A Dozen+ New Snack Ideas For You!
Snacks seem to be one of the hot topics right now. And I’m guessing you might be sick of the same old same old…or maybe just ready to up the health (and fun) factor a bit on your daily ‘at home’ munchies. So, I’ve put together a bunch of new snack ideas for you.
But first, I want to share my #1 tip about snacking in general: Think of your snacks as another fueling opportunity in your day. Treat them like a mini meal. Just like you need to put the appropriate gas in your car in order for it to run smoothly, you need to feed your body the right fuel mix, at the right intervals, in order for it to function optimally too.
Snacks are a bridge to fuel your body and sustain your energy levels in between meals. Try to include at least 2 of the 3 macronutrients (smart carb, protein, healthy fat) in each of your snacks to give them the most staying power in your body.
Now, let’s get to all the ideas:
Grapefruit brûlée: prepare a grapefruit the traditional way, halved, and ready to scoop out the individual segments with a spoon. Sprinkle both halves with a tiny bit of raw sugar, a dusting of cinnamon, and place them under the broiler for a few minutes until golden and caramelized. Serve with a hearty dollop of yogurt. (You can dot the halves with a couple of pea-sized drops of butter if you want the topping to be even more crunchy, but I typically skip this step.)
Rice cake slathered with Justin’s chocolate hazelnut spread and topped with strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries.
Apple slices with peanut butter, unsweetened coconut flakes, and dotted with dark chocolate chips: Core an apple, slice it into ¼ inch slices (the big, round way), spread each with a bit of peanut butter, top with a few dark chocolate chips and coconut flakes.
Raw veggies with hummus, tzatziki, or black bean dip. Try snap peas, carrots, cherry tomatoes, bell pepper slices, or cucumbers. Throw in some whole grain crackers for added crunch.
Go Greek: Marinated artichokes…kalamata olives…slow roasted tomatoes…marinated beans…and fresh, marinated mozzarella chunks are all great to combine and snack on.
Toasts: There are so many varieties but here’s the basic framework. Choose whole grain bread…toast it…spread it with hummus, nut butter, ricotta cheese, cream cheese, tzatziki, black bean dip, avocado, or anything else you can think of…pile it high with a variety of veggies or fruit…sprinkle some flax, chia, or hemp seeds…and yum!
(Pro Tip: look for 4 grams of fiber per serving and a whole grain as the first ingredient in your bread.)
Sliced pears, peaches, or berries and part-skim ricotta cheese (or cottage cheese) drizzled with balsamic vinegar.
A mixture of sweet and white potatoes roasted until crunchy. Full of fiber and yummy to snack on.
Whole grain tortilla spread with nut butter and fruit and rolled up like a taco. Cassava flour tortillas are gluten free and quite tasty!
Turkey or chicken roll ups: 1 slice of turkey, 1 slice of Swiss cheese, 1 squirt of Dijon mustard, and some arugula or spinach rolled up and ready to eat.
Trail Mix: Make your own with some whole grain cereal flakes, nuts, dried fruit, baked coconut chips.
Baked apples or pears: cut in half, scoop out the seeds and core, fill with a mixture of nuts, raisins, cinnamon, drizzle with honey, and bake at 350° for 20-30 minutes. Serve with a dollop of yogurt.
Quick "deviled" eggs: Hard boil eggs, slice in half, dollop each half with dijon mustard, sprinkle with chives, dust with salt and pepper.
That’s all of my ideas for today.
But here’s one last mindfulness tip: While you’re focused on upgrading your snacks, try adopting a curiosity or growth mindset. Pause and check in with yourself before you reach for a snack. What is your hunger level? If you’re not actually hungry, what other emotion are you feeling? How might you satisfy that actual feeling without food? When you make your snacks more balanced (with at least 2 of the 3 macronutrients), what happens afterward? Do you feel more full? For how long? How do your energy levels change? Does this approach reduce mindless snacking?
The more you can learn about your eating habits, the more successful you’ll be at implementing changes to help you reach your health, weight, or overall wellness goals.
Enjoy!