12 Healthy Snack Ideas

HEALTHY SNACKS!!!

How often are we stuck with no easy ideas to snack ?  That too if the need is to eat a healthy, nutritious snack ? I hate the idea of snacking on 3-4 Marie biscuits or just 2 plain Khakhras! What’s that going to do for the body in terms of nutrition? Instead, one should reach for snack that is satisfying, fills up between 2 meals, gives energy, and should be yummy! Also it should be less than 200-250 calories, so that it doesn’t come in the way of “weight-loss” or “weight-maintenance”……not only that, the snack ideas that I have given is also great for kids, can be had on-the-go, can be had at work and can be quickly assembled or made in advance!

Healthy Snack Ideas

1) Apple wedges with Peanut Butter or Almond Butter

Apple Wedges and Peanut Butter

For my kids, I just cut a big apple into eight wedges and put about 2 spoons of peanut butter in a small ziplock bag….then I squeeze it all into a corner and cut the tip off, then glide the butter in neat lining on the wedges! It’s mess-free and looks presentable! You can do same with almond butter or carrot butter. (it’s just finely grated carrots and butter mixed together!)

2) Medium Banana with ½ cup low-fat cottage cheese


Cottage cheese is a very good protein source for vegetarians and I eat it all the time, my favorite way is to pair it with my favorite orange jam or strawberry jam. But if it’s not available, then best way to get that similar same taste and may be nutrition is to grate low-fat paneer and mix it with low-fat yogurt!

3) Berries with lightly-sweetened low-fat yoghurt

When the yogurt is too runny, you can let it sit in a damp cloth which is lined over a sieve and keep it in fridge for whole night. Next morning, you’ll have thicker yogurt which is more creamy and delicious. The water that’s drained out, can be used for making dough for chapattis or parathas!

4) Fruit and Nut Granola Bar ( for quick go-to snack)

granola bar

Sometimes I love the crunch and chewy texture and having a granola bar satisfies my sweet tooth! Most of them are between 120-150 calories and just the right size to fit in a purse! Healthy and Great snack !

5) 1 cup of low-fat milk with 1 slice of bread & nut butter


This is perhaps the easiest way to snack or even have it in breakfast!!! I love nut butters! The easiest way to make it is take a heavy-duty food processor or food blender, and grind the nuts well, then add unflavored oil in slow drip, while the food processor is still running, till it all becomes thick and pasty. You can add a bit of sugar, salt to make it to your liking!

6) ½ cup low-fat hummus with whole wheat crackers


The quickest way to make hummus is to take a garlic clove, some olive oil, red chilli powder, boiled chhole beans, salt and pepper and blend them in blender till thick and pasty! I sometimes add lemon juice for a nice tang or green olives for added kick!

7) Whole wheat crackers and 1 low-fat mozzarella stick

This is my ultimate quickie  healthy snack, when I really don’t have time to do anything and the kids are getting cranky! If I do have time, I make small pieces of mozzarella cheese, lay them on wheat crackers and then decorate them with a drop of ketchup for mini-pizza treat!! Lay a drop of pickle on each one to make it appealing to adults!

8) Steamed broccoli/carrot sticks with low-fat ranch dressing and roasted nuts.


This is just so tasty and nutritious for all! I love ranch dressing with veggies, sometimes I make a surprise addition like chopped suva bhaji (dill leaves) or chopped coriander leaves to ranch dressing, and its tastes so so so good! Try it to believe it!

9) ½ avocados with whole wheat crackers or steamed veggies.

Again a quick and easy one! Make sure you share an avocado…so it doesn’t go waste! A whole avocado is very calorie dense and full of good fats, so split if you are trying to lose weight!

10) ½ cup low-fat milk with ½ cup high fiber nut based granola.

This more like breakfast; milk and cereal but I have it when I go home after work! I love something crunchy and fibers in granola fill me up for an hour or so, so that I can summon energy to make dinner or run errands in evening.

11) 1 Thick low-fat Daal-Veggie Paratha with ½ cup yoghurt

This is more dealing with left-overs situation!!! If you have a good tasty daal leftover, then mix in some sabzi and use it with some whole wheat flour to make soft dough, roll it out, make a paratha and voila…a tasty treat!!!

12) 6-7 sauteed dhokla (made out of ½ daal ½ rice) with steamed veggies

Dhokla is one of my favorite Indian snacks!!! My mom used to put grated cabbage and carrots and onions in the batter for a quick change to usual white dhoklas! It tasted awesome and my sweet and spicy Maggi ketchup made it top-notch!

13) 3/4 cup veggie upma with ½ cup yoghurt

I remember when I was young, I used to take some upma in a bowl, invert it on a plate and it used to be perfect round mound to break my spoon into! I do the same for my kids! Only this time I have shapes like motorcar, heart, square, star……and they love it!

14) ½ grilled veggie-cheese sandwich with ½ cup low-fat cottage cheese

Grilled veggie sandwich is my ultimate snack! Since I cannot have one without cheese, I just eat half and eat other half in next snack….hehehe….I know it sounds stupid…but hey! when you want to lose weight, that’s killing two birds with one stone!

These snacks provide carbohydrates, proteins and fats in one-go. In-between meals, they can help suppress hunger and give your body fuel when meal-time is little while away. These require little or zero cooking and can be kept handy in home or office for when hunger strikes at odd times.

These are healthy snack options compared to high-fat snacks like potato chips or tortilla chips or nutrition-empty snacks like popcorn or pretzels. Don’t eat foods like fried chips or fried nuts mindlessly; they pack in lot of calories and lot of unhealthy fats. But definitely feel free to indulge in your favorite snack once in a while! Do not deprive yourself of your favorite foods. Again, count them towards your calorie intake of the day.

Also Read
Top 5 Healthy Indian Breakfast Recipes
10 Great Habits for Healthy Lifestyle
10 Healthy and Tasty Breakfast Ideas

Pictures from 1, 2, 3, 4, ,5, 6

IMBB RECOMMENDS

54 thoughts on “12 Healthy Snack Ideas

  1. “If you have a good tasty daal leftover”
    what if my dal dint come out as tasty n good 😀
    but amazing write up n so much needed here man….need to lose kilos
    thanks a ton nia

    1. Hahahahhahaha……..you can make your non-tasty daal by adding some pickles……ekdam “hostel-style” idea from my hubby. :yahoo:

  2. Cant thank you enough for writing this article Nia. excellent! I always have tough time selecting snacks but now I’ll pick up a few granola bras for office. :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo:

    What are hummus??

    1. Dont eat too many granola bars tho…they arent as healthy as people think…if you take a closer look at the label on the side of many boxes of cereal bars, you will find lots of sugar, and often a surprisingly high amount of fat, in some cases even the bad hydrogenated artery-clogging type.

      try making your own granola bars at home…you will find many recipes online 🙂

    2. hummus is basicly a dip rati….. its more popular in d middle east(turkey, arabia kinds)
      basicly made from boiled mashed chickpeas 😛
      i make it often…. it tastess yummm…… i ll mail u d recipe if u want 🙂

          1. Granola Bras is excellent laugh for the day!!!!

            Anyway you can look at calorie content of granola bar…anything less than 150 calories is OK……its great for quick sugar need. Have with 1 cup of milk….its a perfect snack….fiber, calcium and protein all in one go…..Go for the one that has nuts….or raisins…they provide more nutrition.

              1. awww Rati its ok 🙂 ..typing mistakes happen…I saw it and knew it was a mistake so i didnt comment 🙂

                1. Can someone please review them granola bras? 😛 😛 j/k…
                  P.S. Agree with Shaniia, most of those bars are loaded with sugar… 🙁 but still better than grabbing a snickers…or five star (yum)

                  1. hahahhaaha…yet again I remember MATERNITY BRA’s wala comments under some post…. :lol2: :lol2: :lol2:

                    Rati…u are obessed with the word bra… :lol2: :lol2: :lol2: :lol2:

  3. hummus is a lebanese dip rati doo made with chickpeas,til seeds,lemon .esten with pita breador crackers or veg crudites….its really good….

          1. Hummus n pita bread…yummm…i want now…do u guys have felafel ‘s veg hummus house in delhi Rati??they sell hummus as well there 🙂

  4. Left over sabzi paratha is my fave!!!

    And i am gonna try making nut butters tomorrow itself!!! Awessome article Nia!!! :waytogo: :waytogo: :waytogo: :waytogo:

  5. Very nice article Nia 🙂 :waytogo: All the snacks you’ve listes are delicious as well as nutritious! I also like lots of vegetables (peas, carrots, beans, colored capsicum, cabbage) sauteed in half a teaspoon oil , garnished with lots of coriander and sometimes I add a very small amount of maggi or suji for a little carbohydrates in the veggie delight!

  6. woww NIa grt article… even I make hummus and store in the refrigerator… then we have it with crackers or carrot-celery sticks…. very yumm… I’ll try peanut butter too 😀

  7. During my recent trip to Dubai I found this paste kinda chutney with all roti they gave. Is it the hummus? Is it vegetarian or they even have nv in that?

    They give a huge bowl of this everytime. Some how i thought it has mayo in it so didn’t take much of it 😛

  8. Gud article Nia

    My all time fav evening snack fr office is Laiyya, chivda, peanuts and chana mixed with a little nimbu and tomato sauce… quick mix bhelpuri… low cal and tasty…

    Infact, me lost 4 kgs by changing my evening snack some 4 months ago 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

  9. Everything sounds so delicious and mouth watering Nia ! I had this belief that anything too healthy is not tasty..but I guess this list basically proves me wrong and I am sooo happy :happydance: :happydance: :happydance: :happydance: :happydance: :happydance:

  10. Thank you everybody for wonderful comments!!!!

    Fool Proof Recipe for Hummus…..

    Boiled Chickpeas…abt 2 cups…..
    4-5 cloves of Garlic
    2 Red chillies
    Salt to taste
    Yoghurt 1/2 cup
    1-3 thsp olive oil…depending on your pref for low-fat or normal 🙂
    Tahini paste ( Seasame Paste ) or handful of Til seeds grounded.
    Green olives or black olives for Garnish.

    Just pack all of the above in Food Processor and give it a whiz……till its all pureed.
    Its ready…..check for seasonings if you like anything extra to add.

    You can also eat with thick khaakhra….or take a cooked Paratha and bake it in oven till crispy…..slow heat for 10-15 mins……then cut into pieces…more or less will resemble pita bread…..

    My favorite is carrot sticks…..dip in hummus and eat….

  11. Upma is my favorite snack , i love it, I also love maggi atta noodles with lotssssss of vegetables :)) :thanks:

  12. Bhookh laga di aapne to mujhe Nia Ji… :eat: :eat: :drool: :drool: :drool: let me go for a Break now.. :yahoo: :yahoo:

  13. Thanks for sharing these Nia. :)) :)) :yes: I’ve trying to come up with healthier snacks for my cookie-loving little girl. :))

  14. Wow…really a yummyy post Nia. Love all the tips here. Surely gonna try some healthy nacking now :thanks: :thanks:

Leave a Reply to Ankita Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *