Give evening snack-time a new twist

Lately, many of us have been bogged down and caught up with work and home responsibilities; when it comes to leisure time, our options are limited. Yet on any normal day, we look forward to our favourite cup of tea or coffee and a snack that instantly uplifts our moods.

During the evening hours, we allow ourselves to indulge our cravings for flavourful and mouth-watering foods; but we also seek easy-to-prepare solutions to satisfy hunger pangs.

While we each may have our preferences, when choosing a snack, taste plays a vital role. We only wait for our short evening snack breaks, because that's when we can treat ourselves to something yummy. Snacking is known to enhance our good feelings and cheer us up, even on dull and dragging days.

Capturing the growing inclination towards snacking, “Euromonitor” reports reveal that most of us are constantly seeking time-saving solutions and higher convenience across various aspects of life, including our food habits. In most households, food is prepared by the homemaker and by late afternoon, fatigue sets in; she prefers simplified alternatives to a traditional snack menu.

These days, even those accustomed to a cook are managing without any additional help, and the need for easy-to-make snacks have been on the rise.

Not only are we continually seeking comfort in our food choices, but we are also becoming more conscious about overeating and actively opt for guilt-free snacks. When it comes to delightful eating, wholegrain oats are becoming increasingly popular for their high nutrition, protein and fibre content.

Euromonitor reports also indicate that instances of snacking are the highest between 4.00pm to 6.00pm; when we break from work or catch up with our social media feeds, music playlist and OTT shows that we are binge watching.

We enjoy eating light, but also need to tease our taste buds and feel content; oats allows us to customize our bowls to suit our fancy.

It can also be made more exciting with fresh ingredients like lemon and mint leaves or crunchy toppings like carrot sticks, capsicum slices and croutons. If you prefer going solo and have been spending your evenings reading or watching the sunset, make the most of your time at home with a lip-smacking bowl of joy.

Feel good with tangy oats on toast, bite on lavash and coriander oats, sip a soupy bowl of vegetable oats and just go wild with your imagination when customising your evening snacks.