7 Healthy snack recipes to try at home

Ever since lockdown became the new norm, most of us, with inexhaustible time at our hands, have resorted to whipping up treats and eating to our heart's content. And while its good to take up interesting hobbies, especially the ones that can be counted as helpful survival skills, it is also important to maintain a healthy, balanced, and wholesome diet to save yourself from piling on kilos. If  'Work from home' has got you making more trips to the fridge than usual, then it’s time to revamp your snacking habits to ensure you can reach for something healthy when those hunger pangs kick in. So, check out the following super easy to make healthy snack recipes that will get you through the day without running to the candy jar.

1. Honey-Garlic Cauliflower

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cup breadcrumbs
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 1 head cauliflower, chopped into bite-size florets
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 tbsp. sriracha
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tsp. corn starch
• 1/4 cup sliced onions

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 400° and line a large baking sheet with foil.
• In a large bowl, combine flour and cauliflower, toss until fully coated. 
• In one bowl, add breadcrumbs and in another bowl whisk eggs and add 2 tablespoons water. Dip cauliflower in beaten eggs then breadcrumbs until fully coated. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and season generously with salt and pepper. Bake until golden and crispy, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and water, until the cornstarch dissolves completely. Set aside. Combine soy sauce, honey, garlic, lime juice, and Sriracha in a small saucepan over medium heat. When the mixture reaches a boil, reduce heat and add the cornstarch mixture. Bring to simmer again and cook until sauce thickens (about 2 minutes).
• Toss cooked cauliflower in the sauce until evenly coated. Return the cauliflower to a baking sheet and bake for 5 more minutes.
• Garnish with onions and serve immediately.  

2. Avacado Chips

Ingredients:

• 1 large ripe avocado
• 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning (or oregano)
• salt and black pepper, as per taste

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 325° and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or grease them generously with oil.
• In a medium bowl, mash avocado with a fork until smooth. Stir in Parmesan, lemon juice, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. Season with salt and pepper.
• Place heaping teaspoon-sized scoops of mixture on the baking sheet, leaving about 3” apart between each scoop. Flatten each scoop to 3" wide across with the back of a spoon or measuring cup. Bake until crisp and golden (about 30 minutes), then let cool completely. Serve at room temperature.

3. Eggplant Parm Chips

Ingredients:

• 1 medium eggplant
• salt and ground black pepper, as per taste
• 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1 tsp. Italian seasoning or oregano
• 1 tsp. garlic powder

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Cut eggplant into very thin rounds. Lay slices of eggplant on paper towels in an even layer. Season lightly with salt, then let sit for 10 minutes. Wipe any visible moisture off slices with a paper towel and flip. Repeat salting, resting, and drying process once more.
• Transfer eggplant slices to a large bowl and toss with oil. Add Parmesan, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder. Season with black pepper and toss until slices are evenly coated.
• Arrange eggplant slices in an even layer (make sure none are overlapping!) on a large baking sheet.
• Bake until golden and crisp (about 16 to 18 minutes). Let cool before serving with marinara or ketchup.

4. Broccoli Cheesy Bread

Ingredients:

• 1 medium-sized broccoli
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
• salt and black pepper 
• Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• 2 tsp. freshly chopped coriander leaves

Instructions:

• Rice the broccoli by placing the broccoli florets in a food processor; pulse about 20 times until broccoli looks like grains of rice. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat, cook and stir until softened (about 3 minutes).
• Preheat oven to 425° and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Microwave riced broccoli for 1 minute to steam. Carefully ring out extra moisture from the broccoli using a paper towel or cheesecloth.
• Transfer broccoli to a large bowl and add egg, 1 cup mozzarella, Parmesan, and garlic. Season with oregano, salt, and pepper. Transfer dough to the baking sheet and shape it into a thin, round crust.

• Bake until golden and dried out, 20 minutes. Top with remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella and bake until cheese is melted and crust is crispy, 10 minutes more. Garnish with coriander leaves and pepper flakes if using. Serve warm with marinara or any dip of choice.

5. Chocolate Coated Orange Slices

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup melted semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 tsp. coconut oil
• 5 oranges, peeled and divided into segments
• Flaky sea salt, for garnish

Instructions:

• Stir together melted chocolate and coconut oil.
• Dip each clementine segment into melted chocolate and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
• Garnish with flaky sea salt.
• Refrigerate until firm (about 20 minutes). Serve.

6. Chicken Avocado Roll-Ups

Ingredients:

• 2 avocados, cubed
• Juice of 1 lime
• 2 cup shredded chicken
• 1 bell peppers, seeds, and cores removed, chopped
• 1/2 small onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup grated cheese
• 2 tbsp. mayonnaise or curd seasoned with salt
• 4 large Rotis 

Instructions:

• In a medium bowl, combine avocado and lime juice and mash until only small chunks of avocado remain. Add chicken, bell pepper, onion, cheese, mayonnaise, and stir until evenly combined.
• Spread a thin layer of the chicken avocado mixture onto a roti, leaving a small border around the edges. Roll the roti up tightly, then cut off the edges and slice into 1” rolls. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Enjoy!

7. Ricotta-Honey Toast with Berries

Ingredients:

• 2 slices of bread
• 1/3 cup ricotta
• 1/2 tsp. honey, plus more for drizzling
• 1/4 cup berries
• Flaky sea salt- optional

Instructions:

• Toast bread and set aside.
• In a small bowl, mix together ricotta and honey. Spread ricotta on bread and top with berries of your choice.
• Drizzle with more honey and sprinkle with salt.

FAQs

Q1: How to pre-heat my Microwave?

A: You need to place a slatted rack that comes with a microwave to pre-heat it. Now, choose the convection option. Once you set it on the convection mode, your microwave’s digital display will reflect the minimum temperature setting available, you can just increase or decrease it according to your requirement and press start.

Q2: What vegetarian substitute can be used in place of chicken in the avocado chicken roll recipe?

A: Paneer or pan-toasted tofu can be used in place of chicken to give a vegetarian twist to the avocado roll recipe.

Q3: What substitute can be used in place of ricotta cheese in the ricotta berry toast recipe?

A: you can either use homemade farmer's cheese ('Chenna') or fresh light cream ('Malai') extracted from whole fat milk