You’re busy! You’re trying to eat well but you’ve run out of ideas for fast, easy, healthy snacks that fit your “on the go” lifestyle.
You don’t have to eat junk food just because you’re in a hurry. Having your own tasty snacks with you while you’re out (or ready-made at home) will help you avoid temptations for the not-so-healthy options when you get hungry.
Here are 9 tasty, easy to make snack ideas (including recipes) so you can climb out of that boring rut and feel good about sticking to your healthy eating plan all day.
- 1 Homemade chocolate quinoa muffins – gluten and dairy free! (see recipe below)
- 173 Cals, 3g protein, 17g carb, 12g fat
- 2 Homemade “Protein Pow” whey chocolate banana muffin (see recipe below)
- 138 Cals, 10g protein, 16g cab, 2g fat
- 1 Apple & 1 Tbsp. of natural peanut or almond butter
- 180 Cals, 3g protein, 25g carb, 8g fat
- 1/4 C Dry roasted edamame (see recipe below)
- 130 Cals, 14g protein, 10g carb, 4g fat
- 2 Hardboiled eggs
- 143 Cals, 13g protein, 1g carb, 10g fat
- 2C Homemade kale chips (see recipe below)
- 116 Cals, 6g protein, 16g carb, 4g fat
- 2 slices deli turkey each rolled with one 1/2 Oz. slice of low fat cheese & 1 slice of tomato
- 180 Cals, 26g protein, 6g carb, 7g fat
- 1 Piece of fruit with 8 raw almonds
- 136 Cals, 2g protein, 24 carb, 5g fat
- 1/4 C Roasted Chickpeas (see recipe below)
- 178 Cals, 8g protein, 24g carb, 6g fat
Recipes:
Homemade Chocolate Quinoa Muffins (Gluten & Dairy Free!) – makes 15
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- 2/3 cup coconut oil, melted
- 2 cups cooked Quinoa (2/3 cup raw quinoa)
- 1/2 cup Honey
- 1/4 cup non-dairy milk (almond, coconut or others)
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
Preheat oven to 350 (F); Put everything into a food processor and mix until smooth; Bake in greased muffin tin for 20 min or until the center springs back when gently pressed. Let cool for 10 min and then remove and let cool.
** Recipe courtesy of Kerstin Yardley
Homemade Chocolate-Banana “Protein Pow” Muffins – makes 8
- 1/2 cup (45g) Protein Pow Whey Cooking Mix
- 1 heaping Tbsp (25g) PB2 powdered peanut butter
- 1/8 cup cocoa powder
- 2 Tbsp sweetener (or to taste)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- Pinch salt
- 1 medium banana, ripe
- 1 medium free-range egg
- 6 tbsp (around 100ml) unsweetened almond milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Pre-heat oven to 350(F); Line cupcake tray with 8 cupcake cases sprayed with low-cal cooking spray; Put all the dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix until combined; In a separate bowl, roughly mash your banana (lumpy banana makes the best batter); Throw in your egg, almond milk and vanilla extract and whisk together; Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, and fold together until evenly blended. Spoon into your waiting cupcake cases and bake for 10-12 minutes.
Dry roasted edamame:
- 1 pound frozen shelled edamame, thawed
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
- Cooking spray
Preheat oven to 400° (F). Toss edamame with salt, pepper, and olive oil. Roast on a lightly sprayed baking sheet for 50–60 minutes or until golden brown.
Homemade Kale Chips:
Arrange oven racks on upper & lower third of oven. Preheat oven to 300 (F). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove the stems and ribs from the kale, tear into 2″ pieces, rinse and pat dry (remove all water). Spread the kale over the baking sheets in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil then rub the oil in with hands to evenly coat the kale. Sprinkle with salt (or other optional seasonings such as quinoa flakes, lemon rind, curry powder, paprika, finely grated cheddar or Parmesan or pepper). Bake for 10 minutes then rotate the pans and bake for another 10 – 12 minutes or until the chips are dry, crisp and evenly baked.
Dry Roasted Chickpeas:
- 2 (15-ounce) cans of no-salt-added chickpeas (rinsed, drained and thoroughly dried)
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1/2 to 3/4 tsp salt
- 2 to 4 tsp spices or finely chopped fresh herbs, (like chili powder, curry powder, garam masala, cumin, smoked paprika, rosemary, thyme, or other favorite spices and herbs)
Preheat the oven to 400 (F). Toss the chickpeas with olive oil and salt until evenly coated. Spread the chickpeas out evenly in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 – 30 mins, stirring or shaking the pan every 10 mins. They are done when they are golden and slightly darkened, dry & crisp on the outside and soft in the middle. Sprinkle the chickpeas with the spice of your choice and stir until evenly coated. Serve while they are warm and crispy(as they cool they will gradually lose their crispness but will become nice & chewy). Eat as a snack or sprinkle on salads or soup.