About The Author
Hello! From Chuchura (in Hooghly District) and a foodie, I created this blog with a mission to preserve the food of the land; with a message to encourage and promote clean and real food. I hope you enjoy and gain out of this blog, happy reading!
Looking forward to read and hear your feedback.
The availability of healthy snacks online has the potential to change Indian approach to snacking, which has largely been driven by junk food consumption over the past couple of decades.
Why are Common Indian Packaged Snacks Unhealthy?
High in refined salt and refined flour, loaded with refined sugar and processed ingredients, most offline and online stores are laden with snacks that can make you fall ill when consumed regularly.
Refined and reused oil make them a powerhouse of bad cholesterol and ill-health.
Excessive calorie intake increases the risk of weight gain, high blood pressure, diabetes, and other common chronic health conditions – both physical and mental.
The Search for Healthy Snacks Online in India
Although the concept of snacking involves a variety of items, a new poll reveals that people’s snacking habits and patterns have changed over the previous few years.
91% of the participants attempt to choose healthier options over the customary hot and fatty, useless garbage.
Of the participants, 72% were aware of what nutrients the body needs.
Both vegetarians and non-vegetarians are showing a preference for food that are healthy and nourishing, such as almonds and fruits.
In India, women (63%) are more worried about their nutritional needs than men (53%) are.
Whether you live in a metro city or a small town, your local grocery stores (kirana stores and hypermarkets) mostly stock the same regular oily and spicy snacks. Even if certain products claim to be healthy, there are chances of such claims being misleading.
Chances are pretty low that you’d get healthy snacks at offline stores.
The best option for you will be to browse for healthy snacks online. These snacks are low in salt and oil content, preservative-free, and use better quality of oil.
The pandemic has improved home delivery options in Tier 2 and 3 cities of India. More and more people are opting for home deliveries of grocery at home.
Why not go online for healthy snacks too?
A couple of scrolls, a few taps or clicks and voila! Your healthy snacks will be on its way to your pantry or work desk.
Saves time, fuel and a lot of effort!
Below we share few ideas to help buy healthy snacks online. While these are packaged snacks, they are healthier than most options you might have seen around you.
Our Method for Recommending Healthier Snacks in India
A lot of products available online and offline claim to be healthy. However, on closer inspection you would disagree.
Our recommendations below are based on certain principles and basics of healthy eating.
- Refined products are not good for health and in most cases are zero calories
- Most Palm oil used in packaged products are of subpar quality
- No preservatives, no synthetic colors and additives
- Baked and roasted, instead of deep fried
Important to Remember – While we have recommended healthier options below, remember that the portion of snacks you consume is an important factor determining your overall health.
According to Ayurveda, as the sun sets the body’s metabolism starts to reduce. Hence it is important that we also have control on the food we eat.
Mindful snacking is important and binging is not recommended. You may have a handful of coconut chips (for example) regularly and it would benefit you. But stuffing yourself is a bad idea.
Traditional Snacks Are Highly Recommended – Snacks like puffed rice, flattened rice roasted (chire/chiwda) and fruits are good options.
However, human mind goes on a happy trip trying to satisfy its taste buds.
And here we are, with several options to give your taste quotient an uplift while ensuring that they do not impact your health negatively!
Baked and Toasted Coconut Chips
Coconut chips are a delicious example of a sweet and salty flavor combo. They are created from moistened, creamy coconut flesh and cooked with coconut flower nectar till they become crispy and crunchy.
Coconut chips are an ideal guilt-free snack to sate your yearning for the salty, sweet, and crunch of potato chips without the excess starch and carbs.
They are abundant in minerals, lipids, vitamin B, and other nutrients. Iron, crucial electrolytes like potassium, magnesium, and calcium are just a few of the essential elements found in coconut chips.
Helps maintain electrolyte equilibrium which is crucial for overall health.
Numerous studies demonstrate that coconut’s antiviral, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant activities may prevent several medical disorders.
Coconut chips are not only delicious but also great for controlling cholesterol, sugar, and blood pressure and helps in boosting energy levels and metabolism.
Even while potato and tortilla chips are highly processed, they still lack several essential elements. Coconut chips are a simple substitute that provides a similar pleasant “crrrrrunch” and may be a part of your evening hunger pangs.
These snacks also come in rose and vanilla flavors. If you’re a vegan and run low on carbs, coconut chips can be a healthy vegan evening snacks for you.
Refreshing Tea that Tastes Better
To boost immunity, pure, premium long-leaf green tea is combined with natural components such as turmeric, ginger, and tulsi.
Simply heat 180 cc of water to between 80 and 85 degrees. After putting the teabag in a cup, fill it with boiling water. For 3–4 minutes, steep.
Consume it plain or with minimal sugar to taste. Do not add honey to hot liquid as it poisons the honey.
Relax while enjoying a cup of freshness.
Pure and premium-quality tea leaves are highly bioactive and full of antioxidants.
Always choose whole-leaf tea over fine tea leaves as it results in less bitterness.
Here are a few 100% natural whole leaf tea recommendations to assist your healthy snacks online search, made with high-quality ingredients without the use of chemical flavoring.
Limit your intake to 1-2 cups daily.
Diet-friendly Rice Cakes
Are you in the office, on a family picnic, on a business trip, on a long journey?
Or do you need a quick breakfast, healthy evening snacks, a craving in the middle of the night, or any other event?
Rice cakes are the ideal snack to combine with your preferred topping (if it is not processed) or just eat plain.
Rice cakes are guilt-free and diet-friendly snacks for all ages.
They contain no sugar, hydrogenated oils, trans fats, or cholesterol. These generally come in two flavors: gently salted and unsalted.
You may buy these healthy snacks online anytime!
Your chance of developing a chronic illness can be reduced by eating a rice cake. Consuming rice cakes has also been associated with a decreased incidents of type 2 diabetes and obesity.
Some brands also provide organic rice cakes. The grains and ingredients are sourced from dependable dealers and organically certified, health-conscious farmers.
Rice cakes are a low in calories and hence aid in weight loss making them one of the best healthy snacks for those pursuing weight loss programs.
If you choose the salted version, prefer the ones that come flavored with himalayan rock salt and not iodised/refined salt.
Rice is a whole food and these rice cakes will keep you full and satisfied for a longer period. You won’t need to eat as frequently.
Crispy and Crunchy Banana Chips
Slices of dried and fried banana slices are famed in the southern part of India. We see banana chips rising in popularity graphs among Indians from other regions as we analyze healthy snacks online data.
Banana chops are available in varied flavors like sweet syrup, spices and salt.
Our recommendation is to try the ones that are mildly spiced, plain and has less salt.
You might wonder if banana chips are equally as nutrient dense like bananas and we now know they are.
Banana chips include calories, protein, carbs, fiber, healthy fats, potassium, and vitamin B6.
Banana chips are mostly made from raw bananas and other ingredients like salt, turmeric powder, and coconut oil.
The naturally flavored and lightly spiced chips are delicious, nutritious and make for excellent snacking.
Buy Natural Dates as Healthy Snacks Online
Dates are rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants and are incredibly nutrient-dense. They are widely recognized for boosting energy instantly and include several minerals that have a range of health advantages, from promoting strong bones to lowering cholesterol.
If you are craving for sweet stuff, a handful of dates are an excellent source of dietary fiber, which not only strengthens the immune system but also the digestive system.
There is no added sugar and gluten in dates, and the food is antioxidants. It supports strong bones, encourages a healthy heart, and is excellent for the skin and attractiveness as it also aids in better digestion.
It is a healthy alternative to sugar laden snacks available in the market today.
You may also use dates in any dessert, smoothie, or another sweet treat because it is 100% naturally dried and devoid of any preservatives or additives.
You may add dates to a salad, oatmeal, smoothie, biscuit, or muffin recipe.
Tasty & Fiber Rich Diet Protein Mix
Get rid of the unhealthy, greasy namkeens and reach out for this healthy snacks online.
Roasted moong, roasted chana, and roasted chana jor are all available online – either as stand alone snacks or mixed together along with standard and minimal spices.
Take a handful and munch your way as you carry on with your daily work. As mentioned
Roasted mix snacks are healthy as they are a powerhouse of dietary fiber and protein. Moreover these snacks do not contain any refined sugar or preservatives as is normal with snacks available in local shops.
Importantly they are not deep fried in unhealthy oil.
Since this snack has a lot of fiber it keeps you full for a long time and promotes weight loss by encouraging you to consume fewer calories.
Millets Based Delicious Chips & Snacks
Millets are native to India and hence is naturally healthy.
Milltet based chips are high in fiber and protein content. Moreover, these healthy snacks available online are baked and roasted making them healthier alternatives to deep fried and preservative laden options.
Several options available online are made with ragi, pearl millets and are important source of minerals.
Since these contain no preservatives, synthetic flavors and coloring agents, and gluten; millet based options are highly recommended for snacking.
This snack is a low GI, sugar-free and diabetic-friendly snack supported by accredited lab tests.
Several millet based healthy snacks online consist of a combination of millets and roasted super grains like white wheat, dew beans, soybeans, rice flakes, and green grams. They can be mildly salted, crispy, and healthier.
This diet food snack is ideal for heart health because it has no cholesterol and no trans fats.
Ragi also is a high source of calcium. Together with vitamin D, calcium contributes to stronger bones. It is a fantastic natural calcium source for kids and seniors.
Grab this healthy snacks online now, as millets are high in minerals and vitamins, has a low glycemic index, and is abundant in calcium, iron, and protein.
Whole Grain and Multi-Grain Cookies
Most cookies available online or offline are made with maida or refined flour. Refined flour are filled with empty calories and hence unhealthy.
Cookies are preferred snacks for millions in India as they are tasty and make for an excellent accompaniment with beverages like tea and coffee.
Thankfully, we have tastier and healthier cookies available online which you can order from the comforts of your home and office.
These cookies are not made with refined flour but instead uses ragi, jowar and bajra based flours.
Several options also include whole wheat and chickpea flour. Other ingredients in such cookies may include jaggery, soy protein isolate, wheat bran, chia seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds and flax seeds.
Multigrain and whole grain based snacks are also good sources of omega 3, antioxidants, vitamins, proteins, and nutrients.
Millets and seeds also help to boost immunity.
Importantly, these cookies do not contain preservatives or additional artificial flavors in these healthy snacks.
Unlike most factory made cookies, these preservative-free cookies have a shorter shelf life.
Few cookies are also made with desi ghee which also promotes antioxidant production and aids in better digestion.
Dark chocolate cookies, millet and seed multigrain cookies, oatmeal and cranberry cookies, nutty dates, and almond cashew cookies are all readily available.
Flavored and Roasted Makhana
Makhana is a super food.
And it is a super snacks option if you are looking for healthy snacking.
Makhna based snacks are made of (of course) makhna and ghee, himalayan pink salt. At times they are also roasted with olive oil which is good for health.
Note: Olive oil is good for health if you are not exposing the oil to high temperature for a long time. While for Indian cooking (which involves curries, stews, etc.) olive oil is not a good choice, for slow roasting and dressing olive oil is good.
Sometimes the familiar taste of home is all you need. The x-factor is you can get the even after buying healthy snacks online.
Makhna based snacks are delicious in taste, healthy, light and makes for perfect snacking.
Makhna is also gluten-free with low glycemic index and anti-inflammatory on nature. It is high in antioxidants, and does not contain MSG, transfat, and bad cholesterol.
As a one time exception you may also indulge in makhna that are sweet and savory. These products may include sriracha spice, tikka masala, tangy turmeric, white cheddar, jaggery, caramel crunch, and dark chocolate.
Order these healthy snacks online.
Humble Roasted Nuts
Nuts are humble and a great snacking option.
Be it cashews or almonds, you can munch on a fistful at office or even at home or while traveling.
Be mindful of how much you consume as too much of nuts can harm you. Just a handful a day can work wonders.
Options available online are made tastier.
For example, himalayan pink salt is sprinkled on roasted cashew nuts making them a delicious alternative. Offline and online you would get options that use black salt or table salt which are refined and hence not good.
These are good sources of fiber, iron, salt, and minerals like protein. Iron, calcium, and vitamin C are also provided.
They are low-cholesterol snacks and when consumed in moderation can decrease your cholesterol levels due to their dietary fiber and phytosterol content.
That’s not all. They are a rich source of Omega 3 fatty acids, which help to speed up the metabolism and burn fat.
One of the better healthy snacks online available in India, nuts are easy to carry and store.
Other Baked Snacks
One of the primary reason why baked snacks are recommended is because of their low oil content.
For a premium grade of snacks and eatables, the 100% baked snacks are created with real, natural ingredients like fenugreek leaves, black pepper, turmeric, gram flour, and desi ghee.
Make your tea time more delightful with these baked snacks.
The Last Words
Unhealthy snacking can never be an excuse if you feel like munching during those short breaks in between lunch and dinner.
You can order healthy snacks online and give your snacking habits a healthy raise.