Along with being a lifestyle coach and nutritionist, I play one more dual role that of a homemaker and a mother. The big question that always arises is what snacks can we make which are healthy and quick to make at the same time, right?
Here are few recipes from my recipe book which are not only healthy but fast.
1. OATS PATTIES
| Ingredients | Amount |
| Oats | 1 cup |
| Capsicum | 1 small |
| Carrot | ½ no |
| Tomatoes | 1 no |
| Spring Onions | ½ cup |
| Gingerchilli paste | 1 Tbsp |
| Lime | ½ no. |
| Turmeric powder | ¼ tsp |
| Red chilly powder | ¼ tsp |
| Salt | To taste |
| Oil | 1 tsp |
METHOD:
- Sprinkle water on oats. Continue this till it absorbs the water and becomes a bit sticky.
- To this add chopped capsicum, carrot, tomatoes, fresh onion with leaves, ginger chilli paste, lime, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and salt. Mix well.
- Divide the mixture into two equal halves. Make a flat (pattice) pieces of it and cook in a nonstick pan on both sides.
- Serve hot with tomato ketchup.
Nutritional Benefits: Oats is rich in fiber and the veggies are a source of vitamins and minerals, lime juice makes the food alkaline. Overall it is a great dish to start your day with which will surely improve your immunity and overall health
2. Steamed Spinach breads (PALAK DHOKLA)
| Ingredients | Amount |
| Rawa | 1-2 TBSP |
| Gramflour | 1-2 TBSP |
| Spincach (palak) (finely chopped) | 1 bunch |
| greenchilli paste | ½ Tbsp |
| Salt | To taste |
| Oil | 1 tsp |
METHOD:
- Mix all the dry ingredients in a vessel.
- To this mixture add 1 tsp of warm oil.
- Add luke warm water to make the batter of some flowing consistency.
- Pour this mixture into a greased tin and steam the mixture for around 30 minutes.
- Garnish with Spinach leaves. Serve hot with tomato ketchup.
Nutritional Benefits: This can serve as a super evening snack as it contains goodness of fiber, calcium, B vitamins of the spinach and is also a cereal pulse combination which improves the protein quality. Wholesome meal which is low in calories and has high satiety value.
3. FENUGREEK PANCAKES (METHI PUDLA)
| Ingredients | Amount |
| fenugreek leaves (chopped) | ½ bunch |
| Wheat flour | 1 TBSP |
| Bajra flour | 2 TBSP |
| Onion | 1 no. |
| Gingerchilli paste | 1 Tbsp |
| Garlic paste | ½ tsp |
| Turmeric powder | ¼ tsp |
| Salt | To taste |
| Oil | 1 tsp |
METHOD:
1.Mix all the ingredients except oil in a vessel.
2.Add water to make the batter of pouring consistency
3.Make two pancakes on a nonstick pan
4.Serve hot with tomato ketchup/ Mint sauce (Pudina chutney)
Nutritional Benefits: It is not only rich in B vitamins (fenugreek leaves) and helps in improving hemoglobin but due to the addition of onion, ginger, garlic it is highly anti-inflammatory and good for gut health. Researches prove that consumption of ginger, garlic and onion helps fight GI infections too.
4.Bottle Gourd and Semolina Pancakes (DOODHI-RAWA PANCAKE)
| Ingredients | Amount |
| Semolina | 3 TBSP |
| Bottle gourd | 100 gms |
| Curds (skim milk) | 3 TBSP |
| Gingerchilli paste | 1 Tbsp |
| Carrot | For garnish |
| Salt | To taste |
| Oil | 1 tsp |
METHOD:
- Grate the bottle gourd.
- Add semolina, ginger chilli paste, curds, salt and make a batter of pouring consistency by adding water.
- Make 3 small pancakes on a nonstick pan by adding oil.
4.Garnish with grated carrot and coriander.
5.Serve hot with green chutney
Nutritional Benefits: Bottle gourd has multi benefits like it is high in fiber, helps curb the acidity too, good for heart, and the list goes on. Curds are rich in probiotics which improves the gut bacteria.
5. COTTAGE CHEESE VEGETABLE WRAP ( PANEER VEG WRAP)
| Ingredients | Amount |
| Gramflour | 2 TBSP |
| Capsicum | ½ no |
| Carrot | ¼ no |
| Tomatoes | 1 small |
| Spring onions | ½ cup |
| Paneer (COTTAGE CHEESE) | 200 ml(20 gms) |
| Coriander leaves | Few sprigs |
| Lime | ½ no. |
| Turmeric powder | ¼ tsp |
| Red chilli powder | ½ tsp |
| Pavbhaji masala/ Garam masala | ½ tsp |
| Salt | To taste |
| Oil | 1 tsp |
METHOD:
- For the Wrap:
To the gram flour add chopped coriander leaves, red chilli powder, salt and make a batter by adding water
Pour this batter on a nonstick and make a chilla
- For the filling:
In a nonstick pan, take 1 tsp of oil. Add chopped capsicum, carrot, spring onions, tomatoes, paneer cubes and cook for a minute. To this add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, lime juice, pav bhaji masala or any garam masala (blend of ground spices like peppercorns, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, cardamom, bay leaf, caraway). You can even use herbs instead of this . Mix well. Cover the pan for 1-2 minutes. Cook until done.
- Place this filling into the centre of the chilla and wrap it. Cut it into pieces. Garnish with spring onion leaves and tomatoes.
- Serve hot with tomato ketchup.
Nutritional Benefits: It is high in protein with cottage cheese and gram flour. It contains goodness of fiber, Vit C, vitamins and minerals and other phytochemicals too. Children love this most as it looks like a frankie/roll but the base is super healthy here. Also helps in improving immunity, hemoglobin, better growth.
Syndrome X is also known as metabolic syndrome, cardio metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance syndrome, Reaven’s syndrome (named after Gerald Reaven an American endocrinologist and professor at Stanford University who has worked upon insulin resistance and diabetes), and CHAOS (in Australia). It’s one of the leading lifestyle related disorders.
