Homemade Baked Banana Chips
A true childhood favourite, we all remember squeezing on some lime juice, chopped onions, tomatoes, coriander and green chilli to seasoned banana chips—and that was everything we needed in an evening snack. Spicy in all the right places, lip-smackingly delicious and the fact that it was banana chips made us feel like they were healthy too! Sadly enough, store bought banana chips are full of sugar and most of them are fried. Instead, you can bake up a batch at home, to cut down on the oil and sugar and still enjoy them as you always have. Tradition and taste in place—and health trumping it all. Few things are better.
Dried Curry Spiced Peas
Roasted green peas are a common snack throughout Southeast-Asian countries including Thailand and they’re surprisingly easy to make and healthy in equal measures. Roasted peas taste so deliciously nutty that you’ll have a hard time believing that they’re the same mushy and not-always-so-delicious green ones in your veggie dishes. Season them with your favourite flavours, whether that’s wasabi, red chilli powder, chaat masala or even curry powder! You can then store them in an air-tight container for weeks without losing out on the flavour or the crunchiness.
Khaman Dhokla
Native to Gujarat, Khaman Dhokla can be eaten for breakfast, as a main course, as a side dish or a snack. Eat with roughly chopped onions, fried chillies (cooked in minimal oil) sprinkled with salt and chutney. The batter of the dhokla is made from gram flour or as we know it, besan, which is soaked overnight. What we love about this dish, especially when it’s served as a snack, is that it’s fluffy, light and the chillies and chutney give it that extra kick of flavour. A perfect pairing for your evening cup of masala chai.
Multigrain Sandwich
Tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, crushed peanuts, your choice of protein (although we recommend you avoid red meats), sunflower seeds and an onion relish sandwiched between two slices of multigrain is a fabulous snack that is extremely rich in fibre and proteins and is sure to fill you up. Come evening, and we’re all feeling hungry and something as wholesome as this will keep you satisfied, healthy and most importantly, not as hungry for dinner time, which ideally should be your lightest meal of the day.
Peach and Chickpea Salad
Whip up a delicious peach vinaigrette (peach, olive oil, white vinegar, salt and pepper), chop up some jalapeños, toss them in with boiled seasoned chickpeas, mix in the vinaigrette—top with some freshly sliced peach and garnish with a generous serving of fennel seeds. It’s simple, fresh, healthy and truly, ridiculously scrumptious.
Poha
An extremely popular Maharashtrian dish, Poha contains flattened rice flakes, potatoes, green peas, carrots, ground nuts, fried red chilli, green chilli, hing (asafoetida), onion, turmeric, curry leaves, coriander leaves, salt, black pepper and freshly squeezed lime juice. With only 270 calories, we have just one word for this midday snack: YUM!
Rava Idli
Rava Idli, which basically substitutes rice with semolina needs to be your go-to snack and here’s why: the beauty of semolina is simple—semolina is made from durum wheat and so it’s digested slowly. What this means is that semolina will help you feel full for longer and prevents you from overeating. Need we say more?
Roasted Chickpeas
Chickpeas, commonly used in hummus and Middle Eastern cuisine, becomes a crispy, savoury snack when roasted. You can season roasted chickpeas in any number of ways—paprika, lime, sea-salt and vinegar, to name a few. Roasted chickpeas are a healthy choice to satisfy cravings without sabotaging your diet. So if you’re looking for some crunch in your day, here it is.
Spinach Smoothie
Combining spinach with fruit (apples) in a smoothie provides you with all the benefits and nutrients of raw spinach while at the same time the fruity sweetness of the fruit will allow it to taste great. We like to throw in some coriander, ginger, lime and honey in ours to give it that extra kick.
Upma
One serving of upma contains merely 250 calories, which makes it an ideal pick for an evening snack. What’s great about this savoury South Indian delicacy made from dry roasted semolina is that it’s nice and hot, which is something we’re always looking for in our snacks. If you’re one of those people that need something hot to feel full, we’ve found your calling.
Protein Salad
A protein salad full of steamed cauliflower, lentils, sprouts, corn and tomatoes has got long-lasting health written all over it. Pack it up in your Tupperware and take it to the office. Come five o’clock, whip it out—we like to warm ours up ever so slightly and then chomp down. It really is a delicious combination and the mix of veggies and lentils will keep you full, but unlike a greasy cheese toast, you’ll feel great after. It’s the perfect salad to eat post a workout as well!
Written by Nazneen Joshi on Jan 27, 2015