Mostly when we feel snack cravings in between meals, we turn to unhealthy alternatives like fried chips or instant noodles. This food habit can end up disturbing your health routine. If you are looking to snacks for your hunger pangs in between meals, Dr. Varuna Rao provides you with some quick and simple heart healthy snacks recipes.

Oats and berries smoothie

Oats are a rich source of soluble fibre whereas berries are a natural source of anti-oxidants. Adding oats and berries to your snack, will help you stay full for longer so you don’t feel hungry again in no time. You can even use frozen berries but they should not be preserved using sugar syrup.

Ingredients:

½ cup rolled oats (of any brand you choose)

Berries of your choice (blueberries, blackberries, raspberries etc)

1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds

½ cup of curds/milk/water.

Method:

Blend all these ingredients together in a mixer with a base of either curds, milk or water. Pour it in a cup or bottle where you can drink from whenever you want.

Chickpea salad

This salad is a heart healthy snack option but it can also be an option for a light lunch. Chickpeas are a good source of protein. This salad also includes ingredients that are high in nutrients like Vitamin C and soluble fibres.

Ingredients

1 bowl of boiled chickpeas (cholay)

Chopped vegetables onions, capsicum, tomatoes, coriander

1 lemon

Rock salt as per your taste

Method:

Mix the chopped vegetables in the bowl of chickpeas. Squeeze the juice of one lemon and mix well again. Top with salt as per your taste and chopped coriander.

Nuts and oilseeds mixture

Nuts and oilseeds are good sources of healthy fats. You can keep this mixture next to you and much on it whenever you feel a hunger pang. If you choose to buy these nuts and oilseeds to make the mixture, ensure that they are unsalted.

Ingredients:

1 cup of unsalted nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecan nuts, brazil nuts)

1 cup of unsalted oilseeds (pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds)

Method:

Mix these ingredients well in a bowl together. Add a pinch of salt and mix well again. You can also add lotus seeds or makhana to this healthy snack.

If you are looking to create a complete heart healthy diet, check out our guide on which foods you should include and which you should avoid.

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