5 Late-Night Healthy Snacks

It happens to everyone – waking up hungry in the middle of the night. There could be many reasons for this, so if it is a chronic problem, it is good to consult a doctor to see if there are any dietary, metabolic or other issues causing it. If late-night hunger is an occasional occurrence, a healthy snack is a solution.

The Dangers of Unhealthy Snacking

The human body has an internal clock that controls the circadian rhythm which regulates your body’s active and rest timings. Late night is not a natural time to eat – if you eat during your normal waking hours, your body is able to digest and metabolize the food so that fats, cholesterol, and lipids are absorbed by the liver and other organs. If you eat late at night, the absorption is much slower, which is not good for the body.

If late-night snacking cannot be avoided, here are a few healthy late-night eating options that are quick, easy, tasty, satisfying, and healthy.

Healthy Snacks

Low-calorie Bhel Puri

Ingredients – 100 gms puffed rice, 2 tbsp tamarind pulp, 2 tbsp mint chutney, 1/2 tsp chaat masala/aamchur, 3 green chilies, bean sprouts, salt to taste, and serve and coriander leaves to garnish.

Preparation – Put the puffed rice in a bowl

• Add onions, sprouts, green chilies, coriander leaves, tamarind pulp, mint chutney, and chaat masala or aamchur.
• Mix well.
• Garnish and enjoy.

Vegan Date and Cashew Balls

Ingredients – 1 cup deseeded dates, 1 cup cashew nuts, 1/2 cup grated coconut, a pinch of rock salt, 1 tbsp virgin coconut oil.

Preparation –

• Soak the dates in water for 1 hour. Drain and pat dry.
• In a food processor, add the cashew nuts and grated coconut and blend until nice and crumbly.
• Add the dates, salt, and virgin coconut oil and pulse again until you acquire a sticky mixture.
• Take small scoops of the mixture on your palms, and roll to form balls.
• Place the balls on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• Serve chilled.

No-oven Paneer-stuffed Baked Potatoes

Ingredients – 4 potatoes, 250 gm paneer, 100 gm peas, 1 chopped onion, 1 chopped tomato, 1 tbsp corn, cooking oil, salt to taste, a pinch of haldi.

Preparation –

• Boil potatoes till cooked.
• Pierce a fork into the potato and hold over a flame till slightly roasted. Keep aside.
• Cut each potato in half and scoop out its center.
• Heat oil in a pan and add turmeric, onions and tomato. Cook for two minutes.
• Add paneer and peas.
• Continue to cook on a medium flame for about a minute.
• Fill the hollowed potatoes with the paneer filling.

Spiced Roasted Walnuts

Ingredients – 1 cup Walnuts, 1/2 tsp Olive Oil, 1/4 tsp Mixed Herbs, 1/4 tsp dried basil leaves, Salt to taste

Preparation –

• Add the walnuts, olive oil, mixed herbs, dried basil leaves and salt to a bowl, toss to mix it.
• Microwave for a minute. Remove, stir and microwave for another minute and serve.

Filled Cucumber Cases

Ingredients – 6 peeled cucumbers (cut into 1″ slice), 1 tbsp sweet chutney, 250 gms shellfish (shelled, prepared, and cooked) or sauteed butter mushrooms, 125 mlmayonnaise, 2 tsp lemon juice, 2 tbsp thick curd, 1 tbsp grated white radish, 1/2 tsp garlic paste, 1 tbsp chopped coriander, 1 chopped green chilli, 1 tbsp finely chopped gherkins, 1 tbsp tomato puree. For the garnish – 1 shredded orange rind, mild chilli powder to taste.

Preparation –

• Blanch cucumbers in boiling water for 30 seconds.
• Drain and refresh with cold water, and pat dry with a cloth.
• Using a teaspoon, remove the seeds from the center of the cucumber to create an indent.
• For the garnish –
• Boil orange shreds for 3 minutes. Drain, refresh, and dry.
• Pour the sweet chutney into the centre of each cucumber case.
• Mix all the other ingredients with the shellfish, season, and add to the center of the cucumber cases.
• Garnish with orange peel and chill powder, and serve.

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Reviewed by Dr Suresh S Venkita, Group Medical Director, Kauvery Hospitals

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Kauvery Hospital is globally known for its multidisciplinary services at all its Centers of Excellence, and for its comprehensive, Avant-Grade technology, especially in diagnostics and remedial care in heart diseases, transplantation, vascular and neurosciences medicine. Located in the heart of Trichy (Tennur, Royal Road and Alexandria Road (Cantonment), Chennai, Hosur, Salem, Tirunelveli and Bengaluru, the hospital also renders adult and pediatric trauma care.

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