Ramadan grocery list: what to buy and which labels to check

Ramadan 2027 is expected to begin around 8 February, depending on the moon sighting where you live, and to end with Eid al-Fitr around 9 March. A good shop before the first fast saves daily trips when you're tired and hungry. Here is a list built around suhoor, iftar and the pantry, plus the ingredients worth a second look on the label.

This is general information, not a religious ruling or medical advice. If you have a health condition, are pregnant or take regular medication, talk to your doctor before fasting.

For suhoor: slow energy and water

Suhoor has to carry you until sunset, so foods that digest slowly and keep you hydrated help most.

• Oats, wholegrain bread and bulgur
• Eggs, cheese, yoghurt and labneh
• Dates and dried fruit
• Fruit and vegetables with plenty of water, such as oranges, cucumber and tomatoes
• Nuts, olives and peanut butter
• Plenty of water; tea and coffee in moderation

For iftar: dates, soup and a proper meal

• Dates and water to break the fast
• Lentils, chickpeas and soup vegetables
• Rice, pasta and potatoes
• Chicken, meat or fish from a halal butcher, or beans for meat-free days
• Salad vegetables and fresh herbs
• Yoghurt and ayran

Pantry staples worth buying in bulk

• Flour, sugar, oil and spices
• Tomato paste, canned tomatoes and stock
• Frozen vegetables and pastry
• Honey, jam and tahini
• Milk, fresh or long-life

Ingredients worth checking on the label

Ramadan, Eid and every month's start date: Hijri calendar and date converter

Fresh produce raises no question, but many packaged foods do. These ingredients come up most often in Ramadan baking, desserts and snacks:

• Gelatin in jelly sweets, mousse, marshmallows and some yoghurts. See is gelatin halal?
• Rennet in cheese: look for microbial or vegetarian rennet. See is rennet halal?
• Whey in biscuits, pastries and chocolate. See is whey halal?
• Vanilla extract in cakes and custards, which is made with alcohol. See is vanilla extract halal?
• E471 in bread and pastries, which can come from plant or animal fat. See is E471 halal?
• E120 (carmine) in red sweets, drinks and yoghurts, where views differ. See is E120 halal?

A halal certificate from a recognised body on the pack settles most of these questions. Without one, our free halal E-numbers checker shows what each additive is usually made from.

Shop once, waste less

• Plan the first week's meals before you shop.
• Cook double portions and freeze half for busy days.
• Buy fruit and salad twice a week rather than all at once.
• Keep a list on your phone and add to it as things run out.

Check a whole product at once

Deen Buddy reads the ingredients from a photo of the pack and flags anything that may need a closer look, alongside prayer times and the Qibla direction. It doesn't replace a halal certificate.

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