Healthy Junk Food ? Sounds like an oxymoron right?
Well, we can’t blame you.
Thanks to all the attention that junk food has got in the last decade or so, the health-conscious brigade has made sure that it remains our enemy forever!
We do not deny that resisting junk food is a huge task and most of us fail miserably every now and then. But what if you could actually eat it without any guilt? Let’s discuss 5 junk foods that can be miraculously transformed into a nutritious meal.
Healthy Junk Food –
1 – Sweet Potato Fries
All of us love to grab a pack of fries before that tense match or while watching a movie. And we also know how unhealthy it is to munch on them. But replacing the potatoes with the sweet variety will cut down on calories and the guilt. Chop the sweet potatoes into long and thin pieces. Fry them in vegetable oil until they are golden and crisp. Avoid ketchup and instead make a dip from yoghurt, finely chopped spinach, grated garlic, salt and pepper. No more guilt trips for having fries! How awesome is that!
2 – Whole Grain and Paneer Pizza
Pizzas can do to your mood what even a lover cannot. But they are high in calories and therefore, you can’t have them whenever you feel like. But what if the craving is real bad and you just can’t resist? Well, let’s make a healthy pizza at home! For the base, opt for the whole grain variety. Throw the cheese out of the window and go for our very own desi paneer. For the topping, go for tomatoes, mushrooms, beans, spinach, onions, olives and baby corn. Grate generous amounts of paneer on the topping and your healthy pizza is ready! Say goodbye to unhealthy home-deliveries!
3 – Vegetable and Whole Grain Burgers
These monsters are not as bad as they sound these days. Opt for a whole grain bun and don’t just use potatoes for the patty. Instead, add peas, coriander and finely chopped carrots to the patty. Avoid cheese and mayonnaise but you can replace them with Greek yoghurt. Add lettuce, tomatoes and onion slices and you are ready to take that heavenly bite into your healthy burger! Not all that bad right?
4 – Baked Samosa
Once the samosa comes calling, there is no way you can avoid it! The only option left is to ignore all the warnings and just go for it. Not anymore! Baked samosas are the healthier alternative to our good old samosa. For the stuffing, add carrots, peas and beans to the boiled potatoes. In a bowl add flour, baking powder, salt, ajwain seeds, oil and mix well. Add water and knead to dough. Cover with a wet cloth and set aside for 30 minutes. Divide the dough into 6 balls and flatten each of them and cut into two equal parts (semi-circle). Join both ends to form a triangle and place in the middle of your fist to form a pocket. Make sure the cone shape is well sealed. Fill the cone dough with the stuffing. Bake on a preheated oven at 350 F / 180 C for 25-30 minutes until golden. And here you go, low calorie, no-oil samosas are ready to be relished. Yummier than ever!
Healthy Junk Food – Eating too much junk food is not a great idea but when you go for the healthier options, there is not much to worry about! Let’s just dig into that whole-grain burger now!
