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As parents, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed with all the things we need to do to prepare for the holy month of Ramadan - from keeping our homes clean and organised, to preparing great healthy, satisfying meals to break the fast at iftar each evening.

Bake Off star, baker and cook Sura Mitib, has some tips for getting children to help out, as well as a delicious Ramadan biscuit recipe that children and parents can enjoy making together - perfect to keep and eat over a few days!

Remind children what Ramadan is all about

Ramadan is not just about not eating or drinking. It’s also about reflection, doing good deeds, spending time with family and friends and reaching out to those who need help. Everybody needs to connect and look out for each other.

As a parent, model this behaviour by splitting cooking and cleaning tasks between family members. Sura says: "Growing up, my mum and dad were both very hands on and would always help each other around the house. When children see you leading by example, they will be more motivated to join in and help too."

Make them feel included

Since children won’t be fasting, it can be easy for them to feel left out of the festivities. As iftar is later than 8pm it may be after bedtime for some younger school-aged children.

So, on weekends make iftar a real family affair. Bring out the best plates and cutlery and make it a real celebration and event. Sura says: "Occasionally, I do themed nights, so we might have Mexican food one night and something different the next day. Get children involved by letting them pick the theme.

"You could also let children make a dish for the family. That way, they are literally bringing something to the table and saying, 'this is what I made, and this is my contribution'. That feeling of accomplishment really stuck with me as a young girl, and I felt like I did my part. Even if it's just a salad or a small starter, they will feel like they are included in the whole process.

"Children can help with the food shop, measuring ingredients, or even be in charge of putting together a weekly menu.

"Most importantly, let them choose which tasks they want to do rather than designating. Maybe they would prefer to set the table or do the washing up? Whatever it is, let them take ownership of that task. They’ll feel proud when they accomplish it and will be more eager to do it in the future."

Prepare food in advance

To save time and stress when it comes to preparing meals for iftar or getting up too early to prepare the pre-dawn suhoor, you can prepare meals in advance.

Ironically, iftar can also lead to food waste at times, due to overestimating how much we’ll eat and therefore, overcooking. As we are fasting, we need to be careful not to overindulge. The experience is to teach us to appreciate what we have and to be mindful of the less fortunate. So, meal prepping will help to identify exactly how much food to make per person.

Sura points out: "For iftar, you can prepare a big batch of popular Ramadan finger foods like kebabs in advance and keep them in the freezer. That way you can just take out however many you actually need for 3 people for example, and cook on the day without waste.

Another way to save on food waste is to think about how you might be able to reinvent the leftover dish for tomorrow - get the kids involved and brainstorm what you could do with leftover Bolognese sauce or leftover bread for example, then make it together the next day."

Keep meals light and healthy

It’s easy to make filling, fried, or heavy meals, but you want to be able to have some energy after iftar to pray, clean up and do any other activities or tasks you may have.

"The fried finger foods will always be there so use an air fryer instead of deep frying for a healthy alternative. Be mindful of portion sizes and start small with something like a vegetable soup before your main meal. Drink water before eating too as this will keep you hydrated and fill up your stomach a bit to prevent overeating.

"Encourage the kids to help you make healthy sides like roast vegetables and fresh salads. Ask them to chop and season the veggies or ask them to whisk up a dressing for the salad or blend up a fruit smoothie. Whatever they help to make, that will be the first thing they go to eat."

Reward them for helping

"When children help, encourage them to continue by thanking and rewarding them. You could keep a chart and stick gold stars on for the tasks they complete, rewarding them with a small prize when they reach a certain number of stars.

"It doesn’t have to be an object though, reward them with your time too. Ask them what they would really like to do with you. Maybe they’ll want to draw or paint with you, maybe they will want to have a day out in the park or a walk or maybe they’ll want to go watch a movie together? Take time to get to know what activities they really enjoy and get involved in them."

Be kind to yourself

"It’s ok to step back and take time for yourself. You can run yourself a bath to relax, read a book, whatever it may be to focus on you and rejuvenate. Fasting all day is hard, especially when you have to work, do household chores or help with homework. Whatever it may be, look after yourself and give yourself credit for doing the best you can."

Baking activity

This simple recipe is the perfect bake to get kids involved without being complicated after a long day of fasting. The dough comes together in a matter of minutes and kids can have fun shaping and decorating these short and buttery vanilla shortbreads.

Preparation time - 1hr 30mins

Baking time - 15-20mins

Serves - Makes 16-18 shortbreads

Ingredients

For the biscuits:

125g plain flour

50g caster sugar

100g cold butter

Pinch of salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 -1 tbsp double cream

For the decoration:

50g white chocolate

50g milk chocolate

Assorted sprinkles

Chopped nuts (optional)

Method

1. Weigh out your butter and cut into cubes. Place this into the freezer while you weigh out the remainder of the ingredients.

2. Add the flour, chilled butter, sugar, salt and vanilla into a food processor and blitz all the ingredients until you get a breadcrumb texture. Try not to overwork the dough otherwise you will get a sticky dough.

3. Tip the contents of the food processor into a bowl and add 1/2 -1 tbsp of double cream to bring the dough together.

4. Wrap the dough in cling film and place in the fridge to firm up for 30 mins.

5. Once the dough is cold and has firmed up, preheat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas Mark 5.

6. On a floured surface roll out the chilled dough to half a cm thick and cut out the desired shapes.

7. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden.

8. Allow to cool on a rack for 15 minutes before decorating with melted chocolate, sprinkles and nuts.

9. Leave for 15 minutes for the chocolate to set, and enjoy!

If you are looking for more inspiration for meals, ����ý Food has collections of recipes for iftar here and for suhoor here.