Tips for Healthy Snacking

We all enjoy snacking between meals. Some snacks can be highly refined and processed and high in fat, salt and sugar; however, Healthy Snacking Tips can be part of a healthy eating pattern. They can help you get important nutrients; keep you energized and satisfy your hunger between meals.

Snacks made from whole foods can be helpful not only in providing nutrition, but they can also help stabilise blood sugar between meals too. The following recipes are some healthful snacks. I hope you enjoy them.

TRADITIONAL HUMMUS

Ingredients –

• 1 x 400g can of chickpeas, drained
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice /1 tbsp tahini
• 3 tbsp water /1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp fresh herbs, such as coriander, parsley or basil (optional)
• 1 small clove of garlic (optional)
• ½ tsp sea salt, or to taste / Freshly ground pepper, to taste.
• Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth and well combined.

(Tip: You can also blend for less time and leave the hummus a chunky consistency if you like.) You can of course buy this easily too.

Variations

• Pink hummus – to the traditional recipe, add: ¼–½ cup cooked beetroot, 1 extra tbsp water.
• Green hummus – to the traditional recipe, add: 1–2 cups of fresh spinach.
• Sesame hummus – to the traditional recipe, add: 1 tbsp sesame seeds for extra protein and calcium.

ROASTED PUMPKIN SEEDS (YOGHURT AND GOJI BERRIES)

Ingredients –

• 1 medium pumpkin (or 1 ½ cups raw pumpkin seeds)
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• Salt, to taste.

Method – Preheat the oven to 175°C and line a baking sheet with foil. Cut the top off the pumpkin and scoop out the seeds and flesh. Separate the seeds and rinse them very well. Pat the seeds dry with a paper towel or let them air dry for a few hours (or you can buy the seeds already dried in the supermarket or health food store). Melt the butter in a microwave-safe bowl then toss in the seeds to coat. Spread the seeds on the baking sheet and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 30 minutes until the seeds are toasted, stirring every 5 to 10 minutes. Let the seeds cool completely and store them in an airtight container.

A 28g serving of these healthy late-night snacks contains 146 calories. Eat the roasted pumpkin seeds as they are or add to yoghurt for added protein. Why not mix in some goji to berries for a late-night snack, as they contain a little melatonin, to help regulate your sleep?

SAVOURY NUTS

Serves 12 – Ingredients –

• 1 tbsp of butter
• 1/3 cup of tamari soy sauce
• 2 tsp ground ginger powder
• ¼ tsp of wasabi paste (optional)
• 2 cups of walnuts
• 1 cup of almonds or pecans
• 1 cup of Brazil nuts or hazelnuts.

Method – Preheat oven to 150°C. Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat. In a small bowl, combine tamari, ginger and wasabi paste. Spread nuts over a baking tray. Pour on melted butter and stir to coat. Bake for approximately 15 minutes. Remove from oven. Stir in ginger-tamari mixture. Return to oven and roast for approximately 10 minutes more. Let stand at room temperature to cool. Store in an airtight container.

Tip – to stop overeating nuts – add 30 to 50 gm serves into separate snap-lock bags.

1-MINUTE MUFFIN

Serves 1 – Ingredients –

• ¼ cup flaxseed meal or LSA (linseed, sunflower, almond meal)
• 1 egg / 1 tsp baking powder / 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp coconut oil
• 1 tsp sweetener –honey, molasses, coconut sugar.

Method – Add toasted shredded coconut, protein powder, and the fruit of your choice – bananas, and blueberries. Mix all together in a cup/mug and put in the microwave for 1 minute or in a muffin tin in an oven for 10 – 12 minutes or try using this as a pancake mix and fry in a pan with a little oil.

PEAR AND LEMON HOTCAKE STACK

Serves 1 – Ingredients –

• Two eggs / 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 6 tablespoons of almond meal or LSA / big squeeze of fresh lemon
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
• 1 tablespoon rice or maple syrup (if you prefer it sweet)
• Serve with Greek or even try goat yoghurt.

Method – Whisk eggs and vanilla together for 2 minutes. Add almond meal or LSA. Cook in a pan with coconut oil on medium heat. In another pan with coconut oil, slice ½ pear and cook each side. Stack hotcakes and pear and squeeze over lemon. Serve with a dollop of goat’s yoghurt and add grated lemon on top.

KALE CHIPS

Serves 8 – 10 – Ingredients –

• 1 bunch of kale or cavolo nero
• 20 mL of olive oil (or enough to coat kale)
• 20 mL of salt-reduced tamari
• 2 tbsp of sesame seeds, toasted.

Method – Preheat the oven to 130°C. Wash the kale thoroughly and dry completely. Shred the kale into small enough pieces that when laid onto a baking tray they will lie flat. Combine the olive oil and tamari, then mix through the kale until completely coated. Spread the coated kale onto a baking paper-lined tray in a single layer. Place the kale into the oven and bake until dried out. Sprinkle with sesame seeds while still hot from the oven and allow the kale chips to cool on the baking tray. Store in an airtight container to stay crisp. To serve: Have 1 handful of kale chips with a 3-finger portion of recommended nuts as a snack.

CHOCOLATE NUT BALLS

• Serves 4 – Ingredients –
• ½ cup of almond paste
• ½ serving of Chocolate protein powder
• 1 tbsp of desiccated coconut.

Method – Place the almond paste and chocolate protein powder into a bowl and combine well. Roll mixture into teaspoon-sized balls and roll in desiccated coconut to coat. Place chocolate nut balls into the fridge for approximately 4 hours to become firm.

Enjoy 1 chocolate nutball as a snack.

HEALTHY SNACKING TIPS ON THE GO

• Portion – ¼ cup of nuts of your choice, or a trail mix of nuts and seeds.
• Carrot and celery sticks with cottage cheese (add flavour with chopped herbs or curry powder)
• Sliced green apple with nut butter as a topping.
• 1 slice of rye bread 1 tomato, sliced ½ cup of cottage cheese 1 tbsp of dill, chopped. Mix cottage cheese in a bowl. Spread on to the rye bread and top with tomato. Enjoy

HEALTHY SNACKING TIPS TO SHARE

Caviar and Dill Canapés – Serves 2 – Ingredients –

• 1 Lebanese cucumber
• Spreadable cream cheese
• Cracked pepper and sea salt to taste
• 1 jar of caviar / Bunch of dill.

Method – Slice the cucumber. Spread a small amount of cream cheese on each slice and season with salt and pepper. Add 1/2 teaspoon of caviar and a sprig of dill on top of the cheese and serve.

Tomato, Bocconcini and Basil Canapés –

Serves 6 – Ingredients –

• 1 punnet of cherry tomatoes, sliced
• 1 bunch of basil, separated into leaves
• 1 tub of baby bocconcini, halved
• Balsamic vinegar
• Sea salt to taste.

Method – Arrange cherry tomato slices on a serving plate and scatter over basil leaves and baby bocconcini halves. Drizzle a small amount of balsamic vinegar over the top and season with a little salt to taste. Provide toothpicks to serve or alternately arrange a little of all the ingredients onto individual toothpicks and drizzle with a little balsamic vinegar before serving.

Frozen Treats from Jamie Oliver

Jamie Olivers’ Nice Cream – serves 8 –

Add 2 ripe bananas / ½ a lime / 3 heaped tablespoons natural yoghurt (8 waffle ice-cream cones – optional) Toppings may include – grated dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids) and /or cinnamon, for dusting.

Method –

• Step 1. Peel and roughly chop the bananas, then squeeze over the lime juice (this stops the bananas from going brown). Place the bananas in a reusable freezer bag or sealable container, and freeze for 8 hours, or until solid.
• Step 2. Tip the frozen bananas into a food processor and blitz to a coarse paste. Use a spatula to push the banana mixture down the sides of the bowl and blitz again. With the motor running, add the yoghurt a tablespoon at a time, until you have a smooth ice-cream texture.
• Step 3. Spoon the fro-yo into the cones, grate over some chocolate, sprinkle with a little cinnamon and eat quickly!

Jamie Olivers’ Verry Berry Fro-Yo – Serves 8 –

• 150g fresh blueberries
• 3-4 tablespoons runny honey
• 500g natural yoghurt
• a few sprigs of fresh mint
• 1 x 500g pack of mixed frozen berries.

Method –

• Step 1. 1 hour before you start, put 8 glasses in the freezer.
• Step 2. When you’re ready to start, get the glasses out of the freezer and divide the fresh blueberries between them.
• Step 3 Put the honey and yoghurt into a food processor, pick in the mint leaves and whiz. Add the frozen berries and whiz again until combined. Spoon the frozen yoghurt over the fresh berries and serve.

Mango, Lime & Ginger –

In a food processor, blitz 400g of frozen chopped mango, 1 peeled banana, 150g of porridge oats, the zest and juice of 1 lime and a peeled 3cm piece of ginger until finely chopped. Add 200g of natural yoghurt and blitz again until smooth.

Strawberry, balsamic & basil –

In a food processor, blitz 400g of frozen chopped strawberries, 1 peeled banana, 150g of porridge oats, 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and the leaves from 2 sprigs of fresh basil until finely chopped. Add 200g of natural yoghurt and blitz again until smooth.

You can serve your fro-yo right away, or you can hold it in a lovely scoopable state in the freezer for up to 40 minutes before it gets too hard. Alternatively, you can pour it into ice lolly moulds and leave it in the freezer for 8 hours until solid. If you want to make it in advance, simply divide between ice-cube trays and freeze completely, then tip those into the food processor and whiz up again when you want to serve.

Enjoy in a bowl, a cone or a wafer, with a sprinkling of toasted nuts and seeds, and some extra fresh fruit to boost your intake. Delicious!

I hope these ideas help you add healthy snacking recipes to your day, to increase your nutrition, but mostly, just taste great!