Isle of snacks

Love snacking but worried about gaining weight? Switch to healthy snacks with fruits, veggies and nuts

When you’re not in the mood to have a full meal, a light snack is something that you reach out for. And that one small snack will lead to another one in an hour, and then another one. By the end of it, you’ll soon realise that all you have been doing is snacking.

Well, it’s not necessarily a bad thing but it depends on what you eat. If you are a snack lover, embrace it. Just choose the healthier options. There are plenty of homemade snacks that you can try. You can store them in air-tight containers and keep them on your table. Whenever you’re in the mood to munch, just grab one of these.

The major rule about snacking is that it should include both protein and fiber. This year, it will help you not stay hungry and control your blood sugar.

Fruits

Head to the nearest market and stock up some of your favourite fruits. To your cart, add something that’s in season. You can either have them raw, grilled, or dip it in caramel sauce. If you are cutting pieces of the fruit and you’re worried that it’ll get spoilt soon, cut them and soak them in lightly salted water or lemon water for a few minutes. The fruit will stay fresh and you can have them on the go.

Crunchy vegetables

Pick veggies like carrot, cucumber and sprouts — something you know will have the crunchy effect. Keep a bottle of range or dip of your choice ready. Whenever you feel hungry, take these out and munch away.

Make chips

If having raw food doesn’t feel like much of a snack, bake them. Take anything from potatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes and bittergourd, to name a few, sprinkle some salt and pepper on them and bake them till crispy. Just make sure that you store them in air-tight containers so that they don’t go dry. If you want your chips to have that hint of spice, sprinkle some paprika on it.

Sweet goodness

Yes, desserts are good for you. You should not have too many of them. But here’s the thing — make these desserts at home so that you can control what goes in there. Use stevia, honey or jaggery instead of refined sugar. Reduce the quantity of chocolate and opt for dark chocolate.

Fruit and nuts

Make granola bars with the dry fruits you have at home. It doesn’t take too long to make and you can have as much as you please.