DIY low-calorie recipes that will make you a smart snacker

Counting calories can be quite a chore. But you don’t have to rely on cheat meals or guilty midnight snacking to offer some joy to your taste buds. If you have the right essentials in your pantry, we have some efficient recipes for you that are not just quirky and conscious, but also really delicious.

So, skip the steamed chicken and broccoli route and explore these quick DIY snacks.

Mixed sprouts and tofu salad

A no-dressing version of the salad

Pooja Mitra

This healthy and hassle-free salad can be a great work lunch and is healthy enough to qualify as a post-workout snack. If you’re looking for low-calorie bites that keep well in the fridge for a few days, this could be a good option.

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• Half cup mixed sprouts (soaked overnight and water drained)
• 3-4 tablespoons sweet corn (soaked overnight and water drained)
• 100 gm tofu cut into small dices
• Rock salt
• Lemon
• Lemon zest
• 1 medium onion chopped into small dices
• 1 large tomato chopped into small dices
• 1 cucumber chopped into small dices
• 2 green chillies finely chopped
• 2-3 baby corns chopped into small dices
• ½ zucchini chopped into small dices
• ½ carrot chopped
• ½ beet chopped
• 15-20 pieces of soya chunks
• A small bunch of fresh coriander leaves finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive or sunflower oil
• 50gm sour curd (preferably hung)
• 2-3 leaves of basil or seasoning of your choice (thyme, oregano etc.)
• 1 teaspoon black pepper powder

Recipe

1. Marinate the tofu in salt and lemon juice for 5 minutes and shallow fry till golden
2. Blanch the vegetables and soya chunks
3. In a mixing bowl, assemble all the ingredients and add salt, along with a hefty squeeze of lime juice and a dash of lemon zest
4. For salad dressing, in a separate bowl mix the hung curd with freshly crushed seasoning(s) with a pinch of salt and black pepper powder and whip well till it is smooth
5. Mix the ingredients and salad dressing and top it off with freshly chopped coriander leaves
6. Check seasoning balance and serve ready or cold

Tip:

• You can also use a pre-made or ready-made salad dressing or mayo keeping the calorie count in mind. Consider adding steamed chicken, beef, pork and prawn, paneer and/or eggs to the salad

Quick chicken kebabs

Pooja Mitra

Juicy homemade chicken kebabs can be an instant mood uplifter. In fact, if you’re a fan of batch cooking, you can make these flavourful kebabs and stock them in your fridge to be reused later.

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 500 gm boneless chicken cut into medium-sized cubes
• 4 tablespoon Onion-ginger-garlic-green chilli paste
• Salt
• 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
• 1 tablespoon turmeric powder
• ½ lemon’s juice
• 5-6 tablespoon sour curd (preferably hung)
• 1 teaspoon black pepper powder
• 8-10 small onions cut into halves
• 8-10 cherry tomatoes or 5-6 medium tomatoes cut into big cubes
• 8-10 green chillies
• Sunflower or olive oil (Brushing oil on pan advisable)
• Skewers or toothpicks

Recipe:

1. Marinate the chicken cubes in onion-ginger-garlic-green chilli paste, hung curd, salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, black pepper powder, lemon juice and oil for 30 minutes minimum and preferably overnight.
2. Prepare the skewers/toothpicks for the kebabs with one slice of chicken, onions, tomatoes and chillies
3. In a frying pan, add oil to shallow fry. Place the sticks and cook on high flame for 3-5 minutes and then cover and cook on low flame for another 7-10 minutes or till the chicken is cooked. Uncover and cook in high flame for 5-7 minutes, turning sides, for a charred effect and until the juices are absorbed
4. Serve hot with a dip of your choice, sprinkling a dash of lime juice on the kebabs

Chingri sticks

Pooja Mitra

Break the meat monotony by opting for some seafood snacks. This 10-minute prawn recipe can perk up your WFH days in no time.

Preparation time: 10-15 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 150 gm prawns (medium to large size, deveined, cleaned and air dried)
• 2 tablespoon onion-ginger-garlic paste
• Salt
• Lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• ½ tablespoon cumin paste
• ½ teaspoon chilli flakes or green chilli paste
• 7-8 small onions cut into halves
• 7-8 cherry tomatoes or 5-6 medium tomatoes cut into big cubes
• 7-10 green chillies
• Sunflower or olive oil (Brushing oil on pan advisable)
• Skewers or toothpicks

Recipe:

1. Marinate the prawns in onion-ginger-garlic paste, salt, lemon juice, turmeric powder and cumin paste for 10 minutes minimum
2. Prepare the skewers with prawns, onion cubes, sliced or cubed tomatoes and green chillies
3. Brush some oil on the ready skewers with chilli flakes
4. Heat a pan with oil and shallow fry and add the sticks. Turn and cook for about 7-10 minutes
5. Serve hot with a dip of your choice

Tip:

• Brushing oil on raw kebabs can keep them from sticking to the pan

Mango, chia and flax shake

Pooja Mitra

Is it even fair on the mangoes if we don’t make smoothies? Filling, mishti and tasty, this chai-mango-flax shake is an underrated gem that needs more attention.

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1-2 ripe mangoes
• 500 gm milk (double toned/soy/almond)
• One small bowl of soaked overnight chia seeds
• One small bowl of soaked overnight flax seeds

Recipe:

1. In a blender add mix, peeled mango pieces, chia and flax seeds for a smooth paste
2. Pour in a tall glass, add ice cubes if is preferred and serve at room temperature or chilled

Oats and prawn pancake

Pooja Mitra

This snacky number can also be the perfect brekkie especially if you’re starting the day on a lazy note or have some leftover seafood in your fridge.

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 5-7 button mushrooms finely chopped
• 5-7 prawns (medium to large size, deveined, cleaned and air dried)
• 1-2 baby corns finely chopped
• 2-3 garlic cloves
• ½ cottage cheese grated and soaked
• 3-4 spring onion finely chopped
• 1 large onion finely chopped
• 1 tomato finely chopped
• 2-3 green chillies finely chopped
• ½ zucchini finely chopped
• Fresh coriander leaves finely chopped
• Salt
• Lemon
• 2 eggs
• ½ tablespoon black pepper powder
• ½ cup low-fat milk
• 2 tablespoon chaat masala
• Sunflower or olive oil

Recipe:

1. In a frying pan, add one tablespoon oil and fry the chopped garlic till golden brown. Add shrimps, a pinch of salt and a little lemon juice and cook for 3-5 minutes
2. In a bowl, mix all the ingredients, break the egg and pour milk, while checking the consistency of the batter
3. In a frying pan, brush oil and pour a dollop of the batter and spread evenly like while making regular pancakes
4. Cover and cook till one side is golden brown. Flip to cook the other side
5. Sprinkle chaat masala and chopped coriander leaves over the pancakes, a poached egg on the sides and serve hot with a dip of your choice

Tip:

• You can add any protein of your choice and use masala oats in the place of rolled unflavoured ones. Be mindful of the salt in the batter in case you’re using masala oats

Egg, chickpeas and aloo tikki chaat

Pooja Mitra

Aloo is love but there are always ways to make it eggcellent. This protein-rich snack takes minutes to assemble and can surprise your taste buds.

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 large boiled potatoes, mashed
• 2 eggs boiled and cut into slices
• Half cup chickpeas soaked overnight, boiled and air dried
• 1 large onion finely chopped
• 1 large tomato finely chopped
• 2-3 green chillies finely chopped
• Salt
• Chaat masala
• Red chilli powder
• Lemon juice
• 1 cup sour curd
• ½ cup oats flour
• Sunflower or olive oil

Recipe:

1. Mix mashed potatoes, onions, tomatos, green chillies, salt, a dash of lemon juice and salt to create a mix
2. Make medium sized balls from the medley adding a slice of boiled egg in the center, per tikki
3. Brush oil on a frying pan and shallow fry till golden brown
4. Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix curd, a pinch of salt, red chilli powder, lemon juice and green chillies and whisk well. Smoothen the lumps if any
5. Season the chickpeas with a pinch of salt, lemon juice and chaat masala
6. On a plate, add the tikkis and top off with the hung curd sauce, chickpeas, some chaat masala and red chilli powder

Milk with coffee cubes

Pooja Mitra

Just when we thought we knew every way to consume coffee, this Instagram-approved hack surprised us. This is a fun recipe as you can experience two temperatures blending in. For latte lovers, this DIY recipe could be a breakthrough!

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3-4 tablespoons of coffee
• 500 gm low-fat milk
• Water
• Sugar or sweetener of choice, if preferred

Recipe:

1. Make black coffee (with sweetener if preferred) and pour on an ice tray and freeze
2. In a tall glass, drop the ice cubes and then pour the milk
3. Top with some whipped cream or caramel drizzle