Healthy Snacks

Today, children are spending seven to eight hours out of their homes in schools and colleges.
Their major meals are eaten out of their homes. If children eat better they concentrate better, work without feeling fatigue and their immunity and percentile rates improve. Once food improves, children feel better, less irritable and less tensed, so it's very important to plan healthy meals for their tiffin and snack boxes.

 

Snack tips:
Unfortunately, lots of parents use breads and biscuits which are nutrient robbers in snack boxes. Our children become sick because of an explosion of empty nutrient food and empty calories due to white flour, chemicals and sugar. The breads and biscuits available in the market are 50 per cent white flour, sugar, extra salt, artificial colours and emulsifiers are added. 

 

However busy your job, make the time to eat well during pregnancy. If you are suffering from morning sickness or aversions to food, it can be difficult to find enough energy to keep you going. If you are not managing to eat meals, graze on healthy snacks. 

 



Studies prove that a large majority of women develop cravings during pregnancy but only a small 8-10 percent chooses healthy foods and substitutes. Often women choose the wrong foods due to lack of time and planning. We have provided a variety of healthy snack options, which will give you some of the nutrients, you and your baby need. 

What can you snack on for energy and nutrition?

Nuts are great for flagging energy levels. Nibble on cashews for iron or almonds for calcium.

Seeds Pumpkin, muskmelon and sunflower seeds provide protein and zinc. For added flavour, you can dry roast nuts and seeds (in the oven or in a dry pan) or occasionally fry them in about a 1 tsp of ghee/oil with a light sprinkling of salt, black pepper or chaat masala.

Fresh fruit contains fibre and nutrients. The vitamin C in fruits helps iron absorption from food and supplies phytonutrients. You can have whole fruits like apples, pears, bananas, mangoes, grapes, oranges any time of the day. You can also chop some of your favourite fruits in your breakfast cereal. Add fruit to yoghurt or low fat cream -- excellent source of nutrients, fat, calcium and protein.

Dried fruit such as figs and apricots will provide iron, fibre and calcium.

 

Fortified breakfast cereals and muesli are a great source of vitamins and minerals, particularly iron. A small bowl can stave of hunger pangs and are ideal for a mid morning snack or late night. What's more, you don’t need to spend more than a minute on preparation. You could eat them as is or add some warm or cold milk with fruits and nuts for variety. You could also try a fruity porridge or make a bowl of oats exciting by adding fresh fruits or nuts. Keep a variety rather than a large amount of a single fruit. (Unless that's the only one you are craving!) A variety of fruits will ensure you don't get bored and will supply a wide range of minerals and nutrients. 

Yogurt, paneer, and cheeses are excellent sources of calcium. It is wise to eat homemade, freshly prepared yogurt and diary products however; you may want to try the packaged variety occasionally. Packaged yogurt comes in several flavours (fruit, sweet, salted and spiced). However, look for date of expiry as well as check for any leakage; especially, in the summer and monsoon season, when spoilage and contamination are common. 

 

Eggs Hard-boiled eggs can be a versatile snack option and an excellent source of protein. You can eat them just by themselves, with toast, or use them to stuff sandwiches, dosas, or paranthas. You can add some chopped apple or pineapple and make an interesting egg salad. You can add hard-boiled eggs to pasta, noodles, steamed vegetables, chopped cabbage, tomatoes and boiled potatoes to make quick nutritious salads. 

 

Heavier snack options

 

 

If you prefer a heavier, snack mid-morning or early in the evening:

Toast or grilled sandwiches are good for energy. They can be good mid-morning or evening snacks. Avoid white bread and choose multi grain, brown or whole grain breads. You can use stuffings made of cheese, paneer, sprouts, eggs, chopped or boiled vegetables and make them more nutritious and filling.

 

 

Soups Make your favourite chicken, lean meat or mixed vegetable soup and carry it in a flask for a quick filler. You could always team it up with a toast, sandwich or a roll. Avoid packaged soups as they may have additives, which may not be suited for pregnant women. 

 

Lassi, coconut water and buttermilk are other drink options that you could carry with you.

Stuffed parathas with fillings of cheese, chicken, steamed vegetables, cottage cheese (paneer) or even boiled corn make for tasty as well as nutritious snacks. Ensure that the parathas are not dripping in ghee, butter or oil. Try to use very less oil in your parathas and use a non-stick pan to avoid excess oil.

 

Steamed upmas and idlis are also filling and tasty.

A bowl of sprouts with grated cucumber, green chillies and a dash of lemon/chaat masala (just before you eat) is ideal as a heavier snack for the mid morning hunger pangs.

Steamed corn kernels or corn on the cob (bhutta) with a sprinkling of lime juice and pepper or chaat masala.

Bhelpuri with freshly chopped vegetables like cucumber, tomatoes, onions and coriander to the dry ingredients (murmure, puri and sev) . Preparing the Bhel puri in advance will make it soggy and will increase the risk of spoilage and bacterial build up.

Bread rolls, fruit buns, whole wheat bread sticks, soup sticks, cheese straws, savoury crackers, digestive biscuits or roasted wheat flakes, roasted gram (channa) and puffed rice (murmura) are other popular snacks.

Tips for eating healthily at the workplace

If you are eating at the office canteen, choose your snacks wisely. Always pick freshly prepared foods. Avoid curd-based foods like chaat and street food. Choose baked, steamed and piping hot snacks that have been cooked hygienically.

• Deep fried snacks like samosas, chana bhaturas or pakodas should be avoided, but they are a safer choice over cut fruit or a salad if nothing else is available.

• Don’t forget to drink plenty of water and fluids all through the day. Often thirst is mistaken for hunger pangs. Keep yourself well hydrated and eat five to six small meals instead of three large ones. Stay away from tea, coffee, carbonated and fizzy drinks.

• Store your food in the fridge or in a well air-conditioned section on your desk. Food spoils faster in the hot humid weather and if there are frequent power cuts.