Healthy Junk Foods
Yes, you read that right. Healthy junk food, sounds unusual right? Usually when distinguishing foods, things like burgers, pizzas, noodles etc are classified as unhealthy or junk foods, while salads, smoothies, soups, etc are thought as healthy foods. But the good news is that your choice of healthy foods today need not be limited to just salads and soups. With some variations in the ingredients you can literally have your cake and eat it too! You can savour your favourite meals without being worried about their impact on your health and diet. And the substitute ingredients in these recipes have either no impact in changing the taste or if they do, sometimes they can actually make the dish even tastier, which makes this a win-win situation for all. Here is a list of the healthier versions of your favourite junk foods.
- Bhel:
One of the most iconic savoury snacks in India, especially in the western regions of the country, is made using puffed rice and sev-crunchy noodles, generally made from gram flour mixed with peanuts, onions and tamarind and spicy coriander chutneys. It is a low fat, nutritious and a delicious sweet and spicy snack.
- Pav Bhaji:
I know what you must be thinking, how can Pav Bhaji be healthy? Well, it can as the bhaji is nothing but mashed vegetables sautéed in spices. Make small modifications by cutting back on the butter and replacing the regular pav/buns with whole wheat ones and you have a healthy as well as a tasty meal.
- Idli:
This South Indian delicacy served with sambar is a delicious way to keep yourself fit as it is oil free and fat free.
- Dhokla:
This Gujarati snack is made using gram flour and is steamed to cook which makes it low in calories. The fermentation of the flour enhances its nutritive value and adds to the fibre and protein content of the dish. Dhokla also has a low glycemic index which makes it good for diabetics as well.
- Fresh Juice:
Fresh fruit juices are a great way to keep yourself hydrated and energized as opposed to drinking packaged or fizzy drinks that contain harmful preservatives and an unhealthy amount of sugar that only accelerates dehydration and is harmful to health in the long run.
- Frozen Yogurt:
Frozen yoghurt is a good alternative as opposed to ice cream as it is made using milk instead of heavy cream which significantly reduces the amount of calories you ingest from this dessert variety.
- Rice Noodles and Whole Wheat Pasta:
Refined flour is extremely glutinous in nature and so instead of giving up on the universal favourite noodle and pasta dishes, go for healthy options such as rice noodles stir fried with vegetables sautéed in soy sauce or whole wheat pasta with classic marinara sauce and choice vegetables.
- Baked Tacos:
Give a nutritious twist to this palatable Mexican dish by baking tacos made of wheat or jowar flour and use a healthy filling of choice.
- Muffins:
We all love indulging in sweet treats from time to time and now you can do so, without feeling guilty about the calories you intake by tweaking the recipes by replacing all purpose flour with either whole wheat or oat flour and replacing refined sugar with brown sugar, honey or even jaggery! The options are endless.
- Burgers: Indulge in this succulent meal by replacing regular burger buns with whole wheat ones and try options such as tofu mixed with vegetables to make the patty to reduce the fat content of this dish.
(As Compiled By Prerna Mistry)
