5 healthiest tea-time snacks of all times

Evening tea and snacks go hand in hand. It is the time between lunch and dinner during which the cravings hit the hardest. In such a situation, most of us eat mindlessly and don’t pay much attention to what kind of unhealthy snacks we are pairing up with our cup of tea on a daily basis. Snacks like pakoras, fried namkeen, mathri, maida biscuits, chips and other such snacks provide no benefit to the body and add to the weight instead. Not just weight gain, these unhealthy snacks can also spell trouble for our health if consumed on a daily basis. If you too love munching on something along with your tea, then here are some healthy snacks that will satiate your hunger and also provide a number of benefits to your body. (image credits-istock)

Makhana is a simple yet tasty snack that is loaded with calcium, fibre and protein. It is super easy to make and serves as the perfect accompaniment to your tea or coffee. Just heat ½ tsp ghee in a pan and add 1 cup plain makhana to it. Roast them on medium heat until golden brown in colour. Once the makhanas are crisp, they are ready to be served. Just sprinkle some salt, black pepper powder, chaat masala and serve.

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Do you know that 1 cup of popcorn, which is roughly about 8 grams contains only 32 calories? Avoid buying ready-to-make popcorn from the market, as they are loaded with butter and salt. Instead, purchase raw corn kernels and use them to make popcorn at home. You can make popcorn in less butter or use olive oil for the purpose. Season with sendha namak, black pepper and your tea-time snack is ready to be served.

A handful of roasted chana is one such snack that is recommended by most dieticians and nutritionists. It is packed with protein, fibre and is a zero-cholesterol food. ½ katori roasted chana will give you close to 125 calories along with 5 grams of protein. Roasted chana is one of the healthiest replacements of your fried namkeens and mixtures.

1 katori of plain puffed rice contains only 30 calories. Since puffed rice is oil-free, it is a much healthier option for binging. You can prepare a delicious bhel for snacking by mixing puffed rice, roasted peanuts, finely chopped onion, tomato, capsicum, coriander leaves, lemon juice, chaat masala, salt and mint chutney.

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If a bag of fried potato chips is your go-to option for evening munching, then it is time to change that habit for good. Instead of fried chips, you can opt for baked ragi chips, which are a much better option. Ragi is a good source of protein, fibre, iron and vitamins. You can also try air-fried or baked chips prepared using jowar, chickpeas or oats.

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