How Often Can You Eat Fried Snacks?

You go downstairs for tea. The person at the counter reaches for a samosa before you ask. You laugh because they know your order. Then you realise you’d only gone down for tea.

Key Takeaway

Keep fried snacks for occasional outings or meals, with most days free of them. If you have a samosa or vada nearly every day, start by picking two or three days to skip it this week. A weekly occasion, such as pakoras with friends on Sunday, is one way to keep a favourite snack in your routine.

Why cut back on fried snacks every day?

One samosa with tea can feel like a small extra. Have one each workday and it becomes five servings by Friday. Deep-fried snacks add fat and calories, and savoury versions can also add salt. Cutting back on the number of days you have them reduces what they contribute across the week.

How to enjoy fried snacks without making them a daily habit

Notice what prompts the order

Think back to the last three times you had a fried snack. Were you hungry, joining a colleague’s order or passing a stall you stop at out of habit? Start with the situation that comes up most often. If it’s the office tea round, decide what you want before the order goes around.

Have something ready if you’re hungry by tea time

If lunch was at noon and dinner is still hours away, plan a snack you’ll be glad to see at four. Take chana sundal or roasted chana to work, or keep plain curd and guava ready at home. Pick what’s easiest to have on hand when your afternoon gets busy.

Serve the portion you want to eat

When a plate of pakoras comes around, put the amount you want on your own plate and sit down to enjoy it. If you’re buying a snack for yourself, order what you want for that sitting. It’s easier to see how much you’ve chosen when you can see your whole portion at once.

Frequently asked question

Do homemade fried snacks count?

Yes. A deep-fried samosa, pakora or vada counts whether you make it at home or buy it. If you’re tracking frequency, record the day you ate it, even if you only had a few bites. Record the portion separately if you want to track how much you ate.

Get a personalised diet plan that fits your day

Think of the day when your usual plan is hardest to follow. Maybe meetings push lunch back, or you get home hungry and reach for whatever’s ready. Bring that example to Chief Nutritionist Vasanthi Senthilvel. She can help you identify what’s driving the habit and build a personalised diet plan around your meal timings, appetite and the Indian foods you enjoy.