Healthy Snacks For When You Get The Munchies

The whole idea of snacking is to eat a small portion of food, have a drink or a light meal, especially in between meals. The main purpose of snacking is to take the edge off pre-meal hunger without adding too many extra calories to our diet. Eating the right amount of nutritious, healthy snacks gives us the energy to get through the day without experiencing fatigue or hunger. But careless snacking can easily take over our daily energy requirement and provide little or no nutritional benefit - a practice, which in the long-run, contributes to a whole host of health problems. What you snack on in-between meals can go a long way towards building a healthy body or affecting it in a negative manner. Be it evening, morning or any other part of the day, whether it is school-going children, college students or adults above 40, we all feel the urge of munching on snacks at different intervals during the day. The easiest and for many, the tastiest choice is junk food. We usually tend to reach out for a bag of chips, biscuits, vada pav, samosa, instant Maggi or worse, candies and colas, all of which are conveniently available. Some of us even snack out of boredom or stress, which leads to acidity, high glucose levels, high cholesterol levels, weight gain, high blood pressure and many other issues. Reason being these unhealthy snacks have high levels of refined oil and processed sugar, which provide no nourishment and lead to weight-gain. On the other hand, healthy snacking options improve our health, curb our cravings for unhealthy snacks and give us enough energy to get through the day without getting exhausted. That’s why we thought we’d bring to you a whole host of healthy snacking options that will keep you full and fit:

1. Sprouts: The right mix of pulses give you a good quality of nutrition as they are high in protein, fiber as well as folate and other vitamins and minerals. An easy and delicious snack could be a bowl of sprouts, mixed with onions and tomatoes, along with some chutney, which add great taste to this snack.
2. Paneer Sandwich: Paneer is a great source of protein for vegetarians, and can be added to salads, and tastes especially great with sun-dried tomatoes and pesto, when you are making a sandwich.
3. Egg Sandwich: Another great source of protein and a wonderful way of making an amazing egg sandwich is to smear some mayo on the bread, add a pinch of salt and pepper to some boiled egg, and make a healthy and filling sandwich for yourself in no time.
4. Khakra Chaat: For those of us who love things tangy and spicy, a bowl of mixed nuts, khakra and chutney with some lettuce and kale makes a great salad.
5. Energy Bars: Energy bars are a great source of, well, energy. And you can make different versions of it using jaggery or different fruits and nuts, depending on what you and your children like.
6. Fruit with Yogurt: This option is especially great for the summer. It’s cooling for the stomach and helps your body get the required amount of fruit needed. You can also add a spoon of honey to it to make it sweeter.
7. Mixed Nuts: Nuts are super filling. Plus, they are packed with calcium, good fats and fiber, all of which are easily absorbed by the body.
8. Fox-nuts: You can either roast them, create your own versions (with cheese or honey), or even add it to your kheer, fox-nuts are good for the heart, rich in protein and regulate blood pressure.

Just like our Eat Any Time (E.A.T) nutrition bars, now available in two delicious flavors, Orange and Mint, which have been especially created using jaggery. These energy bars not only taste great but are also very filling, and will give your child all the energy he needs to get through school or football practice in the evening.