Snack: my favourite time of the day; whether it’s a noon snack, tea-time snack or late-night snack, I am always excited to see what I can do to satiate a craving!
Essential to our well-being, snacking is important in-between meals to reduce hunger pangs, acidity occurrences and shifts in moods due to hunger. A healthy snacking regime is all that we need to also catch up nutritive values during the day, because our traditional meals may not give us the entire fill we need!
Recently, however, I have been splurging on my own creations in different ways and trust me, the possibilities are endless. I tried so many variations, a mix-and-match, combinations that you would never have thought of, and my days have been filled with mini-meals full of my own product line. There are so many ways to use conventional snacking products like cereals, energy bars and even some bite-sized energy foods. Whether it’s a protein bar, or an energy bar, it doesn’t have to be necessarily consumed as it is. And if it’s a breakfast cereal, does it need to be only had at breakfast time, and only with milk?!
I don’t believe so. My mantra in life is combinations and permutations; to get the best value, the best taste, the fun out of any food. I believe that food should make us smile, should bring us to a point where we say “Yes, I have been craving something like this!”. For me, breakfast holds a very important space in my routine. I do believe that breakfast is what makes or breaks your day; whether it is nutritious, tasty, fulfilling or just a small go-to for a smile on your face in the mornings; for me, breakfast is it.
I will be honest with you. The same meal every day bores me. I cannot follow routines where the meal is the same everyday. My idea of a routine is about how I fulfil the nutritive requirements from my meals. This can be anything – it could be eggs one morning, a breakfast bagel, or my newest favourite, a bowl of greek yogurt with a few spoons of the Hearty Haldi & Almond Mix together – delicious, heavenly, and the best kickstart to my days!
I believe it was the peak of summer around May/June when one of the weekends, I decided to make a salad for lunch – for the boys and us two. A few fresh organic tomatoes, chopped onions, some carrots, cucumbers and radishes because they turned out great this year, and a generous topping of the Magic Millet and Apricot Cereal – such a fresh, crunchy and nutritious brunch. A memorable meal, this made for!
I also sometimes add a few spoons of this cereal into a glass of fresh orange juice, and this just makes my evenings! Sweet, tangy, crunchy and full of goodness. Another go-to for an evening fill these days is a Palm Jaggery & Honey Energy Bar dipped along with a steaming cup of black coffee – oh the heavenly taste this gives, is unmatched! Be it any of the energy bars from my product line, but the Palm Jaggery & Honey hits the best!
When I began this kind of experimentation with my products, my heart went up in flutters, with happiness and excitement to share it with you. These variations are not something one would think of when it comes to uses of nutrition foods, but here it is, and it is gooooood, tasty, unbelievably decadent!
One of the afternoons, I craved for south indian fare, and this was our lockdown time. It was impossible to order food, deadly to go out and get all the raw material. We made some sambhar at home; if you come from an Indian household, you know this is terribly easy to make at home, and sometimes turns out more delicious from your friendly neighbourhood ‘Shiv Sagar’.
Once the sambhar was ready, we had to figure out substitutes for idlis. There was no way that anyone was stepping out to hunt for batter, because bare necessities were scarce, who cares to stock Idli batter during a lockdown, right?
SO, we decided on something unconventional again. Spoonfuls of the Happy Millet and Apricot Cereal were the saviour here. We stuffed them in a bowl full of Sambhar, and this made for the best alternative to rice or idlis – a fun, very fun lunch. A nutrition fill, a soul-fill and a perfect go-to instead of too much cooking!
There are so many ways to use a product that is designed for only one function (I only mean this in terms of snacks and foods, please do not use any electronic for something it is otherwise recommended for!).
Whether it is a bhel, a salad, a gravy or simply a smoothie bowl you are making – any kind of cereal or granola adds the magic taste you need along with some crunchiness – because what is fresh if it is not crunchy?!
Energy bars with milk, juices or simply your evening tea or coffee reduce your need to run to a sugary biscuit. Just the right amount of sweet, and wholesomeness of nutrition! I do recommend dismantling an energy ball, like our Happy Laddoos into a bowl of curd, yogurt or smoothie glass. My go-to for this is the Black Pepper Laddoo – just the right amount of spiciness put together with seeds. A good meal, for those with a light appetite, and a good snack for those with a penchant for something to munch on all the time – nutritious, fun, unconventional and so many different variations!
Life is never constant, so why should our meals be? I love to see people eat good food. Good food can come in so many ways; some complex, and some simplest of all. For some, you may have to change the ingredients all the time, and for some you may just need to change the seasonings. And for some, the most fun way is to combine two unexpected foods, to create a new meal!
So, take a cue from Steve Maraboli who rightly once said ‘The power to change your life lies in the simplest of steps’. Take the right ones, make your life nutritiously bright!
Week 41, October ’20
