It’s time for the evening tea break and you’re either wondering about what snacks to order from your office canteen, or about what quick and easy snacks you can whip up for yourself at home.  Chances are that even with all those resolutions to eat healthy and watch your diet, you’ll still end up ordering some vada pav or other fried snack, and feel compelled to reprimand yourself at leisure – vowing to eat something healthy the next time. If you find yourself doing this nearly every evening, help is on the way. Nutritionist Naini Setalvad whips up three healthy tea-time snacks for us.

1) Whole Wheat Vegetable Wraps - Calorie count: 120 calories
1 medium whole wheat roti
1 carrot grated
1/4 cup cabbage grated
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
2 table spoons low fat yoghurt
1 clove chopped garlic
1 tsp stone ground mustard
1/4 tsp vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Method: Mix the low fat yoghurt, chopped garlic, stone ground mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper well. Mix in the carrot, cabbage and green pepper. Fill the whole wheat roti with the vegetable mixture and serve.

2) Healthy Crunchy Bhel - Calorie count (without potatoes): 150
1 cup roasted mumra (rice flakes)
1 finely chopped cucumber
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1 finely chopped tomato
2 table spoons coriander chutney
2 table spoons sweet chutney- made of dates
1/2 cup green mung sprouted
1 small medium potato,(optional)

Method: Mix all the ingredients together and serve immediately.

3) Veggie sticks with yoghurt dip - The dip has 130 calories. Calories in the vegetable sticks are low and soa re negligible.
For the dip
1 cup thick drained low fat yoghurt
2-3 cloves finely chopped garlic
1 finely chopped green pepper
1/4th cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped coriander leaves
salt and pepper to taste.
To serve along with the dip: Carrot and cucumber sticks

Method: Mix all the  ingredients well.  Let it chill.  Serve with veggie sticks.

Some More Healthy Tea-time Snacks

• Vegetable idlis: Simply add chopped veggies and spices to the normal idli batter and serve with chutney.
• Baked pasta in tomato sauce: Toss vegetables like broccoli, beans, carrots, etc, in olive oil. Add oregano, boiled pasta, tomato sauce and bake for five minutes.

Always remember: Innovation is the key. Simply add or subtract a thing or two to everyday home-cooked food to get an interesting and healthy tea-time snack. Make mornings and evenings at work more fun and healthy with these snack ideas.