5 easy, healthy snacks to help you shed the pounds in Ramazan

This article was originally published in June 2018.

Those pakoras and jalebis aren't going to help you shed that Ramazan weight, but these recipes will - if you stick to them.

Two more weeks to go till Eid and our waistlines are doing us no favours. we got in touch with certified nutritionist Zoha Matin to help come up with recipes that are big on taste, are super healthy and require pretty much zero effort. And even though we thought it would be a task and a half, she proved us wrong.

Zoha broke down the nutritional value of each recipe to help keep track of our calorie intake and we're sold! (These recipes serve one, feel free to adjust them according to the serving size, but be mindful that the nutritional value will change accordingly).

P.S. You can even serve these to your children, they'll love them.

Here are five recipes straight from the nutritionist's kitchen.

1. Watermelon Berry Smoothie

Calories: 263 Carbohydrates: 61g Fat: 3g Protein: 16g

Berries are great in smoothies. They're packed with antioxidants, are high in fiber and low in sugar. The best part is, berries can be frozen and used all year long! This watermelon berry smoothie is the perfect thirst-quenching drink for the hot summer months.

Ingredients

1 cup plain, low-fat yogurt

2 cups watermelon chopped

1 cup frozen strawberries or raspberries

1 tsp honey

Directions

Add ingredients to a blender and enjoy!

2. Peanut Butter and Apple Combo

Calories: 322 Carbohydrates: 38g Fat: 18g Protein: 9g

This delicious snack is the perfect combination of sweet, salty and crunchy and peanut butter is a great way to get your daily dose of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats. Choose all-natural peanut butter if possible.

Ingredients

1 apple

2 tbsp peanut butter

2 tbsp Granola

Directions

Core the apple and slice into 1 inch discs. Spread some peanut butter on one side and sprinkle granola pieces on top. The granola will stick easily to the peanut butter.

3. Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Calories: 352 Carbohydrates: 26g Fat: 27g Protein: 2g

Sweet potatoes are a great source of Vitamin A and dietary fiber. Baking these sweet potato fries in the oven instead of deep frying reduces the caloric count of this snack by at least 300 calories.

Ingredients

1 large sweet potato

2 tbsp Olive oil

1 tsp garlic salt

1 tsp pepper

Directions

Cut sweet potatoes into rectangular strips. Place them on a baking tray and brush with olive oil. Sprinkle garlic salt and pepper on top. Place the tray into the oven at 350°F for 20 minutes. Serve with ketchup or dip of choice.

4. Avocado Pomegranate Toast

Calories: 392 Carbohydrates: 55g Fat: 17g Protein: 9g

Avocados are creamy in texture and spread easily on toast. Not to mention, they're packed with healthy omega-3 fats!

Ingredients

1 avocado

2 slices multigrain bread

1/2 cup pomegranate seeds (1/4 for each slice)

1/2 tbsp cilantro

Directions

Peel off the avocado skin, remove the seed. Place the avocado in a bowl and mash it with the back of a fork. Spread evenly onto bread and sprinkle pomegranate seeds onto each slice. Garnish with cilantro.

5. Banana Oat Smoothie

Calories: 383 Carbohydrates: 82g Fat: 6g Protein: 20g

383 calories 82g carbohydrates 6g fat 20g protein

Oats are packed with soluble fiber which helps regulate your bowel movements and keeps your digestive tract healthy. If you're not a fan of traditional oatmeal, try this smoothie to incorporate oats into your diet.

Ingredients

1 frozen banana

1/2 cup uncooked oats

1 cup plain, low-fat yogurt

2 tsp honey

Directions

Blend ingredients in a blender. Sprinkle ground cinnamon on top and serve cold.

For more healthy recipes you can follow Zoha Matin on Instagram, or check out her blog.