Snacks – when the clock strikes 4 pm or 5 pm, many of us – from children to elders – feel the urge to eat something light and interesting like snacks. Popular snacks are tea and biscuits, deep-fried items like chips, pakoras, samosas, etc., noodles, preservative loaded snack options from supermarkets, pastries, chocolates, sweets, etc. There is no doubt that these popular snack options are tasty, but there is also no doubt that they are unhealthy due to preservatives, deep frying, reheating of oils, maida, high sugar content, etc.
These snack options lead to obesity, hormonal imbalance, low immunity, and loads of other health problems in the long run; the biggest problem is that they are addictive, which makes you crave more food and indulge in unhealthy foods. An unhealthy snack makes you eat more during dinner time, which in turn burdens your digestive system.
So, are there any snack options that are healthy and also tasty? Are there any snack options that can delight taste buds and not cause health issues in the long-run? Let’s look at such snack options today. These snack options are not addictive and help you reduce your dinner quantity without much effort.
13 healthy snack options
1. A handful of roasted peanuts and jaggery – This a healthy combination free of oils, preservatives, and chemicals that can be prepared at home easily. A good snack for people with a sweet tooth. It satisfies sweet cravings and is also filling. This combination is a good source of iron, proteins, selenium, and magnesium.
2. Peanut chaat – This is a combination of boiled peanuts along with onions, tomatoes, coriander, lemon, etc. It is filling, delicious, and can be easily prepared at home. This is an excellent snack rich with proteins and fiber coming from vegetables.
3. Sprouts chaat– Sprouts can be consumed raw and are good for health. However, not all would love to eat raw sprouts because they are less on taste, and some people have digestion issues with sprouts. So to avoid these, you can boil the sprouts and top them with onions, tomatoes, chilies and a dash of lemon. This is filling, delicious, healthy, and can be easily made. This is an excellent source of protein and fiber.
4. Roasted flattened rice – Flattened rice, popularly called as atukulu in Telugu, can be roasted without oil and can be topped with some peanuts, salt and vegetables like onions, tomatoes, chilies, etc. It is crispy, tasty, and free from oils, maida, and preservatives. Vegetables add fiber and nutrients, and flattened rice is good in iron, probiotic that improves gut health. To further enhance health benefits, you can use flattened rice made from red rice.
5. Fruit bowl – You can make a delicious fruit bowl containing bananas, apples, oranges, grapes, strawberries, papayas. There are so many options for fruits. They satisfy sweet cravings, improve health, boost immunity, improve skin health, and are easily available.
6. Handful of dry fruits: There are many dry fruit options like cashews, raisins (popularly called kismis), almonds, pistachios, walnuts, etc. You can consume one of them or a mix of all of these. Salted options of dry fruits bought in supermarkets come with high levels of sodium. So, please avoid these salted dry fruits. Dry fruits are healthy and filling. They are rich in vitamins, proteins, and excellent immunity boosters.
7. Chickpeas chaat – Water-soaked chickpeas(Soak chickpeas for 12 hours) can be boiled and topped with vegetables like onions, tomatoes, coriander, lemon, etc. They are filling, tasty, and healthy. This is a good source of proteins and fiber.
8. Boiled sweet potatoes – In the season rich with sweet potatoes, go for this option. Sweet potatoes are rich in fiber and antioxidants, which boost your immunity and health. This is an easy to prepare, filling, and satisfying snack.
9. Dry Fruit Ladoos – You can easily prepare dry fruit laddoos with dry fruits, jaggery, and honey. They satisfy your sugar cravings and are also good for health. These are rich sources of proteins and iron.
10. Til laddoo – Til or sesame seeds are excellent sources of calcium and iron. You can prepare til laddoo easily with til and jaggery. This laddoo is high in health, reduces sugar cravings and fills you. These laddoos are a good source of calcium and iron.
11. Smoothies – There are many types of smoothies you can prepare at home, combining various fruits and vegetables like bananas, carrots, beetroots, apples, papayas, and cucumber tomatoes, etc. You can top these smoothies with nuts and seeds. These smoothies are rich in antioxidants and vitamins. They are delicious, filling, and are health boosters. They are good for your skin health.
12. Coconut water and fruit – Coconut water is a good source of various minerals like potassium, electrolytes, and vitamins. Combining this super drink with a fruit makes it healthy and filling.
13. Ragi porridge – You can prepare a salty version of ragi porridge using buttermilk. This is easy to prepare and satisfying. Ragi porridge made with buttermilk is a good probiotic promoting your gut health. Ragi is a good source of calcium and iron. Sweet variants of ragi porridge can be prepared with ragi and jaggery.
These are some healthy snacks you can easily prepare at home. Below are some pointers to enhance the health of your snacks.
1. Use organic ingredients whenever and wherever possible.
2. Please be cautious about the usage of honey and jaggery if you have diabetes.
3. If you are going through obesity, choose snacks that suit your requirement and diet plan.
In addition to these healthy variants, below are some snacks which you can buy. These snacks are free from preservatives, chemicals, white flour(maida), and high sugars.
Enjoy healthy snacks, and stay healthy!
