By Malathi Mohan
What would you consider as a snack? Something you can eat comfortably and quickly in small portions, without much fuss about service or handling? Food that will keep you from being hungry till you reach your mealtime? Something, which is tasty, something you choose to eat and are not forced to eat? Something to pastime with?

There are people who prefer snacks to the main meal. Some people replace meals, especially dinner, with snacks or tiffin. Snacks are also given a religious touch by being eaten on certain days of the week like Saturdays, Fridays or Tuesdays or on festivals. People gorge on snacks, fruit and milk under the pretext of avoiding rice and force themselves to believe they are eating lighter meals. One elderly aunt used to have a special dinner of 4 to 6 bananas and a tall glass of milk, which amounts to 450 to 500 Kcals!

Indian snacks are as many and as varied as Indian cuisines. One the one hand, we have the street foods with their enticing flavours while on the other we have the more expensive and elusive restaurant snacks, dressed to tease. We also have packaged snacks that are bought from big stores or wayside shops and home made snacks, which are truly traditional.

The visual and aromatic appeal of snacks has no match. Recent information is that food images make people gorge more. Complete meals look good too but are only second best. Can anyone resist the golden crispness of a samosa or a vada? What about a crisp and divine smelling masala dosa or a fully bloomed bhatura. The delightful pizzas and fried chicken with misty, ice-cold glasses of coke next to them bring out the same reaction in the young and old alike.

On what basis can we classify snacks?

• Ingredients: To be well balanced with the food groups.
• Preparation methods: healthy methods like raw, steamed and boiled. And, ease of preparation.
• Popularity: Liked by all age groups and all classes of people
• Nutritional strengths (good balance of nutrients) and weaknesses (too much fat or sugar or excessive starchy foods).
• Availability
• Ease of service
• Easy to eat
• Cost

Snacks contribute to our nutritional needs if used judiciously. That means, occasionally and in small portions. Even a healthy dish served in large portions is not recommended. However, the portion consumed can be shared or reduced by other means. Listed below are some commonly available snacks and these are classified as `OK to eat often` and as `Watch out, not too often`

There may be other snacks in your repertoire; I will leave them to your discretion.

OK to eat often:
Sundal, bhelpuri, aappam, idiappam, steamed dosa, idli., dhokla, kolkattai, chikki, jaggery sweets, beaten rice (aval or poha) preparations, chaats, kosambri, puffed rice, roasted salted/unsalted nuts, fruit and vegetable salads.

Watch out, not too often:
Vada pav, dahi poori, pani poori, ragda, samosa, upma, pongal, masala dosa, poori, bhatura, bajji, pakoras, kachoris, French fries, all fried food and ghee-laden sweets.

Ms. Malathi Mohan is Dean, Academy of Fitness Management, FitnessOne, Chennai.

Image: Flickr/creativecommonsjlastras