Binge, but healthily

Instead of choosing the same old junk food, indulge in some healthy snacks this cricket season, Anupama Menon

Cricket fever has infected one and all and this virus is only going to spread! But this virus is a wonderful one, bringing friends and family together to watch the tussles, eat and celebrate, feed off each other’s excitement, analyse the matches enough to put professional analysers to shame, stop each other from feeding on fingernails, and when victory arrives, to scream in unison pumping in adrenaline like no single-seater can contain.

All of this is great, but what does one also do to damage the health goals one has set for oneself? We eat, the passion for the game and sense of togetherness feeds not just love for the nation but hunger and the love for food, too! What could we eat that may minimise the damage to our health goals?

Here are a few options:

Ghee-roasted makhana: These are a wonderful alternative to the fried snacks we love and munch on endlessly.

Water: Water is a great filler. Just add in lemon and mint and some salt. And voila! You have a drink that even satiates your appetite.

Nuts: Nuts are great but beware, you can keep eating these little munchies with no limits attached.Roast them, do not salt them. Salt can retain water within, the last thing you want when you are just watching matches.

Avocado-filled toast pieces: Use whole wheat bread here. Mash ripe avocados, season with lemon, chillies, onions and tomatoes. Quarter whole wheat bread pieces, rub a little olive oil over them and toast for a minute or so. Now load the mashed avocados and serve.

Whole wheat momos: Replace the refined flour with whole wheat flour, fill in with veggies/chicken. It’s a wonderful, well-loved, nutritious snack.

Masala khakhras: Load whole wheat khakhras with finely cut onions, chillies, tomatoes and some roasted and lightly crushed peanuts. Don’t forget to top up with lemon.

Egg bhurji: Egg bhurji scrambled in with lots of onions and a few chillies. Yummy!

Fruit and feta: Cut crunchy water-loaded fruits like watermelon, pear & musk melon into cubes, squeeze lime over. Add pieces of feta and mint. Add some toothpicks for effect and you have something to fulfill your sweet cravings.

Black chana sundal: Boil black chana and season it with oil, chaat masala, onions and chillies. Kala namak will also work wonders here.

(The author is a nutritionist & food coach)