We've all had snack cravings! It's natural to want salty meals like potato fries and chips or sweet foods like chocolate or candies when you're hungry, bored, or have just finished an intensive exercise. However, instead of purchasing fast food, you may make a variety of healthy salty snacks at home.
For a healthier alternative to chips, replace the chocolate with trail mix or bake some greens. While watching TV, snack on vegetable sticks and hummus, or make tofu lettuce wraps to curb hunger before supper.
It's simple to make nutritious salty snacks that invigorate and keep you going throughout the day with a little ingenuity. Here are some of our favourite healthy salty snack choices to satisfy your hunger!
Why do I have a strong need for salt?
Let's take a look at why you're desiring salt in the first place before we reveal the greatest salty foods. Our bodies need salt, or sodium, to function correctly. Sodium aids in the regulation of blood pressure and is required for a number of biological activities.
While too much salt in our diets may cause high blood pressure and other health problems, not enough salt can be just as deadly. When we are deficient in salt, our bodies begin to want it, prompting us to go for the potato chips!
The following are the most common causes of salt cravings:
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Dehydration occurs when salts are lost via sweating. As a result, our bodies seek salt to restore the sodium that has been lost.
Excessive activity might cause a deficiency in sodium since your body uses up all available salts. After exercise, these salts must be supplied!
Salt cravings might be a symptom that you have an underlying health problem. Addison's illness, for example, causes a loss of control over hormones and blood pressure, as well as salt cravings.
There are other more causes as well. It's possible that you're anxious, or that your body just requires a lot of salt. It's usually simply a case of being hungry (or bored), but if your cravings continue, see a doctor.
Fortunately, there are a variety of nutritious, salty, crunchy snacks that may help you satisfy your cravings while also reducing your calorie intake!
Here are our favourite low-calorie salty snacks, which range from trail mix and edamame beans to lettuce wraps and spring rolls.
1. Mixture for hiking
Trail mix is one of the most simple, healthy, and substantial snacks you can make at home. This blend of nuts and dried fruits, which is supposed to be eaten 'on the route,' is a popular snack for hikers and outdoor lovers. It keeps for a long time and is high in energy.
Make your own trail mix in quantity using your favourite ingredients at home. Choose peanuts or crushed pretzels for a salty trail mix, then add dried fruit favourites like raisins, apricots, or cherries for a sweet balance.
Trail mix works well with both sweet and salty components, so if you need a lot of energy for that trek, put some chocolate or sweets in it as well.
2. French fries baked in the oven
What are French fries? Although French fries are salty, how can they be healthy, you may wonder. After being twice cooked in oil, typical fast food french fries are rich in saturated fats, but oven-baked French fries are a surprisingly healthy option at home.
Baked french fries are undoubtedly the most delectable choice among healthy savoury snacks. Baking only a fraction of the oil used in deep-frying, and since your fries aren't dripping wet, they retain a lot more minerals and vitamins (good fats, not saturated fats!).
French fries baked in the oven are simple to make. A couple potatoes, a dab of oil, and some salt and pepper are all you need (try other seasonings such as rosemary, thyme, or chilli powder to make things more exciting too).
3. Sweet potato fries baked in the oven
Baked sweet potato fries are a salty, tasty snack that's ideal for satisfying those afternoon hunger cravings. Baked sweet potato fries are a delicious alternative to regular potato fries, with a unique flavour and texture.
Sweet potatoes are identical to conventional potatoes in terms of calories and healthful fats, but they are particularly rich in Vitamin A. When you bake something in the oven instead of deep frying it, you avoid the saturated fats and extra calories that come with deep frying.
Don't forget to season with lots of salt and pepper to satisfy your hunger!
4. Grilled cheese that is good for you
A grilled cheese sandwich isn't usually on the list of healthy snacks, but a healthy grilled cheese is an exception. Whole grain bread is the key, as is using as little butter and oil as possible.
Healthy grilled cheese sandwiches may be cooked in a number of ways, but for the cheese to melt between the bread, use a low-calorie or light kind. For a much more healthy snack, use mild cheddar or mozzarella and add a few more veggies (cauliflower, for example).
For the greatest results, a grilled cheese sandwich should be pan-fried, therefore use as little oil as possible to keep the calories and fats low.
5. Chips of kale
Although everyone enjoys potato chips, the cruel fact is that they are excessively caloric, fatty, and, dare we say it, salty.
There is, however, a healthy alternative to chips that is crispy, flavorful, and low in fat and calories. Kale chips are a great substitute, and they're extremely simple to make in the oven. Simply arrange kale on a baking dish, spray with oil, and season with salt, then bake for 20 minutes, or until crispy.
Baked kale chips are strong in fibre and include vitamins A, B, and C, as well as other critical elements. Because the only fat in kale chips comes from the frying oil, you can eat them all day long without feeling bad!
