Healthy Crunching, Smart Snacking: Your Guide to the New World of Snacks

‘Snacking' is no longer considered a guilty pleasure; it's a well-established way of eating all day long. It used to be a question of whether or not one should snack, but now it's a question of what to snack on. And it does make a difference. The typical processed snack eaten by the public is typically composed of refined flour, an excessive amount of salt and artificial flavours, all of which are designed to provide palatable taste, but not a healthy appetite. It's not the need for crunch. However, it's the contents of most snacks that are the problem.

The Healthy Snack Checklist:

Crunchy snacks are good for you and don't cost your crunch! They are simply different, from the best ingredients.

Follow these tips when shopping for a ring:

1. Grains are good sources of fibre, are naturally gluten-free and are much healthier when made up of whole grains such as jowar also known as sorghum. They slowly digest and so make you feel full for longer. Our Jowar Pops (in Masala, Truffle, Chilli Cheese, Peri Peri, Barbeque and Jaggery) and Sorghum Puffs (in Masala, Peri Peri and Chilli Cheese) are made from this grain.

2. Baked, rather than fried, and a short list of ingredients, with none you can't pronounce. The closer it is to the original snack, the better!

3. Flavour from the actual spices and herbs, not flavour enhancers or artificial additives. For instance, the bhel mix like Four Thirty's Mint bhel or Muri bhel have simple ingredients, there's no frills going out of the way.

4. Protein and fibre, these are two nutrients that make a snack filling, not just a tasty snack. Four Thirty's Jowar Biscotti (Blueberry, Cranberry and Coconut varieties) are also in the running, as they are a healthier, slower digesting version of biscuits.

How to Eat Healthier Snacks:

Eating more sensibly doesn't mean eating less, it means eating more consciously! Just a few small changes can have a good impact:

1. Plan ahead: Have good options available. When hunger strikes there is a packet of chips, that's what you'll eat. Always have healthy snacks available and that you like on your desk, in your bag or even in your kitchen.

2. Read the label: ingredients are listed by quantity – if refined flour or sugar is listed first then it is the main ingredient. In the name of the whole grain, watch for the whole grain ingredients first.

3. Serve pairings: Such as a crunchy grain based snack with a protein source, either roasted chana, small quantity of nuts or curd, to get a more balanced and satisfying snack.

4. Pay attention to serving sizes: When eating healthy snacks, it can still add up! Serve individual servings, don't eat from the package.

6. Do it at the right time: Snacking (not right before meals!) helps to control hunger and avoid overindulgence at meal times. 

The triple threat of Ancient Grains, Modern Snacking, and a Healthy Lifestyle:

Here's one of the most interesting trends in snack foods that's making a comeback these days: ancient grains. These crops, jowar, millet, ragi, etc used to be important parts of Indian cuisine for centuries, but they have been largely replaced by the use of refined and processed foods. They're making a comeback, and it's for good reason!

These grains are very dense, gentle and have a lot of versatility. Four Thirty has developed all of their snack collection around them. The Jowar Pops and Sorghum Puffs are baked, not fried, and consist of nothing but natural ingredients, such as truffle, chilli cheese, masala and peri peri. They're those crunchy healthy things that don't have to be compromising on taste.

The Bigger Shift:

The new world of snacks is more than just a replacement for one snack with another. Changing a mindset around snacking , from something fun and special to something that can be a healthy approach to help sustain energy, concentration and health, if you do it right.

There are healthy snack ideas! All you need to do is know what to look for – and keep them close!