Balanced Ramadan

Balanced Ramadan is a community project about food, sharing, and wellbeing during Ramadan. It’s about finding ways to use nutritious ingredients while keeping flavour and tradition at the heart of what we eat. The focus is on choice, not rules, and on supporting people during a busy and meaningful time of year.

On Tuesday 24 February, local nutritionist Shaymaa Mohammed and volunteers will spend the morning at The Felix Project kitchen. Shaymaa has chosen a lamb and vegetable curry that feels familiar, tastes delicious, and is a good fit both nutritionally and culturally. Working alongside the Felix kitchen team, they’ll prepare around 400 portions of the meal to be shared with the community.

Later that day, Shaymaa will host a relaxed workshop at Poplar Union, focusing on food during Ramadan. She’ll share ideas for Iftar and Suhoor, preparing food ahead of time, and cooking in ways that help support energy and hydration while fasting. There’ll also be time for people to share their own tips and experiences. Everyone who attends the workshop will be able to take home one of the meals prepared that morning.

The remaining meals – separate from the workshop – will be shared through local community projects. A number will be available at Poplar Union between 1:30pm and 3:20pm for anyone who’d like to take a meal home.
Slots to pick these up can be reserved in advance, with a maximum of two meals per person, by registering for free here.

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Alongside the events, we’ve created a small leaflet called Food to Share.
It includes the lamb curry recipe made as part of this project, along with a few other simple recipes and cooking tips inspired by the sessions. The focus is on cooking at home, preparing ahead, and making the most of the food we have. The leaflet will be available at the events and can be used during Ramadan or at other times of the year.

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If you’d like to get involved in more community activity this Ramadan, Poplar Union’s Community Iftar takes place on Saturday 28 February.
Doors open at 3:30pm, with the fast broken at around 4pm.
It’s a warm, welcoming evening built around food, conversation, and spending time together. People are invited to bring something to share and enjoy the space with family and neighbours.

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The Felix Project was founded in 2016 with the aim to tackle food waste and food poverty by rescuing surplus food and turning it into meals that are shared with communities across London.
Their work is largely powered by volunteers, who regularly come together in local kitchens to cook, pack, and distribute food while helping to reduce waste. If you’d like to find out more about The Felix Project, or are interested in volunteering at their Poplar kitchen, you can visit their website for details.

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Shaymaa Mohammed is a nutritionist based in Tower Hamlets who offers private one-to-one nutrition support, as well as hosting community food and cooking projects. Her approach focuses on practical, balanced food that fits everyday life, culture, and routine. You can find out more about Shaymaa and her work on her website.

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