Quick Healthy Snacks

For those looking for a shortcut way to health, you have only a very simple rule to follow, eat healthy and stay healthy. However, in the present scenario, this concept seems to have been thrown out of the window. While staying healthy is on the wish list of everyone, eating healthy is the criterion that is hard to fulfill. The main causes cited by most people for an unhealthy diet are the usual suspects - lack of time to cook, too much stress or simply the irresistible craving for junk. Today, in every home, the amount of junk food consumption has raised dramatically. And these, undoubtedly, are mostly consumed in the form of snacks. Since snacks are easy to grab and bite and sinfully always within the reach, they constitute a large part of the daily diet.

Many a times due to excessive binging on snacks, many people lose the appetite for a proper meal, which results in less intake of nutrition. However, you need to understand that the fault doesn’t lie in the amount of snacks that you eat, but in the type of snacks that you binge upon. Fries, popcorns, chips and other greasy stuff can be easily replaced by a variety of healthier options. And, icing on the cake is that you don’t have to spend your valuable time preparing them. Healthy snacks can be prepared in minutes, provided you know how to and what to use. And contrary to popular perception they are quite pleasing on the palate too. Read below to learn how you can rustle up such quick and healthy snacks.

• One snack that you can rustle up in minutes without compromising on the health factor is yogurt with fruits and nuts. This snack is not only filling, but teases your taste bud like nothing else. Just take a cup of fat free yogurt and some fresh fruits. Dice the fruits into small cubes and add them to the yogurt. Then throw in some chopped nuts and you have a snack that is loaded with antioxidants, essential fats and healthy fatty acids.
• For those willing to satisfy their craving for the sweeter side of food can go for skewered fruits with dark chocolate sauce. Though the name sounds sinful, it is, in fact, a very healthy snack. From the fruits you get vitamins, antioxidants and fiber. The dark chocolate, on the other hand, fortifies your body with flavinoids, thus boosting the health of the heart. Cut a large variety of fruits into bite size pieces and pour dark chocolate over them before relishing.
• Make a bowl of hummus. Cut some salad vegetables, like cucumber and carrots, into sticks and have them with the hummus as the dip. The hummus is a great source of protein, while the vegetables provide you with the antioxidants, vitamins and fibers.
• Another healthy and quick snack option is apricot canapés. Just take a few apricots and top them up with a little bit of blue cheese. Sprinkle some chopped pistachios, drizzle with honey and season with honey. This healthy snack is very low in calories, but high in fiber, carbohydrates, sodium and potassium.
• Take a few oranges. Remove the rind and white pith with a sharp knife. Slice them into five to six pieces. In a bowl, whisk together a little bit of lemon juice, sugar and cinnamon. Spoon this mixture over the orange slices and your cinnamon orange is ready to be snacked. This healthy snack fulfils your daily vitamin C requirement, in addition to fortifying your body with potassium, sodium and carbohydrates.
• Take a few hard boiled eggs and cut them into slices. Dip them in extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with salt and paprika. The paprika adds a zing to the eggs.  This easy-to-make, tasty snack is loaded with protein and lutein.  
• Carrots are very rich in beta carotene. They also have potassium and fiber in significant amount. Take a cup of baby carrots and toss them with sesame seeds, thyme and salt. Gorge upon this delightful snack to quench your taste buds and nutrition requirements together!