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Isn’t snacking the best thing ever? Whenever you don’t feel like having a whole meal, just grab a snack and call it a day. However, it is very important to know what kind of snack you are choosing. Is it a healthy or unhealthy one? Does it have enough fibre to satiate your hunger? Does it have optimum nutritive values to keep your bodily functions going? Is it going to spike your sugar levels and create an imbalance?

It is essential to ask yourself these questions before picking up a snack in the aisle of a grocery store or preparing it yourself. Most often than not, we find ourselves in situations where we don’t know what to snack on and that is when most of the binging happens. 

That is why some of the best nutritionists in Delhi NCR have collaborated to give you 4 quick and easy low-calorie snack recipes that will complement your weight loss journey. Read on!

Introduction

Snacking is unavoidable. Got those raging hunger pangs at 4 in the afternoon? Snack time! Having some cravings late at night? Snacks are here to your rescue. When your stomach is rumbling and churning at an odd hour and you don’t want to have a whole meal, snacks can really be your best friend. While it may be tempting to grab an unhealthy snack like chips or movie theatre popcorn, it may not be the best option for your body. You see, whenever you indulge in foods that have a high glycemic index, your sugar levels spike which can lead to complications in the long haul. 

Stocking up healthy snacks in your pantry for those unwanted hunger pangs can save you from consuming hundreds of calories. Even if you’re a healthy individual, consuming extra calories through snacking can be detrimental to your health if you see the bigger picture. 

We always recommend our clients and supporters to look at the nutritive value of the snacks they choose. So many ‘ready-to-eat’ healthy snacks are being sold to millions of people worldwide as alternatives to fruits, nuts, seeds, and vegetables. However, only a few are aware that most of the products in these segments that are advertised to be fat-free are in fact filled with heaps of sugar.

These marketing ploys also make you think that you are not consuming many calories from a packet of namkeen or chips by including the word ‘serving size’. Let’s say a namkeen that weighs 200 gm has labelled each serving to be 80 calories. Now, a regular person who is not acquainted with these ploys may believe that each packet of the namkeen is 80 calories and only has a small percentage of fats and sugars. However, that is far from the truth. Each serving size is a small amount from the packet which means that if you end up eating the whole packet, you are consuming more calories than you would have anticipated. 

Now, as some of the best dietitians in Delhi NCR, we get a lot of clients who come to us with doubts specifically about snacking. One of our clients Suraj stumbled on our website through a quick “best online dietitian for weight loss” and ‘best dietitian near me’ search on Google. Suraj, a 21-year-old boy originally from Delhi had gone to London for his education. Away from home and not the best at cooking meals, Suraj had piled on 20 kilograms within the first year of him living abroad. Reason? SNACKING! 

Now, Suraj wanted an online dietitian that could not just help him lose weight but could also help him learn about health and deictics. Suraj lived in one of the most expensive cities in the world, and eating outside was not a feasible option for his health and also his pocket. So, instead of bombarding him with cooking all day, our team of best nutritionists helped him find ways to stay healthy and budget-friendly. We helped him get acquainted with the concept of batch cooking and meal planning while also ensuring that his snacking was not compromised. We helped deduce a separate snack plan that was prepared keeping in mind the availability of snacks in the area that he was living in. Although Suraj still has a long way to go, he has already lost 10 kilograms under our guidance.

You need to understand that not all snacks are ‘bad for you’. In fact, Snacking can be really good for you. When you eat foods that are rich in protein, fibre, and good fats, you can neutralize your blood sugar and reduce cravings. Just make sure that the calorific value of the snack is low and the nutritive value is high. Today in this blog, our best nutritionists in Delhi NCR have curated a list of 4 low-calorie snack recipes that will help in your weight loss journey. 

1) Three Bean Salad

A three-bean salad is an excellent snack for people looking for protein-filled snacks. It is a great addition to your diet, and also is filled with flavours and taste. As the name suggests, three bean salad is made up of 3 beans – Rajma (Kidney Beans), Kabuli Chana (White chickpeas), and Black Eyed Beans (Lobia). It is a substantial meal that can keep you satiated for a long time. Prepare a batch, keep it frozen in your fridge, and enjoy small servings for 4-5 days straight. 

Ingredients: 14, Prep Time: 30 Minutes, Calories: 150 per serving, Serving size: 4

What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

• ½ Cup Rajma (kidney beans)
• ½ Cup Kabuli chana (white chickpeas)
• ½ Cup Black Eyed Beans (lobia)
• 1 Onion
• 1 Tomato
• ½ Cucumber
• ¼ Capsicum
• A handful of coriander leaves
• ½ teaspoon red chilli powder
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 ripe lemon
• ¾ Cumin powder
• ½ teaspoon chaat masala
• Salt to taste

How to prepare?

Step 1: Soak ½ cup Rajma (kidney beans), ½ cup Kabuli chana (White chickpeas), and ½ cup Black eyed beans (lobia) overnight in water. 

Step 2: After soaking the three beans in water overnight, put them in a pressure cooker with 3 cups of water. Add a pinch of salt and allow it to whistle for about 7-8 times in a row.

Step 3: Allow for the pressure of the cooker to release at its own pace and drain any excess water.

Step 4: In another bowl, cut 1 whole onion, 1 tomato, ½ cucumber, ¼ capsicum, and a handful of coriander leaves.

Step 5: Now, mix the three beans into the bowl where you have cut your veggies. 

Step 6: Top it up with ½ teaspoon red chilli powder, 2 teaspoons of olive oil, ¾ cumin powder, ½ teaspoon chaat masala, salt to taste, and squeeze one ripe lemon over the salad.

Step 7: Give your three-bean salad a good mix and serve.

2) Yellow Moong Dal Chilla 

Moong dal chilla is a cult classic for people on a diet. This tasty snack is full of fibre that keeps you satiated and protein that helps with muscle growth and repair. It is also a nutrient-dense snack containing essential vitamins and minerals like vitamin B complex, iron, and potassium. Moong dal chilla is a hassle-free snack so even if you aren’t well-versed in the whole concept of cooking, you would be able to prepare a lip-smacking meal.

Ingredients: 7, Prep Time: 15 Minutes, Calories: 128 per serving, Serving size: 1

What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

• 1 bowl Split green gram (Moong dal)
• ½ inch ginger
• 1 green chilli
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
• 1 pinch Asafetida (hing)
• Salt to taste
• Olive oil

How to prepare?

Step 1: Take 1 bowl of split green gram (moong dal) and rinse it properly with water. Then, proceed to soak it for 2 hours. 

Step 2: After 2 hours, remove all the water from the split green gram and put it in a grinder. After that, add one finely chopped green chilli, ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, ½ inch ginger, 1 pinch hing, salt to taste, and three tablespoons of water.

Step 3: Grind it into a thin paste and ensure that there are no clumps and the consistency is even throughout.

Step 4: Once the consistency is smooth, take a pan and put it on medium flame. Sprinkle some water and wipe it with a kitchen cloth or a tissue.

Step 5: Take the batter and spread it wide around the tawa in a circular shape. Try to ensure that all sides are even by spreading it with a very light hand.

Step 6: Cook it for around 2 minutes on low flame. The goal here is to ensure that all sides are evenly cooked and no part of the chilla is left raw. You can add one teaspoon of olive oil on the side and flip it.

Step 7: Repeat the same step on the other side. 

Step 8: Your moong dal chilla is ready to be served. Have it with green chutney, aachar, or ketchup – however, you like and enjoy!

3) Bhel Puri

The first thing that comes to my mind when I think of bhel puri is Mumbai’s authentic street food. If you are a chat lover like me, you would know how the texture and spice in bhel puri is enough to make you weak in the knees. A lot of our clients have admitted to Chaat being their guilty pleasure and we can’t blame them, right? Chaat is the best! That is why our certified nutritionists have come out with a low-calorie, diabetic-friendly bhel recipe for you to enjoy. Since we know how addictive bhel puri is, we would recommend diabetics and people on their weight loss journey to have small portions once in a while as it is more of a ‘treat yourself meal’ rather than a staple in a regular diabetic or weight loss menu.

Ingredients: 13, Prep Time: 20 Minutes, Calories: 200 per serving, Serving size: 4

What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

• 1 cup puffed rice (kurmura)
• ½ teaspoon olive oil
• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
• A pinch of asafetida (hing)
• ¼ teaspoon black salt
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder 
• ¼ chilli powder
• ½ cup pomegranate
• ½ cup boiled mixed sprouts
• ½ cup chopped tomatoes
• ¼ cup coriander leaves
• 1 ripe lemon
• Salt to taste

How to prepare?

Step 1: To prepare our nutritious bhel puri, start by adding one ½ teaspoon olive oil to a nonstick pan and let it simmer.

Step 2: Once the oil is hot, we will proceed to add ½ teaspoon of cumin seeds.

Step 3: If your oil is hot, the seeds will start crackling. Once they start to crackle, add a pinch of hing. Hing has many benefits for your body and will help neutralize the other acidic elements of the bhel puri.

Step 4: Now, add turmeric powder and mix all the masala’s well. 

Step 5: Once your masalas have blended together, add your puffed rice. Mix it well with your masalas and make sure that all the beads have been coated equally.

Step 6: Now, add ¼ teaspoon of black salt, ¼ teaspoon of chilli powder and mix well. Since this is a healthier and diabetic-friendly alternative to the traditional bhel puri, we will not be using any chutneys to add spice and flavour, rather we would be using dry masalas and spices to add an equally good taste and flavour.

Step 7: Once cooked nicely, pour the constituents into a bowl to cool. Cooling the constituents is crucial as we do not want to have soggy and hot bhel puri.

Step 8: Once cooled, add ½ cup of pomegranate, ½ cup of finely chopped tomatoes, ½ cup of boiled mixed sprouts, and garnish with ¼ cup of chopped coriander.  

Step 9: Squeeze one ripe lemon for the zest and add salt to taste.

Step 10: Mix it well and serve. 

4) Vegetable Soup

Vegetable soups are a nutritious and easy-to-make snack option. They are also very low in calories ranging anywhere from 50 – 100 depending upon what ingredients you use. The recipe I am sharing with you today contains around 95 calories and is super delicious. I personally relish it a lot even though I don’t have any weight to lose, it’s that yummy! Apart from that, this soup will provide you with a lot of fibre which will keep you full for longer. You can follow this recipe, or if you want to improvise this recipe, make sure to use a low-sodium broth and avoid adding too much salt or other high-calorie ingredients like cream or butter and you will be good to go.

Ingredients: 17, Prep Time: 15 Minutes, Calories: 95 per serving, Serving size: 3

What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1-inch ginger
• 2 tablespoons spring onion
• 1 carrot
• 3 beans
• ½ capsicum
• 2 tablespoons sweet corn
• 2 tablespoon cabbage
• 2 tablespoon peas
• 4 ½ cups water
• ¾ tablespoon vinegar
• ½ teaspoon oregano
• ½ teaspoon chilli flakes
• ½ teaspoon pepper powder
• 1 teaspoon corn flour
• Salt to taste

How to prepare?

Step 1: In a large kadhai, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sauté 3 cloves of chopped garlic, 1-inch grated ginger, and 2 tablespoons of finely cut spring onions.

Step 2: Add 1 carrot, 3 beans, and ½ capsicum and keep sautéing. After a minute, add 2 tablespoons of cabbage, 2 tablespoons of peas, and 2 tablespoons of sweet corn. 

Step 3: Add 4 cups of water and salt to taste and mix well. Cover the top and boil till the vegetables are cooked well.

Step 4: Now in another bowl take 1 teaspoon of corn flour and ¼ cup of water and mix well so that there are no lumps.

Step 5: Pour the corn slurry into the kadhai and mix well till the soup thickens. 

Step 6: Add 1 tablespoon vinegar, ½ teaspoon oregano, ½ teaspoon chilli flakes, and ½ teaspoon pepper powder. Mix well. 

Step 7: Let it simmer for a couple of minutes and your soup is ready to be served. 

Now you can snack without the calorie attack…

At niwi.ai, our registered dietitians care deeply about the health and nutrition of all our supporters and clients and that is the reason we have started a recipe section in our blogs that will enable you to have access to delicious and nutritious recipes that would help you get one step closer to your fitness goals.

If you are looking for a personalized meal plan with food choices customized to your taste palette and body type, be sure to check out our wellness programs. We offer our diet plans at very reasonable prices to help India get one step closer to healthier living.

Ready for a health revolution? Join us on our mission to transform the nutrition landscape!

For any queries, please write to us at info@niwi.ai or call us at +91-8800874676.