JEDDAH (Arabnews): It’s all too easy to reach for calorie-rich snacks after breaking fast during Ramadan. Here are 20 affordable and widely available alternatives that will satisfy the pang while keeping the pounds off.
Mixed nuts: Ideal for weight loss and preventing hunger between meals. They are nutritious and contain perfectly balanced healthy fats, fiber and protein.
Dried fruit: Almost as nutritious as fresh and filled with fiber, vitamins and minerals. They have a long shelf life and are perfect for snacking.
Dried vegetables: Also rich in fiber, vitamins (A, C, and B1), and minerals. Some popular options include carrots, beetroots, snap peas, corn, tomatoes, and bell peppers.
Greek yogurt and fruit: Mix Greek yogurt with any fruit of your choice for a quick, delicious snack.
Apple and peanut butter: Slice the apple and spread it with peanut butter.
Vegetable chips: Make healthy baked or air-fried vegetable chips at home in a jiffy. Thinly slice carrots, kale, potatoes or sweet potatoes, add a tablespoon olive oil, sprinkle salt and black pepper, mix well, and cook in the oven or air-frier until crispy.
Dark chocolate and almonds: Almonds have great health benefits like reducing blood pressure, sugar and cholesterol levels. Melt a bar to or two of dark chocolate and mix with crushed or sliced almonds. Pour it in ziplock bags and place them in the fridge until they solidify.
Hummus: Cucumbers and carrots make the best combination with hummus, which can be easily made at home or bought in the store.
Cherry tomatoes and white cheese: Cherry tomatoes have fiber, sugar, sodium, and vitamin C. White cheese is full with protein, vitamin D and potassium. Wash cherry tomatoes and cut in halves (optional), cut the white cheese into small cubes, add black pepper, drizzle olive oil and enjoy a light and simple salad.
Dark chocolate and cornflakes: Melt dark chocolate in a bowl and add cornflakes. Shape into small balls and put on a tray in the fridge until cool and solid.
Eggs: Boil 3-4 eggs, wait until cold, peel, slice as desired, and sprinkle salt, black pepper, dried oregano, and any other spice of your choice. Have this snack once a week though, to avoid rising cholesterol levels in the body.
Baby Carrots: Clean and place in a bowl, in a separate small bowl mix a tablespoon of olive oil, half a lemon, salt and black pepper; whisk until smooth and pour over the carrots.
Edamame beans: Popping them out of their pouches is fun. Eat as is or dipped in soy sauce or salted.
Tortilla chips and avocado dip: Dice half an avocado, add one tablespoon of olive oil, half a lemon, sprinkle salt and black pepper, add paprika if desired, whisk until everything is well combined, dip the tortilla chips and enjoy.
Popcorn: Low in calories (depending on the seasoning). Add spices of your choice — salt, chili pepper, garlic powder, cheese powder — and enjoy.
Baked cauliflower: One cup of cauliflower provides fiber, vitamin C, K, B6, potassium, magnesium, manganese, folate, and phosphorus. Cut the cauliflower in pieces. Mix flour, salt, black pepper, paprika (optional), and cornstarch in a bowl, and coat each piece with the mix. Spread the veggie in a tray and place in the oven until brown and crispy. In a separate bowl, mix regular yogurt with salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and paprika.
Frozen yogurt and fruits bars: Add fresh fruits to any flavored yogurt, pour the mix in mold with a stick, and place in the freezer for at least three hours before enjoying a healthy popsicle.
Frozen grapes: Grab a bunch of seedless green grapes, wash and place in a container, squeeze a lemon, sprinkle a little bit of sugar (around two teaspoons), and freeze overnight. Snack on them like grape candies.
Banana crackers: Spread peanut butter on the banana crackers or just dip them in the sweet paste and enjoy.
Dates and tahini: Arabs have been getting creative with how to make dates even better by either stuffing them or mixing with nuts, coating it with roasted sesame and black seeds. But, dates and tahini complement each other, bringing out the best bittersweet flavors.
