‘Health + flavour’: Masaba Gupta shares ‘how to curb chaat cravings’

So, how does she manage her chaat cravings? Instead of giving in to her unhealthy temptations, Masaba whipped out a healthy version of the same with some readily-available ingredients. Take a look!

Masaba prepares a healthy chaat (Source: Masaba Gupta/Instagram)

Here’s how she prepared a healthy chaat at home!

Ingredients:

*Sweet potato
*Makhana
*Peanuts
*Pomegranate
*Yoghurt
*Roasted jeera powder
*Mint chutney
*Red chilli powder

Method

Mix all the ingredients together and enjoy this delicious chaat!

Unhealthy cravings are bound to strike even the most dedicated fitness aficionado, so how can one manage them? Yug Verma, Fitness and Movement Coach and Product Manager at Alpha Coach, said, “Cravings can be hard to resist, but with a little bit of knowledge and creativity, you can satisfy your hunger and stay healthy at the same time. Craving unhealthy snacks can indicate that your meals lack nutrient-dense foods that keep you full and satisfied. Processed foods provide a quick energy boost, but they leave you feeling hungry and lethargic soon after. One of the best ways to curb cravings is to make sure you’re getting enough protein and fibre in your meals, this can keep you feeling satisfied for longer.”

He said that instead of trying to reach for unhealthy items, try some healthy alternatives. “Frozen grapes, air-popped popcorn with nutritional yeast, apple slices with almond butter, or roasted chickpeas seasoned with your favourite spices make for a satisfying crunch. The right dark chocolate is a sweet treat packed with antioxidants.”

Adding, functional nutritionist Mugdha Pradhan, CEO and Founder, iThrive said that the first and foremost thing to do if you’re trying to avoid unhealthy cravings is to ensure you are eating adequately during your meal times. “If you eat sufficient amounts of protein, nutrients and calories, your body is satisfied and you will tend to have lesser cravings. Most people today don’t get sufficient protein and nutrients. Proteins and fats, in particular, are very satiating whereas eating too many carbs, especially refined carbohydrates, can increase hunger. So try to replace some of your carbohydrates with healthy fats like ghee, butter and coconut oil,” she said.

The nutritionist said that the second thing to do is just try to avoid unhealthy snacks as much as possible. “The more you eat them, the more you will crave them. You definitely don’t want to store them at home on a regular basis. Replace them with healthy snack options. Snacking is definitely not a necessity for health and ideally, it’s recommended that you avoid snacking for optimal gut health. Snacking in between meals often disrupts the rest time of the gut and increases the risk of developing gut issues,” Pradhan said.

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