Showing posts with label healthy snacks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label healthy snacks. Show all posts

Thursday, June 14, 2012

3 Healthy Foods I love {Health}

I have been lacking bad too badly in the health posts so I thought I would compile a list of healthy foods which I absolutely love and would have in any form. And, trust me, coming up with only 5 items was so damn difficult that I can't even think of all the foods.

Broccoli, Baby Corn / American and Indian Corn
For those who don't know what it is, it is a greaan vegetable and highest in protein content and is absolutely delightful vegetable to eat whether steamed or boiled or pan-fried. It looks like green cauliflower.

And, I also love baby corns. Even the roasted bhutta and if you know that maize is dropped in Sambhar also and it tastes absolutely amazing :) And, maize is one of the foods you can have without worrying about pesticides and insecticide issues.

And, the best part is that both of them are amazingly high in fiber content and make you feel full for around 3 hours. So, one of the healthiest of snack as well. In fact, I did do a post on American Corn being a healthy snack long back.   

Kabuli Chana (Chickpeas) and Kala Chana (Black Beans)
I love the huge white chanas and I love chole bhature which is not exactly healthy but you can make tikkis with kabuli chana or boil them and make a nice filling salad or snack by mixing in tomatoes and cucumber and onions and a little sprinkling of lemon!! Absolutely yum and your tummy would be so full that you won't feel hungry for hours together. And, its high in proteins and fiber (two cups provide entire day's fiber). Also, higher fiber means less junk and binging.

Black Beans are my absolute fav and always makes me wish that people would call me for 'kanjak' :D That's a tradition in which young adoloscent girls are called home early in the morning, worshipped and fed puri chana and halwa and are given gifts and the whole breakfast is just yum. Its done during ram navmi and durgashtami (the two sacred 9 days in the hindu calender). I am missing it already!! Ok, yes, puri and halwa are not exactly healthy but black beans are a must. They are rich in proteins and full of fibre (more than the chickpeas) and great for snacks, salads or even for burger fillings. Mashed black beans bound with some flour make great tikkis or cakes (I don't exactly know what tikkis are called in english but I know aloo tikki is potato cake!).

Btw, black beans are rich in phytonutrients which protects us from sun's rays, dirt, pollution, insecticides and all the bad things. So, an additional reason to gobble them up. Mixed with tomato and lemon, they make a traditional Indian snack.

Spinach
Ok, so, I don't exactly love spinach in every form, for example: boiled or steamed. But, palak paneer is my fav and I have never yet had it as a smoothie or a juice but I would definitely love to try it. Its amazing for hair growth. And, dark green veggies are great for its anti-oxidant power. According to me, the best way to eatc a spinach is raw in a sandwich and it tastes amazing. Also, another way is to incorporate it in the salad by chopping a bunch of spinach leaves. It has high amount of Vitamin A which is great for eye sight issues and also to fight aging effects. Also, it improves the body's immunity to the sun's rays.

Image Courtesy: 123rf.com, chatpatkhana.com, veggieplatter.blogspot.com, hyatt.jobs

Friday, October 8, 2010

American Corn - A Healthy Snack

We are getting so many American corns in the market these days. Why not make a good use of it and replace our unhealthy snacks with this healthy one. And, it is appetizing too. You can chew it directly, rub lemon with salt on the corn and then enjoy the taste or remove the corn and make simple salads or soups from it. You can also roast it lightly over the stove just like maize. Just remember never to over do it or the corn will get charred. All the recipes are easy to make and provide the same amount of nutrition. 

Corn is extremely good at cutting down the heart risks by around 10%. It is rich in all kind of vitamins, carbohydrates and fiber. Thus, eating corn is not only enjoyable but extremely healthy. More fiber means more weight loss. And, you can google for American Corn recipes and you will surely get a lot of them. You can also make corn parathas and include it in sandwiches along with paneer or aloo.So, next time you feel like munching on something, go ahead and bite into corn. You need not even think once about the calorie intake then. And, it also controls your cravings for junk food as it is naturally sweet. But, people with diabetes should be careful as excess corn can cause sugar spikes in the blood. The best thing is it is so cheap as compared to a pizza or even a pav bhaji as an evening snack.