Indian Snacks for a party: healthy ideas
Weekend and Party Planning
Party Planning for get-togethers in trying to entertain and relax on the weekends, food becomes an important part of the social gatherings. Pot-luck dinners are very popular, particularly in the West. Men may indulge in alcoholic beverages while women generally limit themselves to sweetened sodas and juices. Indian snacks for party consist of several varieties and assortments of mainly high fat high sugar foods and salty snacks. Party meals usually have fried and creamy vegetables prepared with liberal quantities of oil, butter or ghee, nuts and dry fruits. Fried home-made snacks, roasted nuts, potato chips and wafers, and chutneys make the feasts mouth-watering and of course high calorie! Special desserts of various kinds appropriate to the festival/celebration are also brought in, in addition to cakes, pastries, doughnuts to satisfy the palate of the younger generation. There could be sweets, brownies, cupcakes, ice creams which appeal to almost everyone. You can read about festival snacks, like Janmashtami healthy recipes and top 3 Ganpati foods for more ideas on healthier desserts. You can also think of sugar free healthy desserts to ensure great health and keep the audience happier they got desserts to eat.
Party Snack Ideas and Tips
1. Try to eat a sensible, small snack, like a bowl of soup, before leaving the house, to curb overindulgence.
2. With appetizers, use a small plate, fill it with healthy snacks, and limit the number of fried snacks.
3. Drink green tea or carbonated water (or referred to as Indian sodas) with lime/lemon for a splash of flavour, without the calories of juice, soda or alcohol.
4. When dinner items are served, survey all the offerings first, and envision your plate accordingly: ½ salads and green vegetables, ¼ rice/breads, ¼ chicken, fish or other protein.
5. Take the time to enjoy your food and refrain from going back for seconds.
6. When choosing desserts, be very sensible. Choose fruits or baked custards instead of usual assortments if you have a sweet tooth. Be prudent when it comes to choosing portion and quantity.
Hosting the party or festival
Healthy party snacks
If you are the host throwing the party or a meal to guests, these easy party snacks tips should be useful to you.
1. When hosting the party of festival, offer fresh, colorful veggies (baby carrots, cucumber strips, bell pepper strips, cauliflower florets) in lieu of, or in addition to fried snacks. Serve the veggies with coriander chutney or a low-fat yogurt-based dip.
2. Crispy whole grain khakhras with curd/ yogurt dip or hummus is a wiser option than fried masala papads, French fries, tacos or potato chips and wafers.
3. Try to offer 1 or 2 vegetable dishes, lightly stir-fried or steamed, and a healthy salad.
4. Use whole grain and pulse dishes cooked in a tasty and healthy way.
5. Try to choose foods which make use of cooking methods like baking, boiling, steaming, pressure cooking, sautéing rather than deep frying.
Indian snacks for a party can be made healthy using these snacking idea tips. Some examples are patra (alu vadi), steamed vadis made from cabbage or other vegetables, dhokla, handvo, khandvi, multigrain snacks, mini idlis and many more.
Ensure that your guests have good, healthy options. Think, plan, cook healthy, eat and enjoy!
Pallavi Pinge is a Clinical Nutritionist and Dietitian | Content Director & Editor for health websites | has a passion for digital health and enjoys promoting health and wellness. She’s the founder and director of Ambrosia Wellness, where she provides personalized nutrition counseling, education, and coaching to individuals with various health conditions. You can follow her on her social media channels below to stay tuned in with the latest in health and wellness | Health Blog | Contact her for appointments |
