Why do some people get thirsty even though they ate plenty at suhoor?
It’s a question that comes up every Ramadan, and the answer is that thirst during the day depends less on how much you eat at suhoor than on what you eat. A big, salty, quickly digested meal empties the stomach before noon and draws water out of the body, while a smaller meal rich in fibre and good fats stays with you longer and keeps you hydrated. The practical rule in short: choose what digests slowly, cut down on salt, and don’t rely on drinking water alone to make up the difference.
Three criteria for choosing a suhoor dish
1. Slow digestion
Dishes based on whole wheat and pulses stay in the stomach for hours longer than white bread and sweets. This is the first and most important difference, and it alone explains why one person holds out until Asr while another tires before noon, even though both ate the same amount.
2. Salt content
Salt is the direct cause of thirst. Dishes built on salty cheese, pickles and cured meats double the body’s need for water during the day, and drinking large amounts before imsak can’t make up for it, because the body quickly gets rid of the excess.
3. Some good fat
Fat slows down how quickly the stomach empties, so a dish with ghee or cream keeps you full longer than one without, for the same number of calories. Many people miss this when they pick the lightest suhoor, thinking it’s the best choice.
What to order from our menu
Areekah — the first choice
Areekah ticks all three boxes: slow-digesting whole wheat, local ghee that keeps you full for longer, and honey that gives natural sugar with no salt. It’s the heaviest dish on the menu, which makes it the best fit for anyone working during the day or who finds long fasts hard. Start with a medium size rather than a family one, because too much works against the goal and leaves you sluggish. Browse the areekah section to choose the right size and topping.
Masoub — lighter and quicker
Masoub is a good choice for anyone who can’t face the weight of areekah right before sleeping. Its local bananas provide potassium, which helps the body hold on to water, and the cream slows digestion. Avoid the nut-heavy kinds if your suhoor is very late. The full list is in the masoub section.
Foul — the highest in fibre
Foul is the best of all for slow digestion, but it needs attention to the amount of salt. Order it plain or with tomato, and go easy on the sahawiq if you get thirsty quickly. You’ll find every kind in the foul section.
What to cut back on
Savoury mutabbaq and every kind of cheese are delicious but the saltiest items on the menu, and they’re better suited to iftar than suhoor. The same goes for sweetened drinks: Adeni tea with milk is a good choice as long as you cut down the sugar, because fast sugar spikes and then drops, making you hungry sooner.
What about iftar?
The rule for iftar is the exact opposite of suhoor. Here you want something quickly absorbed to raise your blood sugar after hours of fasting, followed by a heavier meal after prayer. Dates and water, then a light dish, is the right order — anyone who breaks the fast with a heavy dish straight away feels sluggish for the rest of the night.
Every kind of mutabbaq is a very good choice for iftar because it’s quick and light to start with, as is hot tameez with tea. Heavy dishes like family areekah and tawajin belong naturally after Taraweeh prayers, not before.
How much to eat at suhoor
The second common mistake, after the kind of food, is the amount. A completely full stomach before sleep means broken sleep and waking up tired — an effect that has nothing to do with thirst but ruins the day just as much. The practical rule: eat until you feel comfortable, not until you feel full, and drink water in rounds throughout the night rather than all at once before imsak — the body doesn’t store extra water, it gets rid of it.
Opening hours in Ramadan
Branch hours change completely in Ramadan: most open after Taraweeh prayers and stay open until just before imsak, with an order peak that starts around midnight. We recommend ordering ahead for family orders, because the pressure in the last hour before imsak is the highest of the whole year. Details and times are on the Ramadan page, and each branch’s ordering status is in the branch directory.
The practical takeaway
If you want one rule to remember: make your suhoor whole wheat, good fat and a little salt, and save the salty and crunchy things for iftar. That alone makes a noticeable difference in the middle of a summer fasting day.