Life is busy, but our mind is busier. With 100 tabs open, we find ourselves in a constant struggle to eat healthy. We know what is healthy, but we fail to plan and incorporate it into our daily lives. Eating healthy is SO MUCH EASIER when you have it planned, cooked and ready to eat when the hunger strikes.
Now, the thought of meal prep can be a bit overwhelming, but if you have planned and arranged for your groceries well, it will take less than an hour to prepare for the entire week. The most common time of the day when people tend to go wrong is the evening snack time. The first half of the day is disciplined only to fall backwards post 4 pm. So let’s dive straight into the solutions:
SWAP YOUR JUNK FOOD WITH EASY-TO-MAKE & STORE SNACKS
Every Saturday, make a list of all the dishes you plan to cook for the week. Order your groceries accordingly. This avoids wastage and last-minute delays while prepping.
While planning for main meals, plan for mid meals like midmorning snacks and an evening snack. Prep your snacks in advance and store it in the fridge. There you go, you have your ready-to-eat snacks when the hunger pang strikes.
- Hummus
- Carrot, Beetroot and Cucumber sticks
- Chia seed pudding
- Pesto/green coriander chutney
- Grilled chicken/paneer/tofu
- Hung curd
- Tomato salsa
- Boiled eggs
3 HEALTHY SNACK RECIPES TO TRY
1. AVOCADO HUMMUS RECIPE
Apart from the classic hummus, here is a delicious variation to hummus. An easy Hummus recipe that does not require too much olive oil. You can add beetroot, jalapenos or roasted bell pepper as a variation.
Ingredients:
- Chickpeas (soaked and cooked) – 400 gms
- Ripe avocados, cored and peeled – 2 medium (350-360 gms approx. before cored and peeled)
- Olive oil – 1 Tbsp
- Tahini – 1½ Tbsp
- Fresh lime juice – 3 Tbsp
- Garlic – 1 clove
- Cumin powder – 1/8 tsp
- Water – 1 – 2 tbsp as required
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 Tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves, for topping
- Red pepper flakes, as garnish.
Method:
- Toss the chickpeas, olive oil, tahini, lime juice, and garlic in a food processor and pulse it until smooth for about 2 minutes.
- Season it with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper. You can modulate this as per your taste.
- Add cumin powder and avocados and blend the mixture until smooth and creamy (about 1 – 2 minutes longer)
- Sprinkle it with coriander and red pepper flakes.
Tip: I add about 2-3 tbsp of water to meet the desired consistency as I reduce the oil quantity to make it a little healthier. Avocados are super creamy and full of healthy fats, so we can definitely lessen the quantity of olive oil. It is so versatile and can be used to make three different snacks.
- Hummus with carrot,cucumber and beetroot sticks
- Grilled chicken/paneer/tofu roll with hummus and carrot cucumber and beetroot sticks
- Hummus with rice/gluten free crackers
2. CHIA SEED PUDDING
This is the easiest to prep, literally, one bowl recipe.
Ingredients:
- 3 tbsp chia seeds
- 1 cup milk/nut milk
- 1 tsp peanut butter/almond butter
- 1 tbsp date syrup/maple syrup, can add less and check for sweetness.
Method:
- Mix all of the above and put it in the refrigerator overnight.
- In the morning, it will be like pudding. Top it with a fruit of your choice with some chopped nuts and it’s delicious.
Tip: This can be stored in the fridge and should be completed within 2-3 days.
3. TOMATO SALSA DIP
Ingredients:
- Tomatoes: 4 (big size)
- Onion : 1 small size
- Garlic : 4 cloves
- Green chilly – 1 (finely chopped)
- Coriander – handful chopped
- Salt- as per taste
Method:
- Finely chop 2 tomatoes and one small onion and keep aside in a bowl
- In a pan, char grill the remaining 2 whole tomatoes till the skin turns black. Don’t burn the whole tomato black, just parts of it. Keep Flipping for evenness. Once done, puree the tomatoes in a blender and add it to the chopped tomatoes and onions.
- Add chopped coriander, chilly and salt as per taste. You can add jalapenos if you want it extra kick
- Serve with the crackers/roasted homemade rotis/seed crackers of your choice.
DRY SAVORY SNACKS TO KEEP HANDY
- Makhana
- Millet puffs (Jowar, Ragi puffs)
- Rice crackers/multi grain crackers
- Seed crackers
SNACKING CHART FOR BEGINNERS
If you are just getting started on this journey, here is a chart to help you with. Make sure to replace your evening snacks with the below options.
| Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 |
| Hummus | Hung curd | Tomato salsa | Grilled chicken/paneer/tofu |
| Makhana | Jowar puffs | Ragi puffs | Pesto |
| Chia seed pudding | Crackers with nut butter | Boiled Edamame | Stry fry French beans |
| Hummus | Hung curd | ||
| Makhana | Jowar puffs | ||
| Chia seed pudding | Chia seed pudding |
Like I said, the secret to maintaining a healthy lifestyle instead of being able to do something just for a few weeks/months is planning.
Plan. Execute. Repeat. Happy snacking!
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