To define is a snack is tricky. But we can tell you snacks are not always unhealthy. Some of them come in very healthy and power packed products that are not only tasty but just perfect. The others are the ones that is either full of carbs or oil, adding to your dose of trans fat and the bad cholesterol. But no! We are not going to scare you, but rather list out types of health snacks. Before that, why snacks at all?
- Your chai needs a companion! Tea time are a favourite time of we Indians. We not only like to immerse in the flavoured cup of tea, but also take a bite of a hot wada or a tasty samosa. It just is pure pleasure!
- They curb your odd hour hunger. You sure cannot or probably will not be in a mood for a bowl of rice and sambar or a dosa at any point of the data. Snacks are thus your savour. They keep you full and the best part is they are mostly in eaten in small quantities.
- Good food, good life. Snacks can be your handful of nuts. Thus, you could eat healthy plus munch on something you like at the same time. This serves your hunger and your odd hour craving, thereby adding some bit of healthy diet from your side.
Types of Healthy Snacks You Can Try at Home
So, what could you try? Here is a list of different types of snacks to give company to your chai.
1. Packaged Type Snacks:
When you are carving for the goodness of some snack to curb your hunger or simply because you are bored, here are some healthy packaged foods to try.
- Nutritious Mixed Berry:
this big bag is a mix of mixed berries of many kinds. Berries are rich in antioxidants that are good for a healthy skin and fibre that will keep you full for a long time.
The good and the bad: The major benefit of eating them is they are naturally healthy and the fibre content will keep you full for a long time, thus preventing you from over eating. Some of the berries are also rich in vitamin C. However, the drawback is that you could be allergic to a particular variety of it and thus develop rashes.
- Coconut Chips:
Chips! Don’t we all just love that word? Try out a healthy coconut chips that has healthy coconut oil and is gluten free. They are also a good source of iron and other healthy good fat. You can have them during your day time and a serving of 0.7z supplies 115 calories roughly. The caramel sea salt toasted ones have about 8 grams of sugar and are tasty supplements during any point of the day.
The good and the bad: The major advantage is that you get to eat something, one that is healthy and does not bring in increase cholesterol level. The bad part is the fried version of it that may not do good for your body when you overeat them.
- Nutrition Bars:
you could also indulge in some healthy and nutritious snack bar that has egg whites, figs, dates and other nuts. They are also good sources of protein and you could eat them as your breakfast.
The good and the bad: they are a rich source of many nutrients and the figs and dates are good sources of minerals and iron respectively. The nuts in it will keep you full for a long time. The bad part is, some of them come with flavours which will have certain level of sugars in them that can be bad for your body for an everyday meal.
2. Homemade Type Snacks:
Another one snack option is the all-time healthy snack that is made at home in the most healthy way with love too. The biggest benefit of homemade snack is it is almost always made with the best of the ingredients that are fresh, with no chemicals or artificial flavours. Take a look at some of the best ones you can make at home.
- Date Energy Balls:
How about some iron rich date energy balls that you can quickly make for your sudden hunger pang.
- Into a food processor, add the dates, a spoon full of oats, a spoon full of almond butter, almond extract or some small pieces of it, ginger for a spiced flavour and nutmeg for overall flavour.
- Add two or three teaspoons of hot water to get them to the right consistency, so that you can make a solid ball out of it.
- Press them to a nice round ball and refrigerate it. Serve cool.
You can store them for over a week in an air-tight container. Eat them one a day, in the evening or after your dinner.
3. Healthy Natural Snacks:
This type of snacks are another way to keep your body neat and clean. They are snacks chosen with care with the only aim to give your body is some solid good fat and diet. Foods that are not processed or industry made will not contain any natural sugar, flavour or ingredients which can be bad for your body in the long run. You can eat your daily dose of natural snack like the fruits and salads as your breakfast.
The good and the bad: Natural foods thus give you all the necessary nutrients that your body needs for a body and also in the long run. It keeps you energized in combination with its goodness of minerals, proteins and essential vitamins, all in the best form intended by the nature to give you. The bad part however could be some of the goodness will reach you only if you cook them well, thus enabling your body to absorb them better than their raw counterparts. Watch out for that.
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4. Calorie Snacks:
Calorie snacks are something to be careful of. While almost all your kinds of snacks can have calorie, only some of them have the goodness that you need. Others could potentially build up itself in your body in the form of fat. When chosen with care, calorie snacks give you the needed energy for the day ahead, thus keeping you active and energized. You can also try some low calorie foods like cucumber slices during your meal as a side or watermelon at any point of the day. These keep you hydrated. Chicken broth on the other hand, will keep you full for a long time and you could try some during the mid-day to silence the hunger cry.
The good and the bad: the good part is they are probably the best source of energy thus keeping you all active. The bad part is however choosing the wrong food. Keeping a count on your calorie intake is a good thing to do. A woman needs about 2000 calories a day while a man needs about 2500 calories a day. However, your fruits are in the safe zone.
5. Liquid Snacks:
Liquid snacks are known to provide the body with lesser calories and is thus ideal for people who are looking to lose some weight. But it might be difficult to compensate for all the goodness you may drive out from other solid foods. Liquid diet usually includes soup, fresh juice without pulp, black tea.
The good and the bad: the good part is it good for digestion, keeps your hydrated and nourished. The bad part is it can get very tuff to compensate the required amount of calories a day that you will typically need. Also, headache, weakness and infertility of the things it can lead to if you go only on a liquid snack. But as a true snack for your carving times, this works best.
6. Baked Snacks:
Backed snacks are always the healthiest choice when compared with the fried ones. They are healthy and do not bring any negative effects to the body. Your fat consumption gets lower with the baked products. When you deep fry these products, some of them tend to form Advanced Glycation End products from the starch. When the starch comes in contact with high temperature, they tend to form carcinogen, which is bad for the body. Thus, baked foods can be your saviour. So, the next time bake your chicken starter or popper instead of deep frying them. This way, you will save yourself from a lot of carbs and fats. Try your baked food in the evening along with some healthy salad.
The good and the bad: The good part about baked food is they don’t add extra flabs to your body. They are low on fat and you don’t really have to worry about your favourite starter being unhealthy. Watch out for the products you buy. Some of them contain trans-fat, because they are inexpensive and have a long shelf life.
7. Oil Snacks:
Well, yes! Oil snacks could be bad for you. However, you can ease the bad a little by substituting your regular oil with olive oil. Olive oil contains the good fat, which is the monounsaturated fat and has strong anti-inflammatory properties. You could opt for a healthy oil snack just before your dinner, much like a starter with other oils like canola, garlic oil etc. all of which contain the good fat.
- Roast your almonds in a spoon of garlic oil and sprinkle some black pepper.
Try this delicious roasted nut in the afternoon for an extra filling.
The good and the bad: The good part is substituting your regular oil with oils that are rich in monounsaturated food. They don’t increase your cholesterol level in the blood and thus considered safe for the body. The bad part however is they can lead to a weight gain when consumed excess because of their high calorie content.
8. Nutritional Snacks:
Nutritional snacks, just like their name, have loads of nutrition in them. All of them supply the body with enough nutrients and ensure you are energized and active throughout the day. They can be eaten as your breakfast or even as a quick bite in the middle of the day. Try out this classic nutritional snack.
- This lentil spread pita bread is a good breakfast too. In a blender, add lentils, salt, pepper, lemon juice of one tablespoon and process them until they are smooth.
- Add the sunflower seeds, celery, scallions of one that is diced finely and parsley.
- Microwave the pita at high temperature for about a minute and serve it with the spread.
This dish will keep you full. Lentils contain fibre and it is known to keep your stomach full for a long time, thus preventing over eating. The sunflower seeds contain vitamin A, E, B1 along with folate and niacin.
The good and the bad: for sure, nutritional snacks are healthy and supply the body with enough nutrients to keep you going. For the bad, we don’t really know what could happen with eating nutritional snacks, however, some of the ingredients can cause reaction or allergy.
Snacks are sure a good way to enjoy your movie time. While you know how much you like it, why not substitute it with something healthy? Our article is intended to inspire you try out something different, ensuring you lead a healthy life and feel satisfied at the same time. Stay healthy stay fit!
