Are You Stress-Eating Junk Food? 3 Easy, Healthy Snacks to Munch On Instead!

Cheesy pizza slices or deep-fired cheese fries and crunchy potato wafers— it is natural to binge on your favourite comfort food when you are feeling low or stressed. However, if your stress-easting binges are lasting longer than you would like, it's time to find healthier options.

Crunchy vegetable sticks or even nuts can serve as a great alternative to your go-to junk food especially when paired with a healthy dip. Not appetising enough? Well, then you may want to check out these healthy evening snacks that are sure to satiate your cravings:

Nutty Chowpatty Bhel Puri by Chef Varun Inamdar

Ingredients

4 cups puffed rice
2 onions, finely chopped
2 tomatoes, finely chopped
2 green chillies, finely chopped
4 tablespoons mint chutney
4 tablespoons sweet tamarind chutney
1 tablespoon chaat masala powder
1/4 cup chana dal
1/4 cup roasted chana
Salt to taste
1/2 cup California walnuts, chopped roughly
1/4 cup sev
12-15 papdi puris

Method

1. Firstly pre-prepare every ingredient as mentioned above place in respective bowl as per quantities and sizes and set the table.
2. All you need to do is toss all ingredients in a large bowl.
3. Garnish generously with a sprinkling of sev, chopped walnuts and serve a papdi puri alongside.
4. Serve them immediately.

Instant Pickled Walnuts by Chef Varun Inamdar

Ingredients

1 cup California walnuts, halves
1 sprig curry leaves
3 tablespoons mustard oil

Pickling spice
1 teaspoon salt 
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon red chilly powder
1 teaspoon red chilly flakes
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds powder
1 teaspoon yellow mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper powder
1/8 teaspoon fenugreek powder
1/2 teaspoon fennel powder

Method

1. Mix all the pickling spices in a dry bowl and keep aside.
2. In a pan, heat mustard oil till it begins to smoke.
3. While it is cooling down, stir in curry leaves when the oil is relatively warmer.
4. Cool it down to room temperature.
5. In a clean and dry mixing bowl, take the walnut halves and stir in the pickling spices.
6. Pour cooled oil and stir well. Bottle it up and serve!

No-Bake Walnut Cocoa Cherry Bars by Chef Sabyasachi Gorai

Ingredients

1/2 cup old-fashioned oats 
1 cup pitted dates (about 12)
1/2 cup shelled walnuts
1/2 cup unsweetened dried cherries
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Method

1. In a large food processor bowl, combine oats, dates, walnuts, cherries, cocoa powder and salt. Process for 1-2 minutes, or until mixture resembles a crumbly dough.
2. Turn mixture onto wax paper and shape evenly into a 1/2-inch thick rectangle.
Chill at least 1 hour and cut into 9 bars. Bars do not need to be stored in the refrigerator.
3. Chill at least 1 hour and cut into 9 bars. Bars do not need to be stored in the refrigerator.