Nutritionist Niti Desai shares 8 smart snacks that can be prepared in a jiffy, keeping your daily snack allowance in mind
Moong-Channa mix
You need: 1/2 cup boiled whole moong beans (matki), 1/2 cup boiled gram (brown peas, channa), salt, chilli powder, jeera powder, lime juice
How to: Mix the beans with the gram; season with salt and spices; add a squeeze of lime.
Good for: protein and calcium (moong beans), dietary fibre (gram)
Calories (approx): 120
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Nutty delight
You need: 20 nuts— five almonds, two walnuts and 12 pistachios. You can also add sunflower or flax seeds (nuts are high in calories, so make sure not to exceed the limit)
How to: Transfer the nuts and seeds into a zip lock or paper bag; close the mouth of the bag and give it a good shake.
Good for: Nuts are a great source of mono saturated fats and Omega 3 fatty acids
Calories (approx): 170
Pic/ Datta Kumbhar.u00a0Great on-the-go snack for commuters
Strawberry smoothie
You need: A handful of strawberries, 1 cup skimmed yoghurt, ice cubes (optional)
How to: Blitz the strawberries with the yoghurt and ice.
Good for: Calcium and protein (yoghurt), Vitamin C and antioxidants (strawberries)
Calories (approx): 130
Jhatpat-chatpat corn
You need: 3/4 cup boiled corn, 1/2 cup finely chopped red, yellow or green bell pepper (capsicum), salt, lime and pepper to taste
How to: Mix the boiled corn with the peppers. Season with salt and pepper.
Good for: Vitamins B and C, fibre (corn)
Calories (approx): 140
Oats upma
You need: 3 tbsp oats, 50 ml buttermilk (or water), 1/2 cup of boiled vegetables (carrots and beans), salt to taste
How to: Dry-roast the oats in pan for one or two minutes. Add the buttermilk (or water) and veggies. Cook till the dish is almost dry. Season with salt.
Good for: Fibre (oats and vegetables)
Calories (approx): 130
Vegetable crudités with yoghurt dip
You need: Four to seven sticks of carrot, radish and cucumber each; 2 tbsp of hung curd (yoghurt); salt and pepper
How to: Slice the cucumber, radish and carrot into sticks; season the curd with salt and pepper.
Good for: Antioxidants (fresh vegetables); protein and calcium (yoghurt)
Calories (approx): 140
Yellow dhokla
You need: Half cup gram flour (besan), 1 tbsp semolina (rava), 1/4 tsp citric acid crystals, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp green-chilli-ginger paste, 3/4 cup water, 1/2 tsp fruit salt
How to: Mix the besan with all the ingredients, except the fruit salt, to make a batter with smooth consistency. Add the fruit salt. Mix. Microwave the batter on high power for two to three minutes, or steam it till fully cooked over a double boiler.
Good for: Protein
Calories (approx): 120 (serving size: 6 to 7 pieces)
Quick tofu stir-fryu00a0
You need: 75 gm tofu and two cups of mix vegetables such as red and yellow pepper, mushroom and spring onion,
1 tsp roughly chopped garlic,
1 tsp oil, red chilli flakes; soya sauce to taste, and salt
(if required), freshly ground peppercorns
How to: Place a wok over high heat; quickly add the oil, chuck in the garlic, chilli flakes, stir quickly; add the veggies one by one, followed by the tofu, adding the tomato last, as it takes the least time to cook. Season with soya sauce, salt and pepper.
Good for: Tofu can be a good source of protein, especially for those who are lactose-intolerant
Calories (approx): 130
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Food Styling courtesy Michael Swamy; Pics/ Atul Kamble; co-ordinated by Dhara Vora
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