The journey that started in 1996 has finally come to an end as Little Debbie discontinues its snack cakes across Canada. On November 30, the chain's sweet treats were phased out of grocery stores across the country. Though customers will still be able to order snack cakes online, in-store purchases will only be possible if they cross the border.
Around 26 years ago, Little Debbie started its international business in Canada with the debut of all-time favorites like - Oatmeal Creme Pie, Honey Buns, and Zebra Cakes. But it all came to an end this year when the company's sole distributor decided to end their business relationship with the company.
Since its debut in the Canadian region, the snack company has become a crucial part of the Canadian lifestyle. The sad news of its discontinuation has already left fans of the snack cake company sad and disappointed. One user expressed the feelings of almost every Canadian following Little Debbie's discontinuation in Canada.
Today we must come together as a nation...
To mourn the death of Little Debbie cakes here in Canada. We have been through so much these past few years.
This is a heavy blow to take.
Today we must come together as a nation... To mourn the death of Little Debbie cakes here in Canada. We have been through so much these past few years. This is a heavy blow to take.
Food has always had an important impact on human culture. While many cultures and customs are built around traditional food items, ready-made fast food as well as desserts play crucial roles in it.
How Little Debbie fans reacted to the news of the discontinuation
This November, Little Debbie brought back their Christmas Tree Cake ice-cream pints, which were a delight for both Americans and Canadians. But that is the end of it, customers will never see that sweet deliciousness back in stores because the company won't be able to do business in Canada anymore.
Though the snack cake brand could go ahead with a new distributor, there seems to be no such plan as of now. As things stand, the chances of the brand returning to Canada anytime soon seem extremely low, and the disappointment can be seen through the tweets that are flooding Twitter right now.
finding out little debbie products were removed from canada was the worst thing to happen to me this year
finding out little debbie products were removed from canada was the worst thing to happen to me this year
Disappointed with the news of the discontinuation, a netizen questions why the brand stopped selling in Canada.
so who's bright idea was it to stop selling little Debbie cakes in Canada? No more cream pies?
so who's bright idea was it to stop selling little Debbie cakes in Canada? No more cream pies?
Frustrated with the discontinuation, a user even tagged the Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, asking about his plans to bring back fan favorites including Little Debbie, Bagel Bites, and Bugles.
WHY ARE ALL THE SNACKS LEAVING CANADA!!!! Bugles, Little Debbie, AND NOW BAGEL BITES!!! This is a crime. @JustinTrudeau what is your plan to bring bagel bites, little Debbie, and bugles back to Canada
WHY ARE ALL THE SNACKS LEAVING CANADA!!!! Bugles, Little Debbie, AND NOW BAGEL BITES!!! This is a crime. @JustinTrudeau what is your plan to bring bagel bites, little Debbie, and bugles back to Canada 😤
While others lamented the loss of Little Debbi snack cakes, one user was curious if they were any good.
@CTVNews I’ve never heard of Little Debbie’s products, and I’ve lived in all of Canada’s provinces. Are they any good?
@CTVNews I’ve never heard of Little Debbie’s products, and I’ve lived in all of Canada’s provinces. Are they any good?
Another person who is curious about the reason for the discontinuation of many recent snacks suggests that it could all be a publicity stunt to build anticipation for when the brands return.
The list of things that are no longer available in Canada continues to grow and now includes Bugles, Bagel Bites & Little Debbie's. I'm starting to think companies are just doing this just to build some hype, then they'll return have a mega-boost in popularity. 1/2
The list of things that are no longer available in Canada continues to grow and now includes Bugles, Bagel Bites & Little Debbie's. I'm starting to think companies are just doing this just to build some hype, then they'll return have a mega-boost in popularity. 1/2
With every discontinuation or launch, there are always two parties: those who are happy or excited about it, and those who are utterly disappointed and sad. Turns out, Little Debbie's discontinuation in Canada has only left people utterly sad and disappointed, as the snacks were truly a favorite among both kids and adults.
It happens to all of us: Maybe you’ve had a long, stressful day and you want to reach for something crispy, crunchy, salty, or sweet to eat to fill the emotional void. Maybe you want to cuddle up with your loved one or share the couch with your friends to watch a game or a movie and you just want something to snack on. Or maybe you just have a rather insatiable appetite but you don’t want to consume a massive number of calories every time you have a snack. Enter healthy snacks.
Healthier snacks have fewer calories and/or provide nutritional value over traditional “junk food” snack foods like chips, cookies, fried appetizers like wings and french fries, and buttery microwave popcorn. They should still aim to satisfy the hankering for something tasty, hitting on either the sweet or salty note, or perhaps the crunchy textural appeal of many snack foods.
What are the best healthy snacks? What are the best snacks to eat when you are on a diet and or trying to lose weight? Keep reading for some of our picks for the best healthy snacks and healthier snack substitutes for popular snack food items.
Fruit
Fruit can potentially satisfy your yen for something sweet while still offering much more nutritional value than something like a cookie or a snack cake. Fruit makes a particularly good snack to have before or after a workout, as it provides carbohydrates along with electrolytes such as potassium and magnesium.
You can have plain whole fruit, such as bananas, apples, pears, peaches. You could make the fruit feel more “snacky” and fun by choosing fruits like grapes, cherries, and berries that you can pop into your mouth the way you might do with popcorn or corn chips. You could also chop the fruit up and make a fruit salad with bite-size pieces of melon, peaches, bananas, pineapple, etc.
When it comes to making healthier snack swaps, you want the snack to feel as appealing as possible. Oftentimes, we eat with our eyes first. Putting a little prep work into the fruit to make it more fun and snackable can increase your pleasure and satisfaction with it as a snack.
Hummus and crudités
Most people love some sort of dip with some sort of vehicle for that dip. Classic examples include tortilla chips and salsa or guacamole, french fries in ketchup, or mozzarella sticks in marinara sauce. A healthier dippable snack is hummus with vegetables.
Hummus, which is made with chickpeas and tahini, is a great healthy snack because it has complex carbohydrates, protein, healthy fats, and a little bit of fiber. All of this makes it nutritious and filling.
Eating it with crudités like carrots, cucumbers, pepper strips, and celery boosts the fiber content and provides additional vitamins and minerals. Plus, veggies will not add very many calories (if any), so you can keep the calorie content low while feeling satiated.
Most people love a satisfying crunch with their snacks. Snap peas and edamame (soy beans) can be sweet, crunchy, and filling snacks that are much healthier than trail mix, combos, chips, etc.
Snap peas and edamame are nutrient dense without being particularly calorie dense. These legumes also contain some fiber and a little bit of protein. Edamame in particular has antioxidants, vitamin K, iron, and calcium.
Hard-boiled eggs or deviled eggs
If you are looking for a particularly nutritious food or a high-protein snack that’s low in calories but filling, hard-boiled eggs or deviled eggs can be a fantastic choice.
Eggs provide a complete source of protein because they have all the essential amino acids your body needs, as well as iron, B vitamins, and vitamins A, K, and D.
If you don’t like eating plain eggs, or if that doesn’t seem exciting enough, you can make deviled eggs with paprika or other spices.
Trail mix
Trail mix can be a much healthier snack than salty choices, even though it’s not great for calorie control. If your goal is weight loss, trail mix isn’t necessarily the best snack food choice unless you can be strict with your portion control.
Trail mix typically contains nuts, seeds, dried fruit, and possibly some cereal and chocolate. You can make your own or buy pre-made trail mixes, but be sure to look for ones with lower sodium if you buy prepackaged trail mix.
Low-sugar cereal
If you love sweet snacks like Teddy Grahams, sugary granola bars, and cookies, you can make a substitute for a lower-sugar cereal. Look for cereals with less than 5 grams of sugar and at least 5 grams of protein and fiber.
Particularly if you eat the cereal dry, you will still get the mouth feel of a crunchy snack but with fewer calories, less sugar, more fiber, and more vitamins and minerals.
Chopped vegetables
Unsplash
Probably the healthiest you can get with your snack food is to munch on vegetables like cherry tomatoes, cucumber strips, broccoli florets, baby carrots, and button mushrooms. Of course, it can be quite a big jump to expect yourself to go from eating chips to eating cucumber strips, but you can ease the transition by pairing your veggies with dips like hummus, guacamole, or even salad dressing.
String cheese or cheese snacks
String cheese is usually made with low-moisture mozzarella cheese, so it is relatively low in fat and calories but high in protein and calcium. It’s also fairly salty, so it can satisfy that taste craving,
Whole-grain crackers and tuna fish
Another good option for when you like spreadable or dippable snacks is to have tuna fish with either whole-grain crackers or veggies like celery and carrot sticks. Tuna fish is packed with protein, so it will keep you fuller. It’s also relatively low in calories, meaning you can eat quite a bit of it without sabotaging your diet goals.
Rice cakes and nut butter
Pixabay
Depending on your diet goals and how bad your munchies are, rice cakes with or without nut butter can be one of the best healthy snack choices because you can eat a bunch of them without consuming a ton of calories.
Of course, if you are going to add peanut butter, almond butter, or some other topping, the caloric content is going to increase significantly. The advantage is that you will also feel much more satisfied and stay fuller for longer because of the healthy fats and proteins in the nut butter.
If you really just want to snack on a large volume of food, plain rice cakes, including the flavored ones, can be a much healthier, lower-calorie snack substitute over chips and other packaged snacks.
Air-popped popcorn
Air-popped popcorn is low-calorie, but it will supply that satisfying crunch we often crave in a snack. Because the calorie density is low — only about 30 calories per cup — popcorn makes a healthy snack for people looking to maintain or lose weight. You can munch away on quite a large serving without inhaling hundreds of calories as you might with chips, nuts, or crackers.
Popcorn also provides a little bit of fiber (about as much as an apple in a three-cup serving) and polyphenols, which are antioxidants that combat free radicals in your body. To boost the nutritional content, try sprinkling air-popped popcorn with nutritional yeast. This superfood has a parmesan cheese-like flavor and is packed with B vitamins.
Of course, it’s important to choose the right type of popcorn. Avoid the “movie theater“ style of buttery microwave popcorn or packaged pre-popped snack food popcorn like Smart Food. Instead, choose air-popped popcorn or low-fat, low-salt microwave popcorn.
Alternatively, if you don’t like popcorn and you want to buy a pre-packaged, healthier popcorn alternative, you can try snack foods like Pirate’s Booty and other organic popped “puffs,“ which will be healthier than most packaged popcorn snacks.
Roasted chickpeas
Oven roasting chickpeas or buying baked chickpeas is a great way to indulge in the crunchy appeal of most snack foods in a much more nutritious way. Roasted chickpeas provide fiber, protein, and carbohydrates while still giving the satisfying crunch of conventional potato chips or other popular junk food snacks.
Popsicles
If you like sweet foods, you can make popsicles or fudgesicles at home by blending up a smoothie or protein shake and then freezing it in popsicle molds.
By making your own frozen treats, you can use whole, natural ingredients like berries, bananas, Greek yogurt, spinach, and chocolate protein powder, all of which will be much healthier than buying ice cream novelties or popsicles filled with sugary juices.
When it comes to the healthiest snack foods, it typically helps to think about the volume and nutritional content of the snack. If you’re looking for a food that you can eat a lot of without consuming very many calories, look for foods high in water, such as fruits and vegetables, or voluminous, airy foods such as popcorn and rice cakes. If you want a snack that’s very filling, choose foods with a fair amount of protein, fiber, and healthy fat, such as nuts and nut butter, cheese, and chickpeas.
A survival kit for the holiday season should include a Rolodex of appetizers that can be thrown together quickly or made ahead — ideally both. Gougères and oysters Rockefeller don’t fit that criteria, but these fun and festive snacks do.
They’re the types of no-recipe recipes that are more about shopping and assembling than precise measuring, so they’re just what you need whether you’re throwing a last-minute get-together or too busy to cook for the party that’s been on your calendar for months.
Dips and spreads provide fresh and creamy richness to (store-bought) accouterments; party mixes offer crunch by the palmful; bite-size appetizers deliver single-handedly; boards and bowls give guests endless options for grazing; and chips and crackers bring from-scratch flavors.
Pick one or two from each category, aiming for a happy balance of textures and flavors. For gathering the whole family, rewatching “Elf” with your cat and every special occasion in between, here’s an app for that.
Dips and SpreadsRyan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Molten Feta With Nuts: Place a block of feta in a skillet, then scatter hazelnuts, almonds or walnuts around it. Drizzle with olive oil and honey, then sprinkle with thyme or oregano leaves and black pepper. Warm in a 400-degree oven or a covered medium-hot grill for 10 minutes. Serve with toasted or charred pita.
Garlic and Herb Cheese Spread: Stir a little softened butter into whipped cream cheese until the cream cheese is slightly stiffer. Add grated garlic, chopped chives and parsley and black pepper. Refrigerate to firm further and serve with crackers.
Blue Cheese Dip With Walnuts: For Sue Li’s creamy dip, combine coarsely chopped toasted walnuts, crumbled blue cheese, buttermilk, mayo, sliced chives, chopped shallot, lemon juice and sweet paprika. Season with salt and pepper and adjust ingredients until the blend is dippable and pleasantly blue cheesy. Top with more chives and walnuts and serve with red cabbage wedges, celery sticks and saltines.
Layered Ricotta Dip: In a bowl, layer ricotta; honey; chopped salted mixed nuts; toasted crushed cumin, coriander or fennel seeds; and red-pepper flakes or hot pepper jelly. (A simpler take: Season ricotta with honey, salt and pepper.) Serve with sliced fruit and bread.
Naz Deravian’s Borani-yeh Karafs (Celery Yogurt Dip).Joel Goldberg for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. Prop Stylist: Paige Hicks.
Borani-yeh Karafs (Celery Yogurt Dip): For Naz Deravian’s dip, stir together Greek yogurt, chopped celery, roasted hazelnuts, scallions, dried cranberries, lemon juice, dried mint and dill, and salt. Adjust ingredients until the mix is creamy with pops of texture. Top with more hazelnuts, dried herbs and cranberries, and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve with chips, flatbreads or vegetables.
Pickle Dip: Mix softened cream cheese, sour cream, chopped pickles and their brine, chopped chives or dill, and salt. Adjust ingredients until the dip is tangy and bright. Serve with cucumbers, pretzels and potato chips.
Neonata: To make Kay Chun’s spin on the Calabrian condiment, chop parsley, manzanilla or Cerignola olives, jarred hot cherry peppers, salami or soppressata, celery, garlic and a small school of anchovies. Stir together with lemon juice and olive oil until saucy. Serve with grilled or roasted vegetables and bread.
Radish Butter: Finely grate some radishes, squeeze out their liquid, then stir them into softened butter. Season with salt (and lemon zest or chopped herbs or anchovies, if you’d like). Adjust ingredients until the taste is equally spicy and sweet, then top with sliced radishes so everyone knows why the butter’s pink. Serve with rye bread, baguette, celery and endive.
Smoked Trout Dip: Stir together Greek yogurt, flaked hot-smoked trout, chopped dill and lemon zest and juice. Add a little everything-bagel seasoning for crunch if you have it. Adjust ingredients until the dip is creamy and assertively flavored. Serve with bagel chips, crispbread and vegetables.
Avocado-Tomatillo Salsa: Finely chop avocado, tomatillos and cilantro, then season with green hot sauce. Serve with tortilla chips.
Nori Dip: In a blender, purée silken tofu with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Stir in lemon zest and snipped chives, adjusting seasonings until the mixture is thick and bright. Transfer to a serving bowl and cover with furikake (or sesame seeds and blitzed nori), more chives and, if you’re feeling flush, salmon roe. Serve with lettuce leaves, poached shrimp and seedy crackers.
Charred Tangerines: Segment tangerines or clementines like you’re going to snack on them. Simmer olive oil, rosemary or thyme sprigs, honey, cloves and red-pepper flakes over low heat until fragrant. Pour into a serving bowl and season with salt. Add a drizzle more oil into the pan and crank up the heat. Add the tangerine wedges in a single layer and char on both sides. Stir gently into the infused oil. Serve with baguette toasts, ideally with ricotta for spreading or prosciutto for topping.
Bobbi Lin for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich. Prop Stylist: Christina Lane.
Roasted Pepper-Feta Dip: Inspired by Greek htipiti, this dish starts with mashing crumbled feta with a dribble of its salty brine. Stir in finely chopped roasted peppers and a pinch of red-pepper flakes, then add olive oil, more brine and more red-pepper flakes until it’s spreadable, salty, sweet and a tad spicy. Add thyme or oregano leaves if you have them. Serve with pita chips.
Rosemary Nut Butter: For this appetizer of cocktail nuts in dip form, stir maple syrup, ground cayenne and salt into almond or another nut butter until the blend is sweet and spicy. Fry a handful of rosemary sprigs in a little olive oil until crisp. Thin the dip with some of the rosemary oil, then crumble the fried rosemary leaves on top. Serve with sliced persimmons, apples, pears and vegetables.
Jocelyn Ramirez’s Palmitos Aguachile Verde (Chile-Lime Hearts of Palm).Bryan Gardner for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
Palmitos Aguachile Verde: The acid and heat of aguachile work well with creamy but firm hearts of palm. To make Jocelyn Ramirez’s recipe, blend serrano chiles, cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, nori sheets and salt until smooth. Adjust ingredients until the sauce is assertively spicy and tart. Pour over a bowl of thinly sliced hearts of palm, red onion, cucumber and avocado. Gently fold to combine and serve with tostadas or tortilla chips.
Fennel-Chile Fun Dip: Toast fennel seeds and red-pepper flakes, then smash with a pestle or a heavy skillet. Stir together with lemon zest, salt and sugar until the mix is savory and sweet. Serve with sliced seasonal juicy fruit, such as oranges, pineapple and apples.
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Cocktail Snack Mixes
Cocktail Snack MixesJulia Gartland for The New York Times (Photography and Styling)
Spicy Party Mix: For Margaux Laskey’s take, start with 16 cups of your ideal combination of cereal, nuts, pretzels, cheese or rice crackers, bagel chips and sesame sticks. Melt ¼ cup butter and add Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, garlic and onion powders, sweet or smoked paprika, salt and pepper until it tastes as spicy and savory as you like. Toss the butter with the cereal mix to coat and bake on two parchment-lined sheet pans at 250 degrees, stirring every 15 minutes, until crisp and darker, about an hour.
Honey Mustard Party Mix: Follow the process for the Spicy Party Mix, but stir equal parts honey and Dijon mustard into the melted butter. (Or try other sweet-and-savory combinations, such as miso and maple syrup, brown sugar and chile powder or coconut flakes and Thai curry paste.)
Hot Honey Mixed Nuts: Melt butter with honey, red-pepper flakes and salt. Toss with a mix of whole nuts and seeds (like pumpkin, millet, sunflower, quinoa or sesame), then bake on a parchment-lined sheet pan at 325 degrees until tacky and toasted, 20 to 25 minutes. Right out of the oven, sprinkle with salt and turbinado sugar for crunch.
Coconut-Chile Cashews: Liven up cashews with Tejal Rao’s all-purpose blend of coconut, chile and garlic: Soften dried chiles de árbol in hot water while you mash dried, shredded coconut and garlic with a mortar and pestle. Mash in the chile. Toast cashews in coconut oil in a skillet with black mustard seeds and sliced curry leaves, if you have them, then add the coconut paste and stir until dry and fragrant. Season with salt.
Pepperoni Pizza Almonds: Coat almonds and sliced pepperoni in olive oil or the oil from a jar of sun-dried tomatoes, garlic powder, dried oregano or fennel seeds, red-pepper flakes and salt. Bake at 325 degrees until nuts are toasted and pepperoni is crisp, 10 to 15 minutes. In the last few minutes, add oil-packed, sun-dried tomatoes to crisp. Once cool, dust with grated Parmesan.
Bobbi Lin for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich. Prop Stylist: Christina Lane.
Sweet and Spicy Chip Bowl: Combine sweet potato chips, plantain chips, coconut chips, spicy chips and, for extra scorch, coarsely chopped and seeded habanero chile.
Crunchy Roasted Za’atar Chickpeas: Melissa Clark found a trick for crispy chickpeas in “Rose Water & Orange Blossoms” by Maureen Abood: Pat cooked and drained chickpeas dry, then bake without oil at 400 degrees until crunchy, about half an hour. Toss with olive oil, za’atar and salt.
Cacio e Pepe Popcorn: Toss warm popcorn with grated Parmesan and black pepper. (If popcorn isn’t warm, coat with nonstick spray first, which helps toppings stick.)
Vegan Cheesy Popcorn: Toss just-popped popcorn with salt, pepper, nutritional yeast and dried rosemary or powdered kelp seaweed. A sprinkle of soy sauce or liquid aminos is great, too.
Chile-Lime Corn: Imagine elotes that you can eat by the handful. Lightly spray corn nuts and popcorn with nonstick spray, then toss to coat with Tajín (or chile powder and lime zest), garlic powder and crumbled Cotija.
Black and Green Olives With Celery: For this Sicilian snack that Molly O’ Neill adapted from Viana La Place, lightly smash Kalamata and green olives. Remove the pits. Combine with thinly sliced celery, a smashed garlic clove and a little red-wine vinegar and olive oil.
Salted Cocoa Snacks: For this spin on cocoa granola, stir together olive or melted coconut oil, cocoa powder, maple syrup, cayenne and salt. Add nuts, cereal and pretzels to coat, then bake on a parchment-lined sheet pan at 300 degrees until dry to the touch, around half an hour.
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One-Bite Wonders
One-Bite WondersJulia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
Blistered Shishito Peppers: Lightly coat peppers in neutral oil and heat a skillet until smoking. Add a single layer of peppers to the skillet and cook undisturbed until blistered, then stir and cook until puffed and tender. Season with flaky salt — or lemon or lime zest, gomasio, bonito flakes, grated hard cheese, smoked paprika, sumac and so on.
Stuffed Dates: Cut a slit lengthwise down dates and pluck out the pits. Stir together goat cheese and lemon zest or chopped preserved lemon and spoon into the dates.
Paprika Seared Dates: For dates with smoky outsides and caramelized insides, heat a slick of olive oil in a skillet, then add dates and smoked paprika and stir until warmed and blistered in spots. Season with flaky salt and pepper.
Stuffed Olives: For a single bite of salty and sweet, stuff a raisin into a pitted olive, preferably ones marinated with herbs. Or, fill with savory options, such as almonds, blue cheese, goat cheese, anchovies or roasted garlic cloves.
Radishes With Butter and Kosher Salt: Serve radishes with cool unsalted butter and good salt. Or, stir together soft butter and miso paste and serve with radishes.
Endive With Parmesan and Honey: Nestle a rectangle of Parmesan (or Asiago) into an endive leaf. Drizzle with honey.
Pears With Prosciutto: Drape prosciutto over pear wedges.
Bobbi Lin for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich. Prop Stylist: Christina Lane.
Pineapple With Ham and Jalapeño: Wrap a small piece of pineapple with a small slice of cured ham, such as prosciutto or serrano. Top with a sliced, pickled jalapeño and skewer with a toothpick. Squint to see Hawaiian pizza.
Citrusy Edamame: Microwave edamame in their pods. Toss with salt and any mix of lemon, tangerine, orange, grapefruit and lime zests.
Caviar Potato Chips and Lemon Cream: For this bite from Melissa Clark, stir lemon zest into crème fraîche or sour cream. Top potato chips with a small spoonful of the cream and another of salmon roe or other caviar.
Pintxo Gilda: Bold, salty and spicy, this Basque tapa has the same attributes as its namesake, Rita Hayworth’s character in the 1946 movie “Gilda.” Spear an anchovy, pitted manzanilla or other green olive and pickled guindilla or pepperoncini pepper with a toothpick. Repeat.
Salt-and-Vinegar Eggs: Stir together mayo, malt vinegar and salt. Spoon a little onto halved, soft-boiled eggs. Crush potato chips — regular or salt and vinegar — on top for crunch.
Jammy Eggs With Gribiche Butter: Stir together softened butter, whole grain mustard, chopped cornichons or capers and chopped parsley or tarragon. Spoon a little on halved 8 ½-minute boiled eggs.
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Boards & Bowls
Boards and BowlsDavid Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Charcuterie Board: Purée ricotta with salt until fluffy, then drizzle with olive oil and serve with charcuterie, pâté, smoked fish, cheese, nuts, olives, dates, radishes, guava paste, sliced baguette and crackers.
Sweet and Hot Board: Arrange wedges of mixed citrus, honeycomb, ricotta, spicy salami and toasted baguette.
Bobbi Lin for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich. Prop Stylist: Christina Lane.
White Winter Board: Add a smidgen of white miso to a bowl of sour cream and stir until smooth. Taste and add more miso until equally tangy and salty. On a board, set thinly sliced crisp apples or Asian pears, peeled and cut jicama or halved baby turnips and thinly sliced cauliflower for dipping.
McSorley’s Cheese Plate: McSorley’s, an Irish saloon that’s been going in Manhattan since the 1800s, serves a beloved snack plate of sliced white Cheddar, a half sleeve of saltines, spicy brown mustard and thinly sliced white onion. Gabrielle Hamilton personalized the dish by frying the saltines, a tradition in the American South and her household.
Best With Beer Board: Lay out smoked sliced sausage, coarse mustard, pickled beets, grapes and pretzels.
Christopher Simpson for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Chaat Party: Priya Krishna’s go-to chaat formula includes layering a crunchy base like chakri with two complementary chutneys, such as tamarind and mint, and salted yogurt, then sprinkling with sev and chaat masala. But as this recipe from Maneet Chauhan shows, there are many ways your chaat party can go.
Better Butter Board: Set out a bowl of softened butter sprinkled with flaky salt, then set on a board with tinned fish, charred bread and sliced radishes.
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Crackers & Chips
Crackers & ChipsCon Poulos for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Cacio e Pepe Frico: Toss together equal parts finely grated Parmesan and pecorino. Place heaping tablespoons on parchment-lined sheets about a half-inch apart, flatten with your fingers, then sprinkle with black pepper. Bake at 400 degrees until golden and crisp, 6 to 10 minutes.
Honey Butter Potato Chips: At one point, these store-bought chips were so craze-worthy in South Korea, they inspired an online black market. To D.I.Y., melt butter with honey, then taste on a salted potato chip and add more salt and honey until assertively sweet and salty. Lightly coat chips with the butter, then eat right away or bake at 300 degrees until tacky and toasted, 8 to 10 minutes.
Vegan Cheddar Ranch Chips: Warm potato or tortilla chips in the microwave or a 425-degree oven. Toss in neutral oil until lightly coated, then toss with nutritional yeast, onion or garlic powder, dried dill and black pepper until totally coated. Add salt and more seasonings to taste.
Bobbi Lin for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich. Prop Stylist: Christina Lane.
Seed & Cheese Brittle: For these crackly crackers inspired by the ones from Market Hall Foods in Oakland, Calif., combine equal parts coarsely grated fontina and Asiago on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Spread the cheese out to create holes like a snowflake. Sprinkle with salt and mixed seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, flax, nigella, poppy, millet, quinoa or a combination), then bake at 350 degrees until golden-crisp, about 10 minutes. Cool then break into crackers.
Ginger-Dill Pita Chips: Stir together olive oil, grated ginger, chopped dill and salt and pepper. Cut pita into triangles and toss in the oil. Bake at 425 degrees until golden, 8 to 10 minutes.
Salumi Chips: For this salty chip, bake pepperoni, prosciutto or salami as you would bacon; in a single layer at 350 degrees until rigid and darker in color. Drain on a paper towel to crisp and cool.
It happens to all of us: Maybe you’ve had a long, stressful day and you want to reach for something crispy, crunchy, salty, or sweet to eat to fill the emotional void. Maybe you want to cuddle up with your loved one or share the couch with your friends to watch a game or a movie and you just want something to snack on. Or maybe you just have a rather insatiable appetite but you don’t want to consume a massive number of calories every time you have a snack. Enter healthy snacks.
Healthier snacks have fewer calories and/or provide nutritional value over traditional “junk food” snack foods like chips, cookies, fried appetizers like wings and french fries, and buttery microwave popcorn. They should still aim to satisfy the hankering for something tasty, hitting on either the sweet or salty note, or perhaps the crunchy textural appeal of many snack foods.
What are the best healthy snacks? What are the best snacks to eat when you are on a diet and or trying to lose weight? Keep reading for some of our picks for the best healthy snacks and healthier snack substitutes for popular snack food items.
Fruit
Fruit can potentially satisfy your yen for something sweet while still offering much more nutritional value than something like a cookie or a snack cake. Fruit makes a particularly good snack to have before or after a workout, as it provides carbohydrates along with electrolytes such as potassium and magnesium.
You can have plain whole fruit, such as bananas, apples, pears, peaches. You could make the fruit feel more “snacky” and fun by choosing fruits like grapes, cherries, and berries that you can pop into your mouth the way you might do with popcorn or corn chips. You could also chop the fruit up and make a fruit salad with bite-size pieces of melon, peaches, bananas, pineapple, etc.
When it comes to making healthier snack swaps, you want the snack to feel as appealing as possible. Oftentimes, we eat with our eyes first. Putting a little prep work into the fruit to make it more fun and snackable can increase your pleasure and satisfaction with it as a snack.
Hummus and crudités
Most people love some sort of dip with some sort of vehicle for that dip. Classic examples include tortilla chips and salsa or guacamole, french fries in ketchup, or mozzarella sticks in marinara sauce. A healthier dippable snack is hummus with vegetables.
Hummus, which is made with chickpeas and tahini, is a great healthy snack because it has complex carbohydrates, protein, healthy fats, and a little bit of fiber. All of this makes it nutritious and filling.
Eating it with crudités like carrots, cucumbers, pepper strips, and celery boosts the fiber content and provides additional vitamins and minerals. Plus, veggies will not add very many calories (if any), so you can keep the calorie content low while feeling satiated.
Most people love a satisfying crunch with their snacks. Snap peas and edamame (soy beans) can be sweet, crunchy, and filling snacks that are much healthier than trail mix, combos, chips, etc.
Snap peas and edamame are nutrient dense without being particularly calorie dense. These legumes also contain some fiber and a little bit of protein. Edamame in particular has antioxidants, vitamin K, iron, and calcium.
Hard-boiled eggs or deviled eggs
If you are looking for a particularly nutritious food or a high-protein snack that’s low in calories but filling, hard-boiled eggs or deviled eggs can be a fantastic choice.
Eggs provide a complete source of protein because they have all the essential amino acids your body needs, as well as iron, B vitamins, and vitamins A, K, and D.
If you don’t like eating plain eggs, or if that doesn’t seem exciting enough, you can make deviled eggs with paprika or other spices.
Trail mix
Trail mix can be a much healthier snack than salty choices, even though it’s not great for calorie control. If your goal is weight loss, trail mix isn’t necessarily the best snack food choice unless you can be strict with your portion control.
Trail mix typically contains nuts, seeds, dried fruit, and possibly some cereal and chocolate. You can make your own or buy pre-made trail mixes, but be sure to look for ones with lower sodium if you buy prepackaged trail mix.
Low-sugar cereal
If you love sweet snacks like Teddy Grahams, sugary granola bars, and cookies, you can make a substitute for a lower-sugar cereal. Look for cereals with less than 5 grams of sugar and at least 5 grams of protein and fiber.
Particularly if you eat the cereal dry, you will still get the mouth feel of a crunchy snack but with fewer calories, less sugar, more fiber, and more vitamins and minerals.
Chopped vegetables
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Probably the healthiest you can get with your snack food is to munch on vegetables like cherry tomatoes, cucumber strips, broccoli florets, baby carrots, and button mushrooms. Of course, it can be quite a big jump to expect yourself to go from eating chips to eating cucumber strips, but you can ease the transition by pairing your veggies with dips like hummus, guacamole, or even salad dressing.
String cheese or cheese snacks
String cheese is usually made with low-moisture mozzarella cheese, so it is relatively low in fat and calories but high in protein and calcium. It’s also fairly salty, so it can satisfy that taste craving,
Whole-grain crackers and tuna fish
Another good option for when you like spreadable or dippable snacks is to have tuna fish with either whole-grain crackers or veggies like celery and carrot sticks. Tuna fish is packed with protein, so it will keep you fuller. It’s also relatively low in calories, meaning you can eat quite a bit of it without sabotaging your diet goals.
Rice cakes and nut butter
Pixabay
Depending on your diet goals and how bad your munchies are, rice cakes with or without nut butter can be one of the best healthy snack choices because you can eat a bunch of them without consuming a ton of calories.
Of course, if you are going to add peanut butter, almond butter, or some other topping, the caloric content is going to increase significantly. The advantage is that you will also feel much more satisfied and stay fuller for longer because of the healthy fats and proteins in the nut butter.
If you really just want to snack on a large volume of food, plain rice cakes, including the flavored ones, can be a much healthier, lower-calorie snack substitute over chips and other packaged snacks.
Air-popped popcorn
Air-popped popcorn is low-calorie, but it will supply that satisfying crunch we often crave in a snack. Because the calorie density is low — only about 30 calories per cup — popcorn makes a healthy snack for people looking to maintain or lose weight. You can munch away on quite a large serving without inhaling hundreds of calories as you might with chips, nuts, or crackers.
Popcorn also provides a little bit of fiber (about as much as an apple in a three-cup serving) and polyphenols, which are antioxidants that combat free radicals in your body. To boost the nutritional content, try sprinkling air-popped popcorn with nutritional yeast. This superfood has a parmesan cheese-like flavor and is packed with B vitamins.
Of course, it’s important to choose the right type of popcorn. Avoid the “movie theater“ style of buttery microwave popcorn or packaged pre-popped snack food popcorn like Smart Food. Instead, choose air-popped popcorn or low-fat, low-salt microwave popcorn.
Alternatively, if you don’t like popcorn and you want to buy a pre-packaged, healthier popcorn alternative, you can try snack foods like Pirate’s Booty and other organic popped “puffs,“ which will be healthier than most packaged popcorn snacks.
Roasted chickpeas
Oven roasting chickpeas or buying baked chickpeas is a great way to indulge in the crunchy appeal of most snack foods in a much more nutritious way. Roasted chickpeas provide fiber, protein, and carbohydrates while still giving the satisfying crunch of conventional potato chips or other popular junk food snacks.
Popsicles
If you like sweet foods, you can make popsicles or fudgesicles at home by blending up a smoothie or protein shake and then freezing it in popsicle molds.
By making your own frozen treats, you can use whole, natural ingredients like berries, bananas, Greek yogurt, spinach, and chocolate protein powder, all of which will be much healthier than buying ice cream novelties or popsicles filled with sugary juices.
When it comes to the healthiest snack foods, it typically helps to think about the volume and nutritional content of the snack. If you’re looking for a food that you can eat a lot of without consuming very many calories, look for foods high in water, such as fruits and vegetables, or voluminous, airy foods such as popcorn and rice cakes. If you want a snack that’s very filling, choose foods with a fair amount of protein, fiber, and healthy fat, such as nuts and nut butter, cheese, and chickpeas.
Snacks can satisfy all of your needs, whether you've had a busy day, desires at midnight, or unexpected visitors. Snacks, you see, are enjoyed everywhere. They are available anywhere you go, whether you're in a foreign country, a metropolis, or a private residence. Nutritionists advise eating small meals throughout the day rather than bingeing on the entire pantry at once. Our rumbling stomachs often signal the need for a snack, yet our busy schedules prevent us from making time for one. It is usually a better idea to cook healthy snacks at home with wholesome components rather than nibbling on premade and unhealthy packed snacks. (Also recipe:Easy-to-make and healthy travel snack recipes for your toddlers)
Saurabh Singh Chandel, Executive Chef, Crowne Plaza Greater, Noida, shared some super easy, quick and healthy snack recipes that are perfect for your weekend binge with HT Lifestyle.
1. Cajun spiced potato chips
Cajun spiced potato chips(istockphoto)
Ingredients:
100 gm Potatoes
5 gm Cajun-All Seasoning
200 ml Frying Oil
Method:
1. Slice potatoes thinly (about 1/16”) and place in a large bowl of iced water. Let sit for at least 2 minutes.
2. Drain the potato slices and dry them thoroughly on paper towels. If the potatoes are wet they will splatter and pop.
3. Fry the potato slices in small batches for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown and crisp.
4. Remove the potato slices and drain them on a sheet pan lined with paper towels. Immediately sprinkle Cajun seasoning over the hot chips.
5. Cajun spice potato is ready to serve.
2. Minty foxnuts
Minty foxnuts(pinterest)
Ingredients:
20 gm Foxnut
20 ml Ghee Or Olive Oil
5 gm Mint Powder
1 gm Chat Masala Powder
Method:
1. Heat ghee in a pan and add foxnuts, and dry roast them on very low heat for 2-3 minutes until they are crisp.
2. Add a teaspoon of ghee to the middle of the same pan along with the roasted Foxnuts, add dry mint powder, chat masala powder, and mix everything together well on medium-low flame and roast for another minute and turn off the gas.
3. Foxnuts ready to serve
3. Jhal muri
Jhal muri(pinterest)
Ingredients:
10 gm puffed rice
3 gm boiled peeled, finely chopped potato
1 gm finely chopped ginger
1 gm finely chopped green chilli
2 gm Aaloo Bhujia
1 gm Salt
2 gm finely chopped onion
4 gm finely chopped tomato
4 gm small finely chopped cucumber
5 gm Raw Peanuts
3 ml mint chutney
1 gm coriander leaves
Method:
1. Take a deep glass bowl and add puffed rice, tomato, potato, onion, ginger, cucumber, green chilli, raw peanuts and bhujiya. Mix these ingredients gently with a spoon.
2. When everything is mixed well, add the green chutney and salt. Mix them gently again.
Indian consumers are not very accepting of diet snacks and the category remains niche, Deepak Agarwal, managing director of the freshly listed Bikaji Foods, said.
“We are ready to change in the next five to ten years if consumer demand changes; but practically speaking, there is not much demand as of now for such products,” Agarwal said in an exclusive interview on ET’s podcast series, The Morning Brief.
Bikaji Foods, which got listed last fortnight with its stock listing 8% higher to its IPO price, is the third largest ethnic snacks company in India, a market estimated at Rs 1.5 lakh crore. The maker of traditional salty snacks and sweets is also the second fastest growing company in the Indian organised snacks market, according to information on its website.
Diet, sugar-free and low-salt foods contribute less than 10% to overall packaged processed foods, even though large companies such as Parle, Mondelez, ITC and Dabur have been introducing products such as low-sugar biscuits, chocolates, juices and low-salt or roasted snacks. Agarwal said the company was, however, working towards reducing salt and sweet in its products.
"Indian consumers are still talking health, not walking health," said a senior executive of a global foods company, which has scaled down production of its low-sugar snacks range because of lack of consumer demand
In September this year, food regulator Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) released a draft proposal to implement front-of-pack warning labels on all packaged foods, which ethnic foods makers said would negatively impact consumption, adding that consumers could be advised on the quantity of consumption, but not outright warnings on packs.
Agarwal said over the last four-five years, Bikaji’s growth rate has been consistent, and that it is expecting the same for next three to four years with the unorganised market gradually transitioning into the organised segment. However, as of now, only 55% of the snacks market is organised.
While Bikaji was launched in 1993, the company’s lineage traces back to the founder of Haldiram Gangabishan Agarwal. Bikaji sees the much larger Haldiram as a “healthy competitor” now, Agarwal said. Haldiram’s, which operates through three separate entities in Delhi, Nagpur and Kolkata, too is in the process of merging Delhi and Nagpur operations, as a precursor to its listing.
The company is actively looking at strategic joint ventures and acquisitions.
“We would like to make Bikaji a total packaged foods brand and one of our priorities is to focus on acquisitions or joint ventures for the same,” he said.
Bikaji has aggressively expanded its manufacturing units over the last one year, supplemented those with better logistics and supplies and is offering better margins to channel partners, according to Agarwal. He said Bikaji is looking at stepping up exports, which are currently 4-5% of its total sales, and introducing newer categories like frozen foods, curries and breads.
Ethnic snacks providers compete with the more organised western snacks market on one hand, and smaller regional brands which cater to just one-two territories, on the other. The Indian ethnic snack foods market is dominated by Bikaji, Halidram, Bikanervala, Balaji Wafers and Prataap Snacks which makes Yellow Diamond. Large companies with global backing like PepsiCo, or huge backend linkages like ITC, and various private equity players too have wooed some of the Indian snacks makers from time to time, so far unsuccessfully. “We have been approached by many private equity players before we launched our IPO,” Agarwal said.
Soon after the IPO was launched, global investment agency Goldman Sachs Fund too bought shares through a bulk deal in Bikaji Foods.
What comes to your mind when you think of shakarkandi? The amazingly delicious shakarkandi chaat loaded with a lot of masalas and lemon juice, right? Sweet potatoes are not just tasty but highly nutritious. From boosting immunity to better digestion, sweet potatoes can help in so many things and are an absolute go-to winter food.
Apart from its amazing taste, shakarkandi or sweet potatoes are packed with ample health benefits. They are loaded with potassium and B6 vitamins. Apart from being highly beneficial for blood pressure patients, sweet potatoes help in improving gut health, improving vision, and promoting good heart health. Sweet potatoes are seasonal winter produces and thus, should be consumed. But you know what? There are so many other ways to consume this healthy food as well. Let us tell you some snacks that you can make with Shakarkandi.
Shakarkandi Tikki
Tikkis have a special place in our hearts and this shakarkandi version will take your tikki love to the next level. Shakarkandi tikkis are delicious and something that you can gorge on without feeling guilty. All you have to do is replace your regular potatoes with these magically sweet potatoes. And here you go, your perfect tea-time snack is ready. Here’s the detailed recipe for you.
Shakarkandi Fries
We all love potato fries but what if you replace your regular potatoes with sweet potatoes? Believe me, this is going to be delicious. You can serve these fries with ketchup, chutney, or flavoured mayo. But, when served with a hot cup of sham ki chai, they taste amazing. Give it a try by following the recipe below.
Shakarkandi Chaat
Of course! This article would be incomplete without shakarkandi chaat. Shakarkandi chaat brings a sense of utmost relief, satisfaction, and nostalgia, isn’t it? You can make shakarkandi chaat at your home and give a treat to your family and friends. Looking for the recipe? Follow the steps below.
Shakarkandi Pizza Bites
Is there anyone who can say no to a pizza? No, I guess. You may have had so many pizzas but have you tried shakarkandi pizza? These shakarkandi pizza bites are not just a perfect snack for your kids but also could be a great starter to be served at your party. It has the base of sliced shakarkandi pieces and is topped with scrumptious sauces, veggies, and cheese, of course. Here’s how you can make it at home.
Shakarkandi Seekh Kebab
Someone has rightly said that why have abs when you can have kebabs? Kebabs are truly a delight! This amazingly delicious shakarkandi seekh kebab could be the perfect choice for vegetarians. When served with tangy green chutney, these kebabs take you foodie heaven. Follow the steps below and try it at home.
Try these amazing snacks at home and tell us which snack you liked the most.
