healthy snack recipes

Low carb snacks have been very popular and many stores are flooded with goodies proclaiming to be low carb. You just need to be a little careful here. There are good carbs and bad carbs. Good carbs are the fibre filled vegetables, oatmeal, and other starches that take longer to digest. Bad carbs are foods, which are loaded with sugar and refined starches. You need to consume a lot before you feel filled. This would mean consuming more calories. So an ideal healthy snack would mean less of calories and more of nutrition. On the one hand, a low carb diet is not necessarily healthy, but eating a low carb snack keeps those hunger pangs at bay and blood sugar levels steady. You should however remain in control.

If you want something a little on the “namkeen “ side, try this out. Take equal quantities of cornflakes, crisp rice cereal, and puffed corn cereal. With just a teaspoon of oil in the frying pan, add mustard seeds, nuts (peanuts, cashew nuts—whatever you choose) and roast till slightly brown. Add raisins, chili powder, a little turmeric powder and some curry leaves and sauté till the leaves crackle. Add the cereal mixture and roast for about 5-7 minutes. Add salt, pepper and a little mango powder while still hot Allow it to cool and store for future use. A wonderful Indian snack and a healthy recipe at that can be obtained. Good carbs and low fat.

Kaandha Poha is a favorite Maharashtrian snack. Soak the poha in water for about 5 minutes and then drain off water. Heat a teaspoonful of oil in a frying pan . Add mustard seed, urad dal, chillies, hing, turmeric, a little chilli powder and wait for mustard seeds to splutter. Add sliced onion and potato, and a little water for the vegetables to cook. (You could add peas and carrot if you wish). Add the poha and mix everything well. Saute for about 5 minutes and then add a little limejuice. Serve hot. Hunger pangs are appeased, and your taste buds satisfied.

Sandwiches are an all time favorite. Take whole wheat bread and remove the crusts if you want to. Shred tomatoes, capsicums, carrots, and mix with yogurt. Add salt and pepper. Apply thick yogurt on the bread slices, place a lettuce leaf, then the filling and another slice of bread on top. A couple of slices and you won’t want to stop.

Steamed products are always welcome. Idlis made from semolina are not only tasty but also nutritious. Roast the suji till slightly brown. Remove from fire and cool. Add curd slowly till you get a thick batter. Just before pouring the mixture into the idli maker slots, add sodium bicarb or fruit salt. Steam in pressure cooker for about 10 minutes. Soft fluffy idlis are ready to be eaten with green chutney.

Another filling and healthy snack recipe prevalent in south India called “shundal” is made from lentils, chowli or kabuli chenna. Soak in water and pressure cook till soft. Add a teaspoon of oil in a frying pan. When hot, add mustard seeds, hing, urad dal, chillies, and curry leaves. When the dal is light brown and mustard seeds pop, add the cooked chowli or kabuli chenna. Add salt to taste. Eaten hot or cold, it tickles the taste buds and is also filling. Dressing with coconut adds to the taste, but does add to the number of calories too. So if you can do without it, well and good.

There is nothing as healthy as munching into an apple, or eating a mixture of fruits with no sugar added. Oranges, watermelons, mosambis, and papayas are immensely fortifying. Stay of those fried foods and you cant err too much. A little or no fat, good cookware should ensure Happy Healthy snacking. ~ Author Mini Swami.

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