In your journey to health and fitness, exercise and lifestyle play an important role, but food is key. This doesn’t mean you have to settle for boring snacks and meals.
It is advisable to consult an expert - a dietician or a nutritionist - who can help you understand your body type and tendencies properly. Snacking is a great way to satiate your hunger pangs. It essentially means eating small portions of food in between meals. Every person has a different body tendency; some feel hungry quite frequently while others can sustain without snacking for longer durations. If you’re looking for healthy snacking, we’ve got you covered with these recipes.
Fruit Chaat:
Combine tangy and sweet seasonal fruits, topped with a drizzle of freshly-squeezed lemon or orange juice. Your nutritionist can decide on the fruit portion,. but this dish is absolutely weight-loss friendly as it contains rich vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
Chickpea and Sweet Potato Chaat:
Boil sweet potatoes and chickpeas, and then mix them well with finely chopped tomatoes, onions and chillies. Top up with chaat masala and lemon juice. This snack is rich in nutrients, and rich in fibre and protein.
Diet-Special Bhel-Puri with Mint Chutney:
Different from the traditional bhel puri, this snack contains puffed rice mixed with a variety of nuts, freshly chopped veggies tossed with mint and tamarind chutney. This mouth-watering snack is perfect when you add chaat-masala and salt as per taste. And let’s not forget that it is extremely low in calories.
Whole Wheat Baked Samosas:
You will stop feeling guilty after digging into these samosas, which are made with whole wheat flour and a filling of boiled potatoes, green peas, some Indian spices and salt as per taste. When baked well, they’ll give you the exact crunch that you’ll find in deep-fried samosas - without the calories.
Grilled Paneer Tikka:
Recommended by several diet experts, this snack is a sure-fire win! It is especially handy if you are out partying and need to rely on a safe bet. Spice-marinated paneer cubes when grilled well, can be one of the most flavourful starters.
Yogurt Dipped Cucumber and Carrot Sticks:
If you’re in no mood to cook or bake, try carrot and cucumber sticks. Seriously! These are tastier when you dip them in yogurt that is flavoured with herbs. The yogurt dip offers nutrition in the form of calcium and probiotics, while carrots and cucumbers provide fibre and vitamins.
Oats and Vegetable Poha:
If you want to dig into a traditional breakfast but without the usual carbs and calories, whip up a poha-style dish from oats. Add plenty of veggies and you’ll find a great snack that’s filling and yummy.