra & Diwali 2026

PCOS, PMOS & PCOD at Festival Time: Your Vegetarian Guide to Navratri, Dussehra & Diwali 2026 - Dr. Shruti Shah

Navratri begins on 11 October. Dussehra is on 20 October. Diwali is on 8 November. That is almost a month of fasting, feasting and mithai.

If you have PCOS, PMOS or PCOD, you may be wondering: do I have to give up everything I love? No, you don't. A few small, simple choices are enough. This guide shows you how, festival by festival, using food you already make at home.

A quick note: PMOS is the new name for PCOS, and PCOD is what many of us still say. It is the same everyday challenge, so this guide is for all three. Want to know more about the name change? Read PCOS Is Now Called PMOS.

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Why festival food matters

Heavy sweets, fried snacks and long gaps between meals make your blood sugar swing up and down. With PCOS, PMOS or PCOD, those swings can make irregular periods, acne, cravings and tiredness harder to manage.

One mithai will not harm you. A whole month of sweets, skipped meals and late nights can. The good news: you can enjoy every festival and still look after your hormones.

5 simple rules for every festival

5 Simple Rules for Every Festival - PCOS, PMOS & PCOD Diet Guide - Dr. Shruti Shah
1. Never arrive starving.

Have a proper meal with protein earlier in the day.

2. Savoury first, sweet last.

Start with dal, paneer, curd, salad or chana. Then roti or rice. Mithai comes at the end.

3. Keep the sweet small.

One piece, or even half. Eat it slowly and enjoy it.

4. Walk after eating.

Just 10 to 15 minutes. Garba and dandiya count!

5. Protect your sleep.

Try for about 7 hours, even in festival week.

Navratri (11 to 19 October)

Navratri Vegetarian Fasting Guide for PCOS, PMOS & PCOD - Dr. Shruti Shah

Many of us fast through these nine days. The usual trap is tea and fruit all day, then a big plate of sabudana or potato at night.

Try this instead

  • Choose samak rice (bhagar) or rajgira in place of sabudana khichdi
  • Add curd, paneer, milk, peanuts or makhana to every fasting meal
  • Make kuttu roti or kuttu cheela instead of fried puri
  • Cook lauki, pumpkin or cucumber sabzi instead of heavy aloo
  • Eat small meals every 3 to 4 hours, not one huge meal at night
  • Eat a snack at home before Garba, so you are not tempted by sweet chai and fried snacks at 11 pm

Please take care: If you take metformin, insulin or any regular medicine, speak to your doctor before fasting. If you are pregnant or trying to conceive, check first too. If you feel dizzy, shaky or sweaty, break your fast and eat something.

Dussehra (20 October)

Dussehra Festival Feast Guide for PCOS, PMOS & PCOD - Dr. Shruti Shah

Dussehra often comes right after nine days of light eating. The table is full, you are hungry, and everything looks delicious.

  • Have a good breakfast with protein, like besan cheela, moong dal chilla or paneer. Don't save yourself for the feast.
  • Start with the savoury, such as salad, sabzi, dal or raita
  • Have one jalebi, one puran poli or one small bowl of shrikhand, after the meal
  • For kanya pujan prasad, eat the chana first, then one poori, then a spoon of halwa
  • Skip sweet chai and cold drinks. Choose chaas or nimbu pani
  • Take a relaxed family walk after the meal, perhaps to see the Ravan Dahan

Diwali (6 to 8 November)

Diwali Mithai and Snack Guide for PCOS, PMOS & PCOD - Dr. Shruti Shah

Dhanteras is on 6 November and Diwali on 8 November. Mithai boxes keep arriving for days, and the snack bowls never seem to empty.

  • Pick your top three mithai. Enjoy those fully and skip the rest.
  • Cut each piece in half. The first two bites carry most of the joy.
  • Have sweets after a meal, not on an empty stomach.
  • Keep healthier snacks ready: roasted makhana, roasted chana, spiced peanuts, or a small date-and-nut ladoo.
  • Bake or air-fry mathri and chakli at home.
  • Keep a protein snack for 5 pm, like paneer cubes, curd or a handful of almonds. It stops sweet cravings.
  • Share or freeze extra boxes. A full box on the counter will get finished.
  • Count Diwali cleaning and rangoli as exercise. You are already on your feet!
  • Party drinks: nimbu pani, chaas or coconut water feel festive. If you drink alcohol, keep it occasional and have food with it.

Festive food swap cheat sheet

Instead of Try
Sabudana khichdi or vada Samak rice with curd, or kuttu cheela with paneer
Fried kuttu or singhara puri Kuttu or rajgira roti with sabzi
Heavy aloo sabzi Lauki, pumpkin or cucumber with paneer or peanuts
Halwa, poori and chana Chana first, one poori, one spoon of halwa
Jalebi or imarti One piece after a savoury meal
Barfi, peda, ladoo Half a piece after food
Chakli, sev, namak pare Roasted chana, makhana, spiced peanuts or baked mathri
Sweet chai, cola, packaged juice Chaas, nimbu pani, unsweetened tea or coconut water

Be kind to yourself

One heavy meal does not undo your progress. If you overeat at a feast, simply return to your normal routine at the next meal. No punishment, no skipping meals, no guilt.

Keep taking your regular medicines on time, including on fasting days, unless your doctor tells you otherwise.

When to see a doctor

Festive tips help, but they do not replace treatment. Please book a consultation if you notice:

  • Periods more than 35 days apart, or missing for 3 months or more
  • Fast weight gain, especially around the waist
  • New or worsening acne, or extra hair on the face, chin or chest
  • Dark, velvety patches on the neck or underarms
  • Difficulty conceiving after 6 to 12 months of trying

You do not need to be overweight to have PCOS, PMOS or PCOD. Read Lean PCOS/PMOS: When You're Not Overweight But Still Have the Condition.

Dr. Shruti Shah, with 21+ years of experience in women's health, offers personalised care for PMOS, PCOS and PCOD, irregular periods, hormonal acne, excess hair growth and fertility concerns in Mumbai. To book, call +91 93215 05185 or message us on WhatsApp.

Frequently asked questions

Can I fast during Navratri with PCOS, PMOS or PCOD?

Many women do. Plan small, regular meals with protein, and speak to your doctor first if you take regular medicines.

Is sabudana okay?

Yes, in a small portion. It is mostly starch, so avoid deep-frying and pair it with curd, peanuts or vegetables.

Do I have to give up mithai completely?

No. Pick your favourites, keep portions small, and eat them after a meal.

Is jaggery (gur) better than sugar?

Jaggery is still sugar. Enjoy it in small amounts, like any other sweet.

Are PCOS, PCOD and PMOS the same?

In everyday life, people use these names for the same condition. PMOS is the official new name for PCOS.

More questions? Visit our FAQ page.

Dr. Shruti Shah's PMOS & Hormonal Health Clinic

1st floor, Darshan Orthopaedic Surgical Clinic & Maternity Home, Swami Vivekanand Rd, opp. Milap PVR Theatre, Malad West, Mumbai 400064

Phone: +91 93215 05185

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Keep reading

Insulin Resistance in PMOS (PCOS): How to Test It, Read It, and Treat It · Berberine for PCOS: What the Research Really Shows · Seed Cycling and Spearmint Tea for PCOS/PMOS · 50 Conversations Every Woman with PCOS Deserves to Have (eBook)

Explore more at Dr. Shruti Shah's PMOS (PCOS) and Hormonal Health Clinic. This article is for general guidance and does not replace personal medical advice.

Dr. Shruti Shah - PCOS & Hormonal Health Specialist

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