After some healthy snack ideas?
Snacking is usually my weak spot when it comes to eating well. I’ll always have a good breakfast, and my dinners are pretty veg packed. Lunches aren’t too bad most days either. But I have a major sweet tooth, especially after lunch and at around 3/4pm…
Does it matter if we eat healthy snacks or not?
I’d say yes and no. I certainly don’t beat myself up for having the odd biscuit or bit of chocolate, but we do need to be aware of the impact that’s having, especially if we have them very frequently or in larger portions…
To understand this we need to think about how the energy pathways work in our bodies. I’m going to keep this light and simplify it, as it is really technical when you get into it! But I think it really helps to understand what effect different types of snacks are going to have on your body to enable you to make better choices…
The costs of unhealthy snacks
We miss an opportunity to get to 10 a day.
I know you’ll mostly have heard about getting your 5 a day. But the actual government guideline is AT LEAST 5 portions a day. And the scientific evidence suggests that we want more like 7-10 to get all the benefits. To do this I try to get 2 portions at breakfast, 1-2 in my snacks, 2-3 at lunch and 3-4 portions at dinner. So we really need to try and get at least one portion a day of fruit and veg in our snacks!
Sugary snacks can send us off on the ‘blood sugar rollercoaster’
Heard of this? If you haven’t, what essentially happens is that when you eat foods which are high in sugars (or simple carbs), the sugar gets digested and arrives in your bloodstream very fast and largely at the same time.
Whilst sugar is essential for our brains and bodies to function, too much is toxic and can cause massive damage (think about diabetics), so our bodies release insulin to tell our cells to grab some of that sugar and store it. If your muscles and liver are full, it goes to the fat cells.
Our bodies are very efficient at this, and so shortly afterwards we end up with too little blood sugar, making us feel tired and causing us to look for a quick fix to the problem. We need a dose of blood sugar quick, so we reach for another sugary snack, and the whole thing repeats throughout the day.
Why do we care about the ‘rollercoaster’?
As well as making our energy erratic, we will store more fat overall, make poorer food choices and cause a chain of inflammatory action within our bodies (sugar and its byproducts are inflammatory). Chronic inflammation (inflammation that is present in our bodies most the time) leads to damage to all cells of the body, causing a host of health issues and chronic diseases. It’s also linked to obesity and diabetes.
With our bodies telling us they are hungry every couple of hours, we’re likely to reach for high calorie foods regularly, causing us to overeat and put on weight. I don’t know many people who think that’s a good thing!
Many unhealthy snacks are also convenient and come in plastic and often non-recyclable packaging.
Ever found a chocolate packet from the 80’s in your garden? I have! They don’t break down. Almost every crisp packet and chocolate bar, sweet or biscuit wrapper still exists today. Are you ok with that? I’m not ok with contributing to that… Add to that the resources and energy required to produce it and ship it around the world… We can do better!
Cost
Whilst some seem very cheap. Compared to veg or homemade cookies, they are often more expensive. Especially the granola bars.
So what qualities should we be looking for in our snacks?
To be a healthy snack idea, it should:
- keep releasing energy steadily for a few hours (complex carbs from wholegrains, low levels of added sugar and containing proteins and fats to slow digestion)
- make us feel full for a while (this means it needs to have some fat, fibre and protein content)
- deliver some nutrients too (mainly through wholegrains, legumes, fruit and veg)
To be planet-friendly, it should be:
- in little or at least recyclable packaging
- manufactured and sourced from as close to where we live as possible
- largely plant-based
- relatively unprocessed
- ethically sourced
Here are some really healthy snack ideas which fit most of these ideals:
The healthiest snacks are always going to be the vegetable ones.
#1 - Veg sticks
Sticks of celery, carrots. pepper and cucumber can be a little plain, and not massively filling, so combine them with a fat and protein dose in a dip i.e. hummus, nut butter or soft cheese. A tasty, healthy snack idea!
#2 - Fruit with nuts
An apple, pear, or stone fruits like peaches, nectarines can be combined with a handful of nuts to slow digestion. Try to keep your fruits and veg seasonal so they haven’t been shipped from the other side of the world. The packets or labels normally say where they’re from – it varies a lot throughout the year!
#3 - Kale Crisps
#4 - Hard boiled egg with salad
These can be boiled and kept in the fridge until you use them. Mash onto bread, eat as it is, or team with some salad items.
#5 - Fruit Smoothies
Make your smoothie with full fat yoghurt or avocado (so that the fats slow the digestion of the sugars in the fruit). Add some pumpkin seeds for an added protein hit. Sure to be a popular healthy snack idea.
#6 - Leftover frittata
With egg, potato and some veg, this is pretty well balanced. Make too much for lunch, and then keep some handy bite-sized pieces in the fridge for snack time over the next few days.
#7 - Roasted Chickpeas
Baked chickpeas can be flavoured with your favourite spice, and have a nice crunch like crisps.
#8 - Fruit with yoghurt
An apple, pear, or stone fruits like peaches and nectarines, combined with some full fat yoghurt makes it a much more substantial snack and will keep you fuller for longer.
Some other pretty healthy snack idea options that might be a little more tempting are:
#9 - Trail Mix
Make your own by mixing any dried fruit (avoid the sweetened kind. Sultanas are cheap), seeds (go for pumpkin for its protein content), and nuts (hazelnuts are the most nutritious, peanuts, almonds and pistachios have the most protein). Make it in the ratio of 4 nuts : 2 seeds : 1 dried fruits.
#10 - Banana Bread (no added sugar)
Using overripe (brown) bananas is a great way to prevent brown bananas from going in the bin, and they are sweet enough that you don’t need additional sugars.
#11 - Spiced Nuts
Roast them in the oven briefly with a little healthy oil (like rapeseed or coconut) and your favourite spices.
#12 - Avocado on Toast
Smush the avocado onto the toast and eat – simple! Drop in some dried chilli flakes or paprika to flavour if you want.
#13 - Energy balls
Make your own using nuts and dried fruit. They don’t usually need baking so take minutes to make! Try these Peanut and Honey ones…
#14 - Yoghurts
Go for full fat yoghurts to keep you full. Ignore the low fat ones (they usually have high added sugar instead!). Look for ones with foil tips, and recyclable tubs to be more eco-friendly. Opt for live yoghurts, with lots of fruit content and less sugar and sweetener additives. Or just put some natural or greek yoghurt on fruits at home.
#15 - Nut butter on toast
There are a number of options, including almond, peanut and cashew. Pick ones which are just the nut, possibly with a little additional sustainably sourced oil added. They’re available in your supermarket. Spread on toast and top with banana 🙂
#16 - Pitta Chips
Leftover wholemeal pitta breads can be cut into strips and toasted before being stuck into dips like hummus.
Sometimes you’re craving something sweet or chocolatey. These snacks might be a little more tempting…
#17 - Banana Ice Cream
Frozen banana has a texture like ice cream, so you can make banana based ice cream alternatives at home.
#18 - Wholmeal fruit cakes and muffins
Use fruit to sweeten baking in place of sugar… Banana muffins. Carrot and apple muffins… there are lots to choose from!
#19 - Digestives and cream cheese
Not tried it? You should! I love this. Digestives have a pretty low level of sugar for a biscuit and the packet can be Terracycled, but they still contain unsustainable oils (which are vegetable and therefore likely to mess with your omega balance). But definitely a better option than many biscuits, especially the cream filled ones!
#20 - Homemade Flapjack
Make it with lots of nuts and sweeten with dried fruits rather than lots of sugar and honey.
#21 - Homemade cookies (reduced sugar)
Make your own with wholemeal or nut flours and healthier sugars. Like these Gingerbread cookies
How can you satisfy an urge for something fat filled and sugary whilst reducing your impact on the planet?
Make your own at home. Not only do you know what’s in it, you don’t need the packaging (cake packaging is almost never recyclable and many biscuits come in plastic trays and plastic wrapping). You may even be able to make some healthier swaps (like xylitol for some of the sugar, or wholemeal flour for white).
#22 - Baking with vegetables
Adding some veg into your cakes can allow you to sweeten more naturally, reduce the amount of saturated fats from butters AND get a dose of extra vitamins. Sweet potato, beetroot and courgette go in well. Think it’s odd? – you probably don’t bat an eye at carrot cake…
#23 - Baking with beans
Ever thought of this? Black beans combine really well into chocolate cookies, making them look rich and dark and really boosting the nutrient profile. Check out these black bean choc chip cookies which my daughter can’t get enough of – she’s thinks they might be better than chocolate digestives! High praise for something that’s actually fairly good for her (in moderation) 🙂
If you want something that you can make in minutes, here are a couple more options:
#24 - Chocolate Pudding
Mix a couple of things up at home and you can have a decadent chocolate pudding in minutes, without the packaging.
#25 - Mug cakes
You may not want to keep a cake in the house for when you crave a slice. But did you know you can make a cake in minutes by doing it in the microwave!? Tailor the ingredients between something pretty healthy to totally decadent!
How can you make store bought snacks more eco-friendly?
We all get caught short every now and then. If you have to buy something like a granola bar, chocolate, crisps etc, make sure that they are in recyclable packaging, or at least a packet you can Terracycle. And make sure that you take it home and get it recycled properly!
Crisp packets can be taken to Terracycle drop off points, as can Cadburys’ foil chocolate wrappers. Do remember though, that just because something is recyclable and makes its way into the right collection bin, doesn’t mean that there’s a product that it can be turned into. Your waste may still end up in landfill (or being shipped abroad!!), so avoiding anything wrapped in non-biodegradable packaging is always the best approach!
The store baked biscuits are less likely to have been transported long distances (although the ingredients might…), and usually come largely wrapped in paper bags. So I think they’re a little better for the environment.
Try to avoid the pre cut apple slices and carrot sticks. Not only are these generally available without packaging, but freshly cut will have more nutrients!
Snacks to avoid (and why):
Some of the bigger chocolate brands. They often contain unsustainable oils like palm, source their ingredients from wherever is cheapest and some have been linked to child slavery over their cocoa. There are lots of more eco-friendly brands now who are taking steps to lower their impact, make sure their packaging is recyclable and that their ingredients are ethically sourced.
Store bought cakes as they are usually wrapped in unrecyclable clear plastic film. Especially avoid those cheap cupcakes. They come in so much plastic and are really lacking in any nutrients. If you’re going to eat cake at least get a proper one!
Watch out for some of the packaged granola and fruit and nut bars. Many have extra sugar added, which gives a massive sugar hit when combined with the dried fruit sugars!
High sugar (usually low fat) yoghurts.
Most crisp types, as they’re fried in oil, they are more likely to contain rancid fats and their nutrition value is very low. Baked varieties are often better.
‘Luxury’ biscuits. Beware the biscuits that are wrapped in the foil wrappers AND have a black plastic holder inside. These are not recyclable ☹. Biscuits are often generally very high in sugar, contain unsustainable vegetable oils and have lots of saturated fats, so are best avoided!
Do we even need to snack?
The research is mixed on this and it’s likely that it comes down to habit a lot.
What does seem to be true is that periods where we don’t eat are beneficial in reducing inflammation, so we should seek to avoid snacks after dinner and overnight.
If you’re used to snacking, your body will expect it, and if you have a high metabolism, you’re likely to need to put food in more frequently.
The need to snack is likely to vary by person, so listen to your body. If you’re hungry, eat something. If you’re not hungry, but have a sweet tooth or craving, have a small piece.
Don’t overcomplicate it; just make sure that you have some options available to you so that you’re not eating poor quality foods out of necessity!
How I make this work?
Like I said, this is an area where most of my worst behaviours and habits are. As someone with a speedy metabolism who needs to eat regularly, I head for the snacks at least once a day…
What do I do to manage this?
I make time (half an hour a week) to bake something like a flapjack, or healthy cakes and cookies as a healthy snack idea.
Then I place the poorer choices at the back of the cupboard, the homemade ones in front, (the nuts are here too), and the fruit is on the countertop above this cupboard. So if I feel peckish and go mooching for something to eat, the first thing I see is the fruit. Sometimes that’s enough, if not I’m into the nuts and baking. And if I’m REALLY after the sugar, I make it to the back.
In order to eat a chocolate bar, I need to have justified to myself why fruit, nuts and baking don’t cut it. So there’s no mindless biscuit eating, and often I’ll choose something healthier.
I hope this helps you to see that there are LOTS of healthy snack ideas and options. There are plenty of others (like crackers), but I’m trying to list the healthier and more eco-friendly ones, and the packaging on crackers is not ideal!
For more help, tips and recipes, come join my community!
(click here)
