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SNACK FOOD IDEAS
Healthy Snacks
Let’s be real, we all snack. And actually, snacking isn’t “bad” for you if you do it in moderation and make healthy choices.
Yes, we all have long days at work where we start craving something sweet or need something salty to help us snap out of the workday lull, but if you’re smart about how you snack you’ll feel, and maybe even look, better.
As boring as “healthy snacks” might sound, you’d be surprised at just how tasty they are, all the new things you’ll get to try, and how easy they are to tote around with you on the go. (Seriously, they fit in your laptop bag, purse, workout bag or backpack just as easily as the prepackaged stuff.)
So, let’s toss the excuses aside and run through some of the healthy, nutritious items that you should be adding to the top of your grocery list.
First: Munchies that crunch
So we’re talking about:
1) Apples and pears.
2) Carrot and celery sticks.
3) Bell pepper slices.
4) Zucchini or cucumber circles (Sounds fancy, huh?).
5) Roasted chickpeas.
6) Broccoli and cauliflower florets.
7) Popcorn (It’s a whole grain! Who knew?).
8) Rice cakes and whole-grain crackers.
9) Nuts and seeds (Hit those good fats!).
Second: Rethink your drink
Ditch your high-sugar go-to and try:
1) Plain or sparking water (Not glam enough? Add some fruit and herbs to it!).
2) Fat-free milk or plain soymilk.
3) Unsweetened tea or coffee.
4) 100% fruit juice (Stick to a small glass).
5) Low-sodium tomato or mixed vegetable juice.
Third: Snacks that satisfy
Guaranteed to fill you right up:
1) Whole-grain toast with peanut or almond butter.
2) Cherry tomatoes with hummus.
3) Low-fat or fat-free cheese.
4) Plain low-fat or fat-free yogurt (An awesome pairing with fruit!).
5) Fruit and veggie smoothie.
6) Whole-grain crackers with canned tuna or salmon.
7) And finally (drumroll please): Snacks to curb your sweet tooth.
Give these a try:
1) Canned fruit (in natural juice or light syrup).
2) Thin slice of angel food cake or homemade banana-nut bread.
3) Baked apple.
4) Raisins, dates, figs and other unsweetened dried fruits.
5) Frozen banana.
6) Frozen grapes.
7) Fresh fruit salad (Use your imagination and get creative when choosing fruits).
Fruit & vegetable snacks
For healthy and nutritious snacks you cant go past fruit and veges! Here are some of our favorites:
1) Carrots – easy to carry to work and they store well in a refrigerator. Quite filling and lots of healthy vitamins as well.
2) Healthy snacks Cherry tomatoes – you can buy these by the punnet from most supermarkets and they taste great (especially compared to larger tomatoes). No preparation required and a sweet taste without high calories make them a perfect healthy snack.
3) Apples – there are a lot of varieties of apples and you cant go wrong if you choose in season and fresh looking apples. For a change you could cut apple up and mix in with yogurt and nuts for a excellent healthy snack.
4) Oranges – it can be a bit tough getting real ‘orange’ oranges these days with some fruit obviously picked unripe and then shipped in from around the country or overseas. Do your best to find some good ones, and it’s much better to eat a whole orange than to have orange juice. Toothpicks after eating might be a good plan too!
5) Grapes – grapes are another excellent fruit snack that is sweet and often in season. There’s not much difference between green or red so grab a bunch and get snacking on this healthy fruit!
Dairy snacks
It can be difficult to find dairy products that don’t contain high amounts of saturated fat, and they do need to be kept cool so dairy as a snack food doesn’t always make for an easy storage option.
1) Yogurt – there are some great natural and low fat yogurts available from supermarkets. Our favorite brand is Ski D’Lite, the Berry Basket flavor is best! You might also like to try some probiotic yogurts for better digestion health too.
2) Milkshakes – you can make some great healthy milkshakes from either low fat or normal milk as a good snack idea. Mix in fruit and blend if you can, or even add some protein powder for more substance and flavoring. Berries go very well in shakes, and for those who love chocolate try adding a sachet of low calorie hot chocolate mix, yum!
3) Cottage cheese – low fat cottage cheese is high in protein and makes a great spread or dip with your snacks. It keeps well when refrigerated, and can be used on top of crackers or in salads.
4) Custard – not the greatest option for healthiness but if you get sick of yogurt and crave something sweet this just might do it! There are some low at brands so choose one of these, add some nuts or berries for extra substance.
Nut snacks
Nuts are an extremely healthy source of unsaturated fats, but even if they’re healthy they do contain a lot of calories. Any snacks with nuts need to be small and make sure you dont keep grazing away only to discover you’ve polished off a whole bag! Always choose unsalted nuts, and most forms of nuts will do. Pistachios, although high in salt and therefore quite more-ish, can be an excellent choice because they are hard to eat quickly.
Cracker snacks
Rice crackers, corn snacks, puffed rice, and other kinds of crackers can make a good snack, especially when combined with some healthy spreads.
1) Rice crackers – can be a great snack with of without spreads or toppings. They are easy to store, last well, and dont require any preparation. There is a variety of flavours and options at most supermarkets. Try dipping rice crackers in low fat hommus, cottage cheese, or spreading vegemite or peanut butter on top for a great healthy snack. Just watch your intake as rice crackers can be very more-ish and easy to eat more than necessary!
2) Core or rice thins – are made from puffed corn or rice and can be a good substitute for bread or high fat crackers. We love putting hommus and tomatoes on top with some lettuce and other salad items for an awesome healthy snack. Also try other spreads, cottage cheese, and tuna.
