Summertime always has me craving fresh, healthy foods. But sometimes I get a little sick of eating veggies and salads. Getting creative with healthy foods can sometimes feel a little complicated and daunting, but it doesn’t have to be! Try keeping your snack choices simple, colourful, and fulfilling. Here are a couple of my favourite healthy go-to snacks:
1. Roasted Chickpeas
Settling in for a movie and find yourself reaching for potato chips? If you’re a chip or popcorn lover, you should try roasting some chickpeas. It doesn’t take long to throw some parchment paper on a baking sheet and toss a can of chickpeas and some spices into the oven until crispy, crunchy, and toasted. I love the versatility of chickpeas – you can season them with salt + pepper, cajun, dill, or even cinnamon & sugar if you like it sweet. The options are endless and with a cup of cooked chickpeas coming in with about 15 grams of protein, they are a healthy way to snack.
2. Hummus Toast
Garlic hummus spread onto some toasted sprouted grain toast, adorned with perfectly sliced avocado and tomatoes, topped with salt + pepper (and maybe some “Everything But The Bagel Seasoning”, because I put that stuff on everything). This toast makes a colourful, beautiful Instagram picture, and also a delicious and nutritious snack. Keep some store-bought or homemade hummus on hand for easy snacking – dipping some celery and cucumbers also makes snacking a breeze.
3. No Bake Protein Balls
If you have a Pinterest account, you know about no bake protein balls. The beauty about these things is that you can’t really go wrong. You can choose from all sorts of ingredients to toss into the batter and then once they’re formed into balls, just toss them into the refrigerator. They are so handy to keep in the fridge for quick on the go snacks, as most recipes are protein packed and filled with nutrient dense ingredients like nuts and dried fruit. There are recipes for peanut butter fans, choco-holics, and even those obsessed with cookie-dough batter (me). Mix everything in a bowl, form into balls, and refrigerate. That’s about as easy as it gets for a healthy snack.
4. Deli Boxes
For a while, I had a slight obsession with the Starbucks two-egg box. So sometimes I recreate the same box at home – or something similar. A hard boiled egg, a couple slices of deli meat, some apple slices, cucumber and pepper slices, and a big piece of cheese. Perhaps throw some seed crackers or a muffin in too, if you miss your carbs! Deli boxes are an easy thing to make ahead and toss into your fridge for grab & go snacking that is super easy, healthy, and requires no thinking but leaves you totally satiated.
5. Tuna Salad Cucumber Bites
[Text Wrapping Break]I will be happy any day any time eating tuna. I am a tuna lover. I know many people who simply cannot stand even the smell of it, let alone eating it on a sandwich or topped perfectly abed a cucumber! I like to mix my tuna with plain Greek yogurt for a little added protein (and way less fat than mayonnaise!), and then add a million chopped pickles, some red onion, salt + pepper, and place little scoopfuls on top of sliced cucumbers. If I’m feeling fancy, sometimes I will add an extra veggie (healthy!) by slicing a cherry tomato and placing it on top. Perfect snack.
6. Cottage Cheese, Berries & Cinnamon
If I find myself in a real time crunch, this snack is a life saver. Cottage cheese is full of protein, and personally I buy the low-fat or no-fat option if I can find it at the grocery store. A couple of big scoops into a bowl, throw some blackberries, raspberries and blueberries on top, and sprinkle some cinnamon over it all. The berries are packed with antioxidants and cinnamon is super good for you: fighting inflammation and lowering blood sugar are just a couple of the benefits of this amazing spice. And if you don’t think you like cottage cheese, just give it a try! I thought I would hate it too but it turned out to be way better than anticipated.
