Best Drinks for Iftar: Water, Lassi, Nimbu Pani or Sharbat?
The ranking: plain water first, then salted lassi or unsweetened nimbu pani, then light sweet lassi, with sharbat last and small. Water rehydrates best with no sugar at all. The others add taste, a little salt or protein, and sometimes a lot of sugar.
At a glance
- Best: water, sipped through the evening.
- Good: namkeen lassi and nimbu pani with little or no sugar.
- Okay in small glasses: sweet lassi, milk-based drinks.
- Treat, not a thirst drink: sharbat, Rooh Afza, cola, packaged juice.
- BP and kidney caution: go light on salted drinks and ask your doctor.
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What is the best drink for iftar? The jug on most tables holds something pink and sweet. It tastes wonderful after a long, hot roza, and that’s exactly why it gets drunk by the glassful. This guide ranks the usual iftar drinks by how well they rehydrate you and how much sugar they carry, and flags the salt cautions for people with high blood pressure.
What your body actually needs at iftar
After a day without water, your body has lost fluid through breath, sweat and urine, plus some salt. The first job is to put fluid back, and sugar isn’t needed for that at all; a lot of it poured into an empty stomach mostly adds calories and a sugar swing that leaves you sleepy and craving more sweet things an hour later. Water first.
Explained simply: your body is a plant that’s been in the sun all day. It needs water, steadily. Small, regular sips from iftar to sehri do more than two giant glasses at the siren.
Iftar drinks ranked by hydration and sugar
| Drink | Hydration | Sugar | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plain water | Excellent | None | Best everyday choice |
| Namkeen lassi | Good | Low (natural milk sugar) | Great, watch salt |
| Nimbu pani, no or little sugar | Good | Low | Great, watch salt |
| Sweet lassi | Good | Moderate to high | Small glass |
| Sharbat or Rooh Afza | Fair | High | Small glass, not daily jugs |
| Cola and packaged juice | Fair | High | Least useful |
Water
Nothing beats it. Room temperature or cool water is easy on an empty stomach, while very icy water gulped fast can give some people cramps or a sore throat, so let the chill come off first.
Lassi
Lassi gives fluid plus protein and calcium from dahi, and namkeen lassi, with a pinch of salt and roasted zeera, suits a hot day. Sweet lassi is heavier; a small glass fits, a large one is close to a meal. Our homemade dahi and lassi guide gives both recipes.
Nimbu pani
Lemon, water and a pinch of salt make a refreshing drink that people actually want to sip. Keep sugar to a teaspoon or none. Recipes and cautions are in nimbu pani: recipe and cautions.
Sharbat and Rooh Afza
These are sugar syrups with flavour, and a glass made the usual generous way can carry several teaspoons of sugar, which matters because many people drink two or three glasses before they’ve touched a single bite of real food. Enjoy one small glass if you love it, then switch to water. We break down the sugar per glass in Rooh Afza: sugar per glass and Ramadan portions.
One small glass of sharbat for the taste, then water for the thirst.
A simple drinking plan from iftar to sehri
- At iftar: 1 glass (about 250 ml) of water with your dates.
- With the meal: 1 small glass of namkeen lassi, nimbu pani or sharbat, if you like.
- After Maghrib to Isha: 1 to 2 glasses of water, sipped.
- After taraweeh: 1 to 2 glasses of water.
- At sehri: 1 to 2 glasses of water, plus watery foods like dahi, cucumber or fruit.
That spreads roughly 6 to 8 glasses through the night, which suits most healthy adults. Hot weather, outdoor work and heavy sweating mean more. Watch your urine. Pale yellow is good. Dark yellow means drink more.
Try this
Fill a 1-litre bottle after iftar and a second one after taraweeh. If both are empty by sehri, you’re on track.
Salt in drinks: a caution for high blood pressure
Namkeen lassi, salted nimbu pani and some shop “energy” drinks carry salt, and while a pinch per glass helps most people after heavy sweating, for anyone with high blood pressure, heart failure or kidney disease, those pinches add up across an evening that may already include pakoras, chutney and chaat masala.
If that’s you, choose water and unsalted or very lightly salted drinks, and ask your doctor how much salt and fluid suits you. People on fluid limits for heart or kidney problems need their own plan; don’t follow a general “8 glasses” rule.
Myth: sharbat cools the body better than water
Sharbat feels cooling because it’s cold and sweet, and some syrups carry rose or khus flavours linked with coolness in tradition. That comfort is real. But for replacing lost fluid after a long summer fast, when your body has quietly given away water through breath and skin all afternoon, water does the job at least as well, without the sugar. The “cooling” idea is tradition, and a nice one; it isn’t a reason to drink sharbat by the jug.
Did you know? Your thirst sense lags behind your needs a little, which is why sipping steadily through the evening works better than waiting until you feel parched.
With diabetes, sweet drinks raise sugar fast; keep them small or skip them, and follow your doctor’s plan. Break the fast if your glucose is below 70 mg/dL or above 300 mg/dL. Never change the timing or amount of any medicine for Ramadan yourself; that’s your doctor’s decision. If you have kidney disease, heart failure or high blood pressure, ask your doctor how much fluid and salt suits you. Signs of dehydration that need help: dizziness on standing, very dark urine or none for many hours, confusion, fainting or a racing heart. In that case break the fast and drink; if it doesn’t settle, get medical care. For heavy losses from diarrhoea or heat, ORS is the right drink, and our ORS vs nimbu pani vs coconut water guide explains when.
For more on fasting safely, head to our Ramzan Health section.
Questions about the best iftar drinks
What is the best drink to break the fast?
Plain water. It rehydrates without sugar and is gentle on an empty stomach. Pair it with a date or two.
Is lassi good at iftar?
Yes, especially namkeen lassi. It gives fluid, protein and calcium. Sweet lassi is fine in a small glass.
Is Rooh Afza good for iftar?
It’s a tasty treat but mostly sugar. One small glass is fine for most people; it isn’t the best thirst drink.
Is nimbu pani good in Ramadan?
Yes, with little or no sugar. It’s refreshing and easy to sip. People with high BP should keep the salt light.
How much water should I drink between iftar and sehri?
Most healthy adults do well with about 6 to 8 glasses spread across the night, more in hot weather. Pale yellow urine is a good sign. People with heart or kidney problems need their doctor’s advice.
Is cold water bad at iftar?
Not bad, but gulping very icy water fast can cause cramps or discomfort in some people. Cool water sipped slowly is easier.
Can diabetics drink sharbat at iftar?
Regular sharbat raises sugar quickly, so most people with diabetes do better skipping it or having a very small amount. Sugar-free versions exist; ask your doctor what suits you.
Is it okay to drink cola at iftar?
It’s not a helpful choice. It carries sugar or sweeteners, fizz that can worsen bloating and acidity, and caffeine in many brands. Water or lassi is better.
Does coconut water help in Ramadan?
It gives fluid and potassium and is a nice change. It carries natural sugar and potassium, so people with kidney disease should ask their doctor first.
Is imli sharbat healthy?
Tamarind adds a tangy taste, but most imli sharbats are sweetened heavily. Make it with less sugar; a tangy glass with a teaspoon of sugar still tastes good.
Should I drink a lot of water at sehri to last the day?
Drinking a huge amount at once mostly passes out as urine. Spread water from iftar to sehri, and eat watery foods at sehri instead.