17 easy and healthy snacks

I’m not really a snacker, but there are at least a couple of times a week when I find the urge to eat at 11am or 4pm or, thankfully rarely, 10pm. Usually because ~~I’m procrastinating~~ I didn’t eat enough of whatever meal was most recent.

And while my all time favourite foods to snack on are chocolate and whatever-nuts-I-have shortbread, cheese and crackers, or a Dello Mano brownie, these are not really every snack snacks. At least, according to the fit of my I’ve-eaten-four-batches-of-shortbread-in-the-last-month clothes. Sigh.

The reason I love the aforementioned snacks is that they are just there. I don’t need to actually go to any effort to eat them. Well, other than slicing some cheese or smearing a blob of brie on a cracker that is.

A good snack for me needs to give me a decent hit of protein and/or fat so a small amount fills me up until the next meal. Quite often it also needs to be tastier and more interesting than just a piece of fruit. Although a piece of fruit and a few nuts is a great quick and healthy snack.

My favourite easy and healthy snacks are:

Hummus with rice crackers or veggie sticks. I’ve been experimenting with hummus flavours recently, because, as much as I love the original, I want to mix it up a bit. My latest is roast pumpkin and sumac hummus – great for using up leftover roast pumpkin after the weekly roast.
Apple smeared with nut butter. I’m currently obsessed with macadamia nut butter, but any will work. I make my own (easy in a good food processor or Thermomix), but there are some great low or no sugar or salt brands around now from either health food stores or supermarkets (my favourite is Mayvers). Read the label, particularly as many peanut butters are chock full of sugar, salt and unnecessary vegetable oils.
Salsa and ~~corn chips~~ rice crackers or veggie sticks. Salsa is super easy to make – I love my fermented salsa, but if you want something a bit quicker, make the same salsa (perhaps in a smaller quantity), add a bit of chilli, some coriander, and eat immediately.
Cheese and crackers – yes, I had to include it. I love a soft ripened cheese on rye crackers, but really, your fave cheese and your fave crackers will do it. No butter needed.
A handful of nuts (30g is a serve) and a few dates or dried figs. Try my spiced nuts too.
Guacamole with a few corn chips. Oh, who am I kidding. I can just eat guac by the spoonful!
A piece of Almond Roca – OK this is more than a treat than a snack, and yes, I can and usually do stop at just one piece. I bought a big bag from Costco recently – soooo good for that I-need-something-sweet-at-3pm mood!
Pesto with crackers or veggie sticks – try my beetroot and mint pesto – quick and easy to make, very easy to eat.
A boiled egg, mashed on a piece of sourdough toast (or just a boiled egg). I often boil up six or eight eggs for the week (make sure you label them!), and give a couple to The Accountant to take to work to have as a morning snack.
A piece of date and pecan loaf – it’s rare I want a piece of cake, but this, spread with butter, is perfect with a cup of tea. I make it and freeze it in slices, so it’s easy to pop in the toaster. It’s also quite low in refined sugar (if you’re into that sort of thing), thanks to the dates adding sweetness.
I made Quirky Jo’s raw chocolate chip cookie dough balls for the first time on the weekend and they are AMAZING. And according to all the oohs and ahs on her Facebook page, I’m guessing many others think so too!
This lentil and walnut pate by Jude Blereau – OK so it might not sound all that appealing, but the taste is out of this world! And if you make a big batch, it freezes well.
I also love chicken liver pate and reckon it’s a great snack.
A little home made muffin – my fave is blueberry and pecan. The key is that it’s small. So it is a snack. And not a mammoth muffin that is the equivalent of a few meals.
A smoothie – my favourite is with some leafy green things, cucumber, a small amount of fruit (currently all about the mango), a dollop of plain yogurt and a few nuts. Blitz on high until smooth.
A few dollops of plain yogurt with a handful of blueberries and macadamias (or any fruit and nut combo)
A couple of rissoles or meatballs leftover from last night’s dinner.