Top 10 Popular Snacks in India- A 101 Guide for Healthy Munching
Want some delicious treats you can rely on? Here’s a list of healthy Indian snacks to satisfy your taste buds and choose healthy snacks over unhealthy junk.
The best part about traveling or exploring India is its popular snacks. In almost every 100 kilometres, you’ll find a variety of cuisines influenced by the co-existing diverse cultures and traditions.
Indian street food is also worth exploring whether you’re a native or a travel enthusiast. Most popular Indian snacks are mouth-watering, available at lower prices, and prepared with fresh seasonal ingredients.
The list of Indian snacks also remains diverse throughout the year. People are not only passionate about munching but also about cooking. This doesn’t mean every food item you’ll find here is healthy. This guide will help you make a healthy snacking list you’ll love binging upon.
Keep reading to explore the top 5 healthy and unhealthy Indian snacks and their impacts on health so you can develop better eating habits.
5 Best and Worst Snacks in India
Here’s a curated list of healthy and tasty Indian snacks to develop clean eating habits.
List of top 5 healthy snacks in India
Healthy snacks have low added sugars, high protein, fibre, and healthy fats, prepared with minimally processed ingredients. They offer a good balance of macro and micronutrients. They also enhance your metabolism, mental health and satiate your hunger pangs.
Let’s get started with a list of Indian snacks that are healthy and delicious at the same time.
- Makhana
Makhana is a go-to healthy snack for all those looking for an alternative to chips or puffs.
They’re a rich source of protein, carbohydrates, fibre, and minerals like potassium, magnesium, iron, and zinc. Makhana tops the list of best snacks in India due to its multiple health benefits.
- The antioxidant properties of Makhana make it an anti-aging food.
- It prevents constipation
- Maintains blood sugar levels
- Keeps your heart healthy
- Improves cognitive functions as it contains vitamin B1.
You can also roast and flip them with spices and condiments to give an added flavour.
2. Corn Chaat
Corn is enriched with high fibre, minerals, vitamins, carbohydrates, and low-fat content. It’s also a good probiotic that enhances metabolism and digestion. This makes it a better alternative than any other junk. Fitness experts suggest corn chaat as a perfect recipe for weight loss as it minimises hunger while maximising energy.
All it takes is some boiled corn mixed with chopped onion, cucumber, tomatoes, and green chilies. Top it with lime juice and chaat masala, and voila!
3. Beaten Moong
Moong dal is loaded with plant-based protein, antioxidants, iron, and vitamins B6 and E. It’s one of the popular Indian snacks and is easily available from street vendors. It helps build muscles and lose weight.
Beaten moong is considered a healthy snack due to its low calories that keep the bad cholesterol at bay. It’s roasted in rock salt and combined with seasoned herbs. Since it’s non-fried, you can rely on its quality and enjoy it guilt-free.
4. Murmure
These are puffed rice often used as a base of my many namkeen in India. You can prepare this light snack within minutes by mixing murmure with your favourite veggies and spices. This makes murmure one of the safest snacks that are tasty yet healthy.
5. Gur Chana
The list of healthy Indian snacks isn’t complete without the traditional gur chana. This particular item has a lot to offer. Be it its luscious taste and nutritional value, gur chana is worth having.
It’s a combination of roasted chickpeas coated with melted jaggery. Benefits of gur chana are:
- Strengthen immune and digestive systems
- Build muscles and cognitive efficiency
- Reduce signs of ageing
- Provide required nourishment during pregnancy
- Serve as comfort food in menstruation.
List of 5 unhealthy Indian snacks
It’s equally important to eliminate the unhealthy snacks you might be having for the sake of their tempting taste. You can get started with the following food items:
- Samosa
Be it a birthday party, office gathering, or evening tea, samosa goes perfectly well with everything. That’s why it has become a household snack that everyone loves. Boiled and mashed potatoes, cheese, peas, etc., are wrapped around the all-purpose flour. It’s then deep-fried to make it crunchy.
The fat and carbohydrate content of samosa is so high that it overpowers its nutritional value. The risk of developing diabetes, hypertension, or upset stomach remains high for people binging on samosa.
2. Jalebi
Ingredients used to make jalebi promote obesity, high blood sugar levels, and accumulation of bad cholesterol. It contains refined white wheat, sugar, and oil. They impart no nutritional value but make it one of the most unhealthy Indian snacks. Jalebis increase the risk of developing diabetes and other heart diseases, says nutritionist Swati Kapoor.
3. Pani Poori
Pani Poori is one of the most loved street food items. Unfortunately, it also falls under the list of unhealthy snacks in India. The all-purpose flour, potatoes, chutney, and deep-fried pooris form a deadly combination that’s enough to make you obese.
It doesn’t stop here pani poori also causes acidity, gas, and other digestive issues. The tangy water can give you a stomach infection if it’s contaminated or unhygienic.
4. Medu Vada
It’s a South Indian delicacy with high protein content due to the basic ingredient- black gram lentils. However, it can upset your digestion because black gram is difficult to be broken down into simpler protein units.
Pani Pooris are also deep-fried. This makes them even more unhealthy by making them a high-calorie snack.
5. French Fries
It’s the most commonly ordered side dish and goes well with every food. Did you know it’s among the most unhealthy snacks due to high saturated and trans fat content? It increases weight, blood pressure, brain fog, risk of heart stroke, etc.
Conclusion
You don’t have to skip snacking to have a clean diet. All you’ve to do is make subtle changes in your eating habits. You can find various snacks in India that are not only healthy but also delicious and easy to make.
Feel free to follow this simple guide to make better eating choices. This is your sign to start exploring the incredible list of Indian snacks to enjoy your health like never before.
