Snacking and chai go hand in hand in India. Around 4 or 5 pm, a cup of chai usually means something to eat with it too. It could be a plate of hot pakoras, a bowl of spicy chaat or a packet of chips opened without much thought. Once in a while, these snacks are hardly a concern. But when they become part of the everyday evening routine, it may be worth looking at what else can go on that plate.
Revant Himatsingka, popularly known as the Food Pharmer, has shared five options that cost less than Rs 50 and can be considered for everyday snacking. His list includes roasted chana, sweet corn, sprouts chaat, makhana and chole chaat.
Food Pharmer Swears By These 5 Affordable Snacks
In a recent post on X, Himatsingka addressed a question he often gets. "People often tell me, 'You keep telling us what NOT to eat. But what should we eat instead?'" he wrote. He then shared a video in which he suggested these five snacks, saying they were shortlisted on the basis of price, convenience and nutritional value.
He started with roasted chana, calling it an affordable snack that provides both protein and fibre. The best part is that there's 6 grams of protein and 5 grams of fibre in every 30 grams of chana.
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Sweet corn was next. It is already a popular snack, particularly at movie theatres, but Himatsingka pointed out that the theatre version can come with excess butter or masala. Instead, he suggested making sweet corn at home in a chaat-style preparation.
For something a little more filling, he suggested sprouts chaat. He said sprouts are made from legumes and recommended adding tomato, onion, lemon and coriander. That turns the sprouts into a proper chaat rather than something that has to be eaten plain.
Makhana also featured in the video. Himatsingka compared it with snacks such as chips and bhujia but had a word of caution about flavoured makhana available in the market. He said these products can sometimes contain excess oil. His preference is for 100% makhana products, which can then be roasted at home using a small amount of oil or ghee.
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The final suggestion was chole chaat. Himatsingka said chole provide plant protein as well as fibre. Per 100 grams of chole chaat offers 8 grams of protein and 7 grams of fibre. He also suggested air-frying the chole if you want something crunchy to snack on.
So, instead of the usual pakoras, chips or other fried snacks with evening chai, the Food Pharmer's list gives a few options that are inexpensive and easy to put together.