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10 quick and healthy snacks recipes to try at home

We are a part of an advancing world where people are extremely busy with their lives. Not watching our food and its health quotient has become a trend these days. We are so much into canned food items and readymade junks that the concept of eating healthy snacks has lost somewhere. But, looking at the present day scenario, it is important to inculcate such habits in our younger generation. We have internet, knowledge, and creativity. Why not make use of it to prepare healthy recipes? We have brought to you some healthy snack ideas that will not only kill your boredom but will also impress your taste buds.

 

Dry fruit salad

healthy snacks

Ever imagined about it? Everyone loves dry fruits and nuts. Now you can make something healthy and tasty for yourself as well as your kids. Get raisin, almond, walnut, peanut, cashew, pistachio, figs, and other dry fruits that you have around you. Dry roast them in a deep vessel or usual pan. Chop them into small pieces and mix all of them together. Now, whenever you feel hungry, just take two tablespoons of this mixture and add 1 tablespoon honey to it. Mix it and eat this healthy snack instantly. Instead of consuming deep fried or oily snacks, you can prepare this and eat healthily.

Veg Omelet

Now you may wonder, how can an omelette be a vegetarian dish? True! But we will tell you something very unique now. Just soak one bowl rava in water for 10 minutes. Add half bowl chickpea flour or besan to it and bring it to a thick batter like consistency. Now you can add chopped onions, fresh coriander leaves, chopped tomatoes, etc. Add salt to taste and a pinch of turmeric powder. Now, heat pan and spread half teaspoon olive oil. Spread the batter and cook it like a pancake. It will taste exactly like an omelette with a veggie twist. It is one of the best healthy snacks for kids who demand junk food every now and then.

Sweet corn chunks

healthy snack ideas

Not a very big fan of the usual boiled/roasted sweet corn? We have something new for you. Just grind the sweet corn kernels after boiling and add little bit spices to taste. Take a hand full of it and shape it like a pancake. Heat the pan and spread half teaspoon olive oil. Roast this sweet corn from both the sides for 5 minutes. Sprinkle some lemon juice and enjoy it. Instead of having something cheesy and rich in fat, you can rely upon this delicacy.

Sprout mix

These sprouts hardly fascinate people unless they are in strict dieting mode. But now, we will make it interesting for you. All you have to do is soak soybean seeds, gram, kidney beans, and other sprouts which you like. Boil them with a pinch of salt and turmeric until they turn soft. Add some pepper and olive oil and your sprout mix salad is ready to eat.

Biscuit fudge

healthy snacks for kids

Gone are the days when you craved for having fudge because now we have very interesting and healthy fudge for you. You just need few digestive biscuits and coffee. Prepare black coffee with a little bit of jaggery. Dip the biscuits in the black coffee mixture and soak until it turns soft. Arrange the biscuits in a layer with a little bit of peanut butter in between. The sweet combination of digestive biscuit, coffee, and peanut butter is the best snacks for kids.

Cornflakes with a twist

Who doesn’t like corn flakes? It is something which is loved by everyone. Let us create healthy snacks by adding a twist to it. Roast cornflakes a little more along with peanuts. Add black salt and pepper and toss them nicely in a wide vessel. Enjoy it with a tea or filter coffee.

Banana cake

healthy recipes

Amidst the black forest and chocolate fudge cake, people will hardly think of creating something unbelievable. Mash the bananas and mix it with rice flour. Add brown sugar to it along with a pinch of baking powder. Instead of baking it, just steam the mixture in idly maker or momo steamer. This is one of the healthiest cakes you will ever eat.

Reuse filter coffee grains

Instead of worrying about the workout after consuming chocolate, you can create something healthy from filter coffee grains. Add a teaspoon full of it in milk and make it chocolaty instantly. Instead of taking calories, try to eat healthy snacks which add lesser calories to your body.

Muesli delight

snacks for kids

Muesli is already a very interesting and healthy breakfast in itself. Adding some twist to eat during snack hours will take it to another level. Add some muesli to warm milk and add honey for sweetness. Along with that, you can add chopped cherries, grapes, blueberries, and figs in it. Can you already imagine the taste of this yummy dish? Try it once!

Leafy munch

There are very few people who like green leafy salad or vegetables. In this context, we will tell you something that is very easy and delicious. Take lettuce, cabbage, purple cabbage, some coriander leaves, and spinach. Blanch them in warm water for five minutes and immediately soak it in chilled water. Chop the leaves nicely, add some olive oil, salt, pepper, and chilli flakes. You can always rely on it when feeling hungry.

 

Therefore, after looking at all these delicious recipes the concept of junk food is totally disproved. A snack can also be healthy and deliver nutrients to your body. Share your idea of healthy snacks and let us know your experience after trying out the above mentioned quick recipes. We are awaiting your feedback on this!

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Murukku with twist and turns in tradition

A snack has no shape, no occasion, and no reason to eat! It is welcomed and enjoyed at any time of the day or year. And here, we have a beloved and crunchy snack from the rich cuisine of south India. Yes! We are talking about Murukku. The thick batter, when twisted into a spiral shape and allowed to turn golden brown in hot oil, is worth relishing. It will be very interesting to explore fun facts about Murukku and the age-old equipment used to prepare the same. With a number of changes taking place in our tradition, one thing which has remained intact is the love for Murukku and its taste.

 

What is murukku?

murukku

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The name itself says “twisted.” It is a crunchy snack, particularly well-known in the southern part of India. Its popularity has eventually travelled to western side along with people trying out different recipes in north India as “Chakli”. The foundation being rice flour, besan, and urad dal, Murukku has been uniform throughout these years. Even after years, people love the same old crunchy texture of this snack. The only thing which has evolved is its shape. However, some small modifications are made such as the addition of certain spices, flavours, etc.

 

History of murukku

Small Murukku

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Apart from being famous all over India, its magic has spread to Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and Singapore too. Did you know that things made out of rice flour, urad dal, and chickpea flour (besan) were always considered as auspicious? This is the reason behind rangoli made from rice flour is still an unbeatably auspicious ritual. Earlier we had the custom of mixing rice flour and urad dal with jaggery to make a lovely sweet. Then we started grinding them into a semi-solid dough to make flat paapdi like snacks. Slowly it was accompanied by crushed pepper, roasted cumin seeds, and what not! And finally, we have murukku with us in the most amazing form.

 

Nutritional value of murukku

As far as the nutritional value is concerned, you will find that all the staple ingredients are used. All the ingredients are easily digestible and healthy from the nutrition point of view. Although rice flour and urad dal have less fibre quotient, murukku made out of chickpea is rich in fibre. Apart from that, it is loaded with carbohydrates and calcium. Talking about vitamins, this snack has vitamin C in small quantity which is very useful for skin and gums. So overall if you analyze, it is a healthy snack to buy.

 

Occasions where murukku is served

murukku recipe

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Be it the festival or any other occasion like house warming ceremony, murukku has become an indelible part. We have seen in marriages that it is a part of return gift too. Deewali, Pongal, and even Christmas are incomplete if you didn’t share few murukkus with your friends and relatives. Even in birthdays and parties, there is a special place for this snack and other south Indian savouries. It is amazing that this one ancient snack can fit into any occasion without making people feel bored about it. Even the 10 minutes of tea break becomes wonderful when it is served along with the hot beverage.

 

Types of murukku

chakli recipe

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We have come across different murukku recipes which include different ingredients in varying proportions. After exploring the history and nutritional value, let us ponder upon the types of murukku we have at present.

  • The first of its kind is kai murukku which is prepared with a stiff dough. It is twisted and made in the form of a large coil with the help of hand only.
  • The famous Mannaparai murukku is named after the town in Tamilnadu. It is dark golden in colour because of the spices added to it. Also, it has roasted cumin seeds which enhance the taste and makes it much better.
  • There is a special kind of murukku for Gokulashtami which is made in the special steel apparatus with a perforated plate at one end and piston on the other. The semi-solid dough is filled up to brim and piston is pushed. The dough oozes out of perforation in small string-like shape. It is coiled and directly allowed into hot oil for deep frying. Apart from the coiled form, it also has a usual stick like shape with spiny texture too.
  • There are different chakli recipes too which are prepared with chickpea flour. It is steamed and made into a dough by adding roasted cumin seeds and some amount of spices. Chakli is also prepared like coiled murukku but with the help of steel apparatus and different plate with a single slit. Chakli is more prominent in Maharashtra and Karnataka.
  • Thenukuzhal murukku, on the other hand, is something which is little spicier and also has white sesame seeds.
  • And then, comes the most special murukku from traditional cuisine of Kerala. It is none other than Achu murukku which resembles the shape of the flower and is sweet to taste. It has a special flower like stencil which gives it the shape.

 

Thus, after looking at all the facts and murukku types, it is evident that it is one of the most favourite snacks. And we are sure that it will continue to amaze our taste buds for next few centuries too. As a kid, we all waited eagerly for our moms to make this delicacy in special occasion. But now, we all have the privilege to buy murukkus online by just sitting in our homes. So make use of this opportunity and share your unique murukku recipe with us. We are all ears when it comes to snacking!

 

External references

Murukku – The famous tea time snack

Murukku Galore

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Health benefits of eating traditional snacks

traditional_indian_snacks

With the change in time and introduction of new food items, our habit of eating has seen a tremendous change. We have completely ignored our traditional snacks and shifted our interest towards other eatables. It is really sad that today’s generation has failed to understand the importance of consuming traditional snacks. We no longer see kids getting excited about the laddus made by their grandmothers. Instead, they would love to have French fries and burger from outside. In this context, we have taken a small effort to rejuvenate the trend of traditional snacks. It is high time we should bring back the essence of our tradition in snack ideas.

 

What is exactly a traditional snack?

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The staple food is the best concept to understand the importance of traditional snack. The staple is the common food which is consumed by people of a particular area. It is based on the climatic condition and soil of that respective area. Have you ever wondered why Chhole Bhature is concerned with Punjab and Pav Bhaaji with Maharashtra? Give it a thought!

Similarly, traditional snacks are concerned with people of different culture and belonging to different parts of our country. It has more or less, staple ingredients in them with more taste and health benefits. It is obvious traditional snack will improve your health and turn you into a more productive individual.

Why should traditional snacks be preferred?

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There are many amazing benefits of consuming traditional as well as healthy snacks. One should not limit their choices to certain brand names and preference of taste buds. It is always good to explore traditional snack recipes. It may not be as delicious or cheesy as other snacks but will satisfy you in terms of health. Let us jump into the benefits of the same!

Doesn’t make you fat

The best part about consuming traditional snack is that it does not add much fat to your diet. When you closely take a look at the entire range of Indian snacks, you will see nutrition value in each of them. Our ancestors accordingly prepared these snacks by keeping health benefits in mind.

Better nutrition in less effort

Traditional snacks are extremely easy to make and will help you cope up with the energy loss in the body. It is made up of healthy ingredients which contribute significantly in boosting up your energy. It has balanced amount of carbohydrate, protein, fibre, and fat.

Too light to make you feel heavy

Usually, we sense a feeling of heaviness in our stomach after consuming the ready-to-eat snacks in a packaged form. This will not be the case when you have your traditional snacks. It will keep you light and will be easily digestible for your stomach because of its balanced nutrition value.

Preserves your mental health

We already mentioned that canned snacks are likely to make you lethargic. It may not be wise for students and young working professionals to consume such snacks. It will reduce your focus and you will start feeling drowsy after few hours of consuming it.

Long lasting and portable

Have you ever noticed the viability of Indian snacks? Let us particularly focus on south Indian snacks. Buy crunchy murukkus and you can travel the entire nation without missing burger and pasta. Traditional snacks are really long lasting. They do not easily get affected by fungus and microbes if cooked properly.

Myths and facts about snacking

There are several rumoured facts that we come across about snacks available to us. Is it necessary to believe or do research about each one of them? Certainly not! If you want to believe anything, just remember that “it’s all in mind.” Believe this fact and you will never complain about negative effects of snacking.

It is clinically proven that if you take appropriate snacks in subsequent quantities then you are likely to gain 72% less weight. One must know the technique of combining yum with healthy ingredients. If you love cheese, you can consume it along with a salad. This will help you in compensating the fat, vitamins, fibre, and carbohydrates.

Similarly, one must eat the traditional snack when hungry after breakfast or before dinner. It will prevent accumulation of abdominal fat. We have been repeating the fact that traditional Indian snacks are made from the staple raw ingredients. Hence, it will hardly add extra calories to your body.

Who said reducing the portion of your meal will flatten the curves of your body? It is all about balancing your calories and maintaining the nutrition value. There are people who consume two meals and feel lethargic. But, there are also people who consume three meals and three snacks and still manage to maintain their flat tummy. The mantra is to increase the frequency of intake and work enough to balance the calories.

Properties of an ideal traditional snack

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How can we not let our readers know this important part about snacks? One must know the food they eat and only then it will be possible to balance the nutrients in your body.

  • It should be lighter than your regular meal.
  • It should not make you feel drowsy, lethargic, or heavy.
  • Consuming 3 ounces of traditional snack should comfort your feeling of hunger.
  • One should be able to prepare it with limited ingredients in less time also.
  • It should remain safe from getting rotted for at least a week.

 

Hence, after analyzing the importance of traditional snacks, it is our duty to aware other people, especially youngsters, regarding this. For a healthy and productive living, one should take good care of eating habits. We are living in an era of modernization and food items are available in tetra packs, tin cans, etc. But is it really safe for your health? Are you doing justice to your body by relying on such stuff? Think about it and your conscience will prick you. Traditional snack is one of the most sustainable food items that will not only satisfy your hunger but will also nourish your body. Adopt this healthy habit from now and we wish you happy snacking!

External References

 

Traditional Indian Snacks with health benefits

http://www.snacknation.com/blog/healthy-snack-delivery-service-benefits/