Do you feel guilty of snacking on junk when the late night cravings strike? Navjyoti Dalal explores healthier options to satiate your hunger pangs

Remember the good old saying — “Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise?” Of course, we’ve forgotten that childhood lesson a long time ago. We are up and alive even at 3 am and not averse to gorging on those potato chips, cream wafers, chocolates, instant noodles and other unhealthy items commonly called ‘junk’. Maybe it’s difficult to change all habits but how about swapping junk for a healthier alternative at least?

Undoubtedly the healthiest way to curb your midnight hunger is having a glass of warm milk, and a few almonds with it. But if you want some spicy treats, Chef Elangovan Shanmugam of The Coffee Shop at Taj Blue Diamond, suggests boiled chana (chickpeas) tempered with chillies and mustard seeds. “You can also go for whole wheat pasta salads. Raagi (finger millet) flour pancakes using warm water, onions, chillies, saunf (fennel seeds), salt, hing (asafoetida) are also a great option. Another variation can be Raagi sewai. And if you feel tired of cooking, have pressed red rice or wheat with milk.”

Like a majority of the insomniacs, Shreya Ray, a student, confesses her all time favourite midnight snacks are instant noodles. “I often satisfy my hunger pangs with Maggi. When I feel guilty of having junk, I put vegetables in it,” she says. Switch to Cheeru Chandawarkar’s healthy snack options, we suggest. The chef and owner of Malaka Spice and Post 91 restaurants, says, “I suggest nutritious snacks like pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds. And if you feel like having something sweet, then try sugar-free oat or bran cookies. Whole wheat bread sandwiches with vegetables are also good.” And she denounces tempting items like cakes, pastries, rice, and cup-noodles.

Fruits are rich is vitamins and great for your night time cravings but it is advisable not to go over-board with fruits. Chef Francis, chef de cuisine at Westin hotel’s restaurant Seasonal Tastes, provides some Continental, Mediterranean and Oriental snack options, “You can try green bean and cherry tomato salad with crushed basil and olive oil.” A common and tasty salad from Greecet can also cloy your hunger pangs, all you need is bulgur (broken wheat), celery and pomergranate salad with olive oil. If you don’t have bulgur, you can use pressure cooked daliya. “Another healthy snack option can be a burger with mix-veg patty, avocados and sprouts, or a ‘superfood’ item from our menu ‘ajino tofu’ — fried tofu with corriander dipping,” says Chef Francis.

And if you are in no mood to cut, chop and cook, then head to the super-market and bring home healthy diet namkeen mixtures like roasted chana, daal, rice and jowar waffles and so on. Oatmeal with skimmed milk is extremely nutritious, and so is yoghurt with fruits. Popcorn too makes for a tasty munch item, but keep in mind not to put butter!

Also easily available and extremely healthy are celery and carrot. High in fibre content, celery and carrot sticks are a delicious treat when dipped in hummus. These crispy treats will also fill you up quickly due to their high water content. And with only a dab of hummus on each stick, you need not worry about consuming too many calories.

All those with a sweet tooth, don’t lose heart. Discount chocolate (because it contains caffeine), instead go for dry fruits like dates, raisins, and so on. They are naturally sweet and the fiber, potassium and magnesium will gently aid your digestive health. You can also have a nutty snack with almonds or walnuts that are full of magnesium and B vitamins, Omega 3, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc. And there’s no need to fret about calories, 22 whole almonds only equal up to about 100 calories.

Be sure to snack in small portions and include both carbohydrates and proteins — apple slices with peanut butter, for instance. You can curb your cravings, and your weight-loss plan is also intact!