I have noticed these ‘small’ Hunger Pangs sneak in at the weirdest times of the day. They come right after clearing up the lunch vessels,  an hour after breakfast, post a playdate and of course, while doing homework and assignments. My girl eats healthy but small meals at least ten times throughout the day.  For me, this typically means, planning her snacks and meals way in advance so that I am well-prepared always for any hunger pangs.

Here are some of the Quick Snack Fixes that I use to whip up a meal in minutes of her hunger pangs:

• Chutney Cheese Sandwich: I usually keep fresh green chutney in the refrigerator and they work for a lot of quick fixes. Two toasted bread slices, a spread of green chutney and some shredded cheese or cheese slice can never fail you. This also works as a great snack box meal that my daughter takes once a week.

• Veggie Fryums: I usually grate a few carrots, mix it with some shredded broccoli and potatoes and air fry/bake it. Garnish it with parsley, oregano and pepper. This is a perfect finger snack that tastes good hot and cold.

• Sunny side up:  My girl is not usually fond of eggs but for a super quick emergency snack, nothing is simpler than a sunny side up with salt and pepper. It is easy to make, fail proof and can be served in less than five minutes.

• French Toast: This is ‘my’ modified version of french toast. A few slices of chopped bread, one egg, some atta/milk powder, salt and pepper. I dip the slices in this mix and pan fry it till the bread’s brown. For an additional incentive, I serve it with a dip of Nutella.

• Dosa: She loves dosas. She loves it so much that it can be served as a meal for breakfast, lunch and dinner and this is one meal which will be gobbled up without any complaints. She, however, likes dosa with sambar and does not like chutney or any additional topping with it.  Since dal is a daily part of our meals, making fresh sambar which I keep refrigerated for up to 2 days works like a charm for ‘big’ hunger pangs.

• Theplas/ Parathas: Unlike many kids and even most of her friends, my girl is not a huge fan of parathas and theplas. She prefers to eat regular chapati and sabzi any day to stuffed parathas. Thepla, however, because of its easy to make nature is something I resort to giving once a week for breakfast, after school snack or mid-meal hunger pangs. I make theplas with a mix of methi and spring onion leaves and they need no accompaniment. 

While I usually refrain from the ready to eat meals, during dire situations, I fry up some frozen falafels, cheese corn balls or make some maggi and cheese/caramel popcorn. We also resort to some junk eating once in a while that could be Nutella bread/chapati roll, Waffles, Mini pancakes with maple syrup or whatever, the ‘desire’ is of the moment. 

Did this list help with your quick snack fix? What do you resort to for a quick meal?