3 sattvik snacks that you can munch on anytime

No matter how much ever we try to stick to our regular meal timings, we do end up feeling hungry in between meals, or even midnight. Ideally, yoga doesn’t recommend midnight munching but owing to the current faulty lifestyle trends, it is better to munch on something healthy than packaged items.

Own Doctor: A sattvik diet helps you to become your own doctor. By simply making a shift in your dietary habits, you can lead a life of optimal health and automatically cure all chronic diseases. The first step towards good health is always to understand what you put inside of you in terms of food. Come to think of it, eating healthy is very simple, all of you have to do is switch the artificial and packaged food items with everything that Nature has to offer.

All levels: The Chhandogya Upaniṣhad also emphasises on sattvik foods since eating such foods purifies the mind and becomes part of our pure consciousness: “Ahara shuddhau sattva shuddhih”. Whatever we eat impacts us on the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual levels.

What is Sattvik Diet: A Sattvik diet is a purely vegetarian diet which includes seasonal fresh fruit, ample of fresh vegetables, whole grain, pulses, sprouts, dried nuts, seeds, honey, fresh herbs, milk and dairy products which are free from animal rennet. These foods raise sattva or our consciousness levels. Sattvik foods are cooked and eaten with love, gratitude and awareness.

Here are 3 Sattvik snacks that you can munch on anytime hunger strikes:

1. Date and Nut Coconut Laddos:

Ingredients:

• Dates (Khajur) - 1 Cup Chopped
• Almonds (Badam) - 2 Tbsp. Chopped
• Pistachios (Pista) - 2 Tbsp. Chopped
• Cashew Nut (Kaju) - 3 Tbsp. Chopped (It has all the healthy nuts that can keep you filled)
• Ghee - 1 Tbsp.
• Garnish - Desiccated Coconut - 1⁄2 cup

Method:

• Heat the ghee in a broad non-stick pan, add the dates and cook on a slow flame for 3-4 minutes, while stirring it continuously.
• Switch off the flame, add the almonds, pistachios and cashew nuts and mix well. Allow the mixture to cool completely.
• Once cooled, shape it into round balls.
• Take a ball and dip it into the desiccated coconut.
• Serve immediately or store at room temperature in an air-tight container.

2. Roasted Makhana:

(Makhanas are rich in flavonoids, which are chemicals that have a positive effect on the body. It also helps to slow down the ageing process. Highly rich in calcium and helps to maintain the blood pressure)
Ingredients:

• Makhana (phool makhana or foxnuts or lotus seeds) - 3 cups
• Turmeric powder (haldi) - 1⁄4 teaspoon
• Rock salt as required
• Oil or ghee - 2 to 3 tsp

Method:

• Heat oil in a pan or kadai. Add the makhana and roast for a good 10-12 minutes on a low flame till they become crisp and crunchy. Keep on stirring in between.
• Lastly add turmeric powder and salt, except chaat masala.
• Switch off the fire as you don’t want the spice powders to get burnt.
• Stir the whole mixture well.
• Lastly, sprinkle the chaat masala powder and again mix well.
• Serve roasted makhana straightaway.
• Or once they cool down, store roasted makhana in an air-tight container.

3. Healthy Roasted Mixed Seeds:

(All these seeds are very healthy and rich in omega 3, if you are able to get your hand on them during the lockdown then you can definitely try them out)
Ingredients:

• Sunflower seeds - 1/4 cup
• Pumpkin seeds - 1/4 cup
• Flax seeds - 1/4 cup
• White sesame seeds - 1/8 cup
• Black sesame seeds - 1/8 cup

Method:
Take a heavy-bottomed pan. Add pumpkin seeds to it. Keep it on low flame and roast the seeds. Keep stirring occasionally. When the seeds start popping up and there is a roasted aroma, remove the seeds from the pan. Repeat the process with other seeds as well.
When all the seeds are roasted, mix them all. Allow them to cool. Store them in an airtight container.

So the next time that you are hungry and want to munch onto something, think twice before reaching out for those packaged chips. Instead, make your own Sattvik Snacks, that you can have anytime and anywhere. These snacks will not only satiate your hunger pangs but also keep you healthy, calm, and positive!

Authored by: Dr. Hansaji Yogendra, The Yoga Institute