Don't snack mindlessly

Snacking is not a mindless pursuit. And unlike universally thought, it is not devoid of any benefits. In fact, if done right, it can be a perfect way of incorporating important, often missed out nutrients to our daily diet. But for that to happen, you need to become a smart snacker.

Kavita Devgan, a renowned nutritionist, weight management consultant and health writer based in Delhi, lays down the rules of healthy snacking:

* Ensure that you choose to eat only those snacks that are made from right ingredients. This in fact is an accurate way of ensuring that the nutrients we need are added to our diet. A few of my favourite ingredients include kaala Channa, nuts and seeds, olive oil and whole grains.

* Kala Channa, a nutrition powerhouse, delivers a lot of fibre that helps regulate our blood sugar and is also loaded with nutrients that help save us from seasonal disorders by boosting our immunity. The easiest way to get a stockpile of multiple vitamins and minerals, even difficult to find trace minerals is to eat snacks that have nuts and seeds added liberally to them. Besides they also deliver high levels of essential fatty acids (EFAs), wholesome fibre, and much needed good quality protein (with all essential amino acids). My personal favourites are almonds, walnuts, flaxseeds and sesame seeds.

* Pick up snacks made in olive oil, as this is the smartest way to ensure omega 3 and to correct the good versus bad fat imbalance in our diet. It is the best way to keep our digestion humming along, keep constipation and cravings away. A snack made with whole grains (ragi, wheat, oats, jowar, amaranth, bajra) is the best way to add nutrition to our diet and stay full for longer too.

* Make snacking a conscious activity. Snack mindfully, not mindlessly. It is essential that we not only snack smart but we also pick and select our snack smartly. Avoid snack packs that don't deliver what is promised on the face of their pack.

* Look out for promises and phrases like Fat-Free, Low in Calories, High in Protein. Don't take them on face value. All it takes is flipping the pack to the back and reading all ingredients, their proportions, style of making to understand the health and calorie quotient of the snack you are picking up.

* It is always better to opt for truly baked, healthy and wholesome snacks as they will actually be good for you. In fact, one of the best ways to lower fat consumption is to switch from deep fried snacks to baked snacks as they will help you keep both the calories and fat consumption down easily.

* Don't think of snacks as extras. Instead, consciously work healthy bites into your diet, and make some smart snacks a part of your food plan for the day. This way they will work for you constructively. Finally, always focus on eating snacks that deliver something extra (yes more than just satisfaction and calories). That way you add value to your daily diet via the snacks that you eat and score some health too along the way.

Shikha Sharma, a dietician based out of Delhi, expresses her opinion on snacking carefully:

* Focus on clean label. Consumers and regulators continue to put new pressures on food manufacturers, asking for even more information on the label. Consumers want to know the origin of their food. Food transparency strategies are now critical elements of the industry and are no longer optional.

* Many varieties of snacks and breads sold in supermarkets have taken a huge hit in recent years. Their part of the myriad products are struggling as consumers shift to more health and wellness foods. Despite this, more gluten-free, and clean-label baked formulations are cropping up in stores, thanks to consumer demand for more transparent options that are convenient and more nutritious.