It’s National Nutrition Week and what better time to start eating healthy and clean than now? While fast food and deep-fried snacks are often convenient, tasty and cheat-friendly, indulging in them can often undiet your nutrient-rich diet. So here are some ways to cook the same snacks but with a healthy twist. Food influencers and home chefs on Instagram show us how…
Protein Sevai
If you’re looking for a nutritious evening snack, try this protein sevai, or Paruppusili Vegetable Rice Noodles. Shared by Uma Raghuraman, author of My Genius Lunchbox, this recipe is light on the stomach, easy to digest, and fills you up! It has the earthy flavours of toor dal, spice from red chillies and a dash of hing. Tempered with urad dal and chana dal, Paruppusili Vegetable Rice Noodles are packed with veggies and flavour.
‘Dope’ Chocolate Quinoa Bark
It’s tough to find a ‘healthy’ dessert so when we did, it had to climb its way up on this list. Chef and TV host Chinu Vaze likes to call it ‘dope’ because of the dopamine boost it triggers. This Chocolate Bark recipe is simple, not-so-sinful and has the superfood quinoa, which also gives it a great texture. The recipe also includes almonds and walnuts which adds crunch and antioxidants while the pumpkin seeds and flaxseed make it fibre-rich. A drizzle of maple syrup, the goodness of dark chocolate, and a garnish of rose petals, cocoa nibs, pistachios and sea salt… do we have your attention?
Sprouted Moong Thepla
Skip the Punjabi parathas and welcome the Gujarati thepla. This healthy version by Food Instagrammer Meghna has chopped moong sprouts which add a nutty bite to the thepla while the green chilli, fresh coriander leaves and ginger and garlic pack an aromatic and spicy punch. Add wheat flour and fry it like a parantha and it’s sure to become a part of your weekly meals!
Chicken and Beans Stew
If you’re looking for some chicken soup for the soul (and your hunger pangs), scroll no further. Packed with veggies, chicken and rajma, this soup by Kolkata home chef Binita Das is pretty much cook-as-you-like made with veggies of your choice. The soya sauce along with the ginger and garlic add an umami flavour to the stew while the sesame oil lends it a nuttiness. Enjoy with toasted whole grain bread or even brown rice and quinoa, and you’ve got yourself a nutritious bowl of comfort food.
Chia Seed Pudding
If Alia Bhatt keeps the weight off with this pudding, you know it’s going to be good for you too! This go-to brekky pudding by food blogger Shivesh Bhatia is easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy. The chia seeds are a superfood, the protein powder and stevia make it that much healthier and your choice of dairy (or even-non dairy) milk makes it creamy. Add any fruits you like to the pudding and dive right into this guilt-free bowl of deliciousness.
Peanut and Pomegranate Chaat
Chaat is seldom considered healthy because we usually think of it as street food. But this chaat recipe shared by food blogger Parul has 230 calories and 10.6g of protein. Roasted peanuts and pomegranate create a contrasting texture and unusual flavour while chopped onions, cucumber and tomato and a dash of chaat masala makes it snack-worthy. Squeeze some lemon juice and enjoy with your evening chai.
