10 Healthy Snack Ideas You’ll Wolf Down
Sometimes, you’ll find yourself hungry between meals. When that happens, don’t stuff yourself with junk food. Instead, try these delicious healthy snacks. They are filled with nutrients while still being satisfying and filling. Follow these recipes for a snack you won’t want to put down!
1) Honey Garlic Cauliflower
As a vegetable, cauliflower is always a healthy choice for food. It can work well as a part of a meal, but in this case, you can just prepare a good amount and reheat it for other times. You might not want to save it though as you might just eat the whole batch in one go! It’s that good! For this snack, you’ll need 1 head of cauliflower, cut into small florets, 2 cups of bread crumbs, 2 large whisked eggs, 6 tablespoons of honey, 4 minced garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon of onion powder, 6 tablespoons of water, 2 teaspoons of cornstarch, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, and 1/2 tablespoon of sriracha sauce.
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees, and prepare your whisked eggs. Dip each cauliflower floret into the egg, and then coat them with breadcrumbs. You’ll place the breaded florets onto a parchment-lined baking dish. Put them into the oven for about 20 minutes. While baking, mix your remaining ingredients, except the water and cornstarch. Bring this mixture to a simmer. In a bowl, thoroughly mix the cornstarch and water, which will then be added to the original mixture. Cook until the sauce thickens, and then toss the fully baked cauliflower florets in this sauce. Your tangy, sweet cauliflower should be ready for consumption!
2) Hummus
Hummus is just about the healthiest form of a dipping sauce you can find. It goes well with many different things. Pita chips are a classic option, but it also works well with celery, carrots, broccoli, and many other greens. Of course, you could save this recipe for another Middle Eastern recipe, since home-made is always the best option. This hummus recipe needs one can of chickpeas, 1/4 cup of lemon juice, 1/4 cup of tahini, 1 minced garlic clove, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin, up to 3 tablespoons of water for consistency, and salt to taste. You’ll need a food processor, and make sure when you use it, you consistently scrape the sides with a spatula so the entire batch gets thoroughly mixed.
Start by mixing the tahini and lemon juice for about a minute. Then add the olive oil, garlic, cumin, and half a teaspoon of salt. Process for about a minute before adding half of the chickpeas. After processing another minute, add the remaining chickpeas. Once this is thoroughly mixed, you can add water and salt for preference. It will be much thicker without water and creamier with more water. It’s all up to you, so enjoy!
3) Zucchini Sushi
Sushi is delicious, but expensive and out of the way. This sushi solves that issue by being both healthier, simpler, and more convenient. To make this sushi, you’ll need 2 zucchini, 4 ounces of cream cheese, 1 teaspoon of sriracha, 1 teaspoon of lime juice, 1 cup of lump crab meat, 1 carrot cut into thin matchstick shapes, 1/2 diced avocado, 1/2 cucumber cut into matchsticks, and one teaspoon of toasted sesame seeds.
Use a vegetable peeler to cut the zucchini into long thin strips. In a bowl, combine the Sriracha, cream cheese, and lime juice. Place your zucchini strips out flat and spread a layer of the cream cheese mixture over it. One on end put a pinch of carrot, cucumber, avocado, and crab. Tightly roll the zucchini, and sprinkle sesame seeds over it. You’ve got your first zucchini sushi, so just repeat for as many as you want. Enjoy this healthy, cheap seafood snack!
4) Caprese Avocado Toast
An improvement on the classic avocado toast, this Caprese avocado toast offers all the flavor of its predecessor along with new tastes and being even better for you. You can easily substitute the bread for your favored choice, but this particular recipe uses whole-wheat. You’ll also need 2 teaspoons of flaxseed oil, 1/2 mashed avocado, 1/3 cup of cottage cheese, a small tomato, and basil and flaked sea salt for a garnish.
Toast your bread, as much as you like, and coat it with flaxseed oil. Over that, layer the avocado, cottage cheese, and tomato slices. Garnish with your sea salt, basil leaves, and if you want, extra flaxseed oil. Of course, you can add your own garnishes and substitutions, but no matter what, this will be one delicious and healthy snack.
5) Greek Pita Cups
For this recipe, you’ll need hummus. If you enjoyed the home-made hummus, then be sure to use that! Of course, if you’re in a rush, you can always go for store-bought, since this snack provides enough other ingredients you may not mind the store brand flavor. Besides hummus, you’ll need 3 pitas, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 cup of diced cucumber, 1/4 cup of chopped kalamata olives, 2 teaspoons chopped parsley, 2 teaspoons of chopped dill, 1 container of crumbled feta cheese, and 9 halved grape tomatoes.
Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees and spraying a muffin tin. Cut your pita into slices, like you would a pizza. Then wrap them into cup shapes and place them in the muffin holes. Bake for about 7 minutes, then remove and half fill them with hummus. In a bowl, combine your parsley, olive oil, dill, cucumbers, and olives. Put a spoonful of this mixture into each pita cup, along with a sprinkle of feta and half a grape tomato. Enjoy these small but flavorful sample of Greek cuisine.
6) Broccoli Cheesy Bread
For fans of garlic bread, you’ll enjoy this greener version. Just as tasty but with a healthy bonus! You’ll need 3 cups of riced broccoli, 1 egg, 2 cups of shredded mozzarella, 1/3 cup of grated Parmesan cheese, 2 minced cloves garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of oregano, salt and pepper, and 2 teaspoons of chopped parsley.
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees, and microwave the riced broccoli for a minute, then dry it off. Add this broccoli to a bowl, along with your egg, a cup of mozzarella, Parmesan, oregano, salt, and pepper. Transfer this dough to a parchment-lined baking sheet, and shape it into a circle. Bake this for about 20 minutes before adding the rest of the mozzarella to the top, then returning to the oven for another 10 minutes. Once it’s done, you can garnish with parsley. It also goes will with marinara for that extra burst of flavor.
7) Dried Fruit/Veggie Chips
This is definitely the simplest healthy snack on this list, but it’s here for good reason. Dried fruit and veggie chips can go with just about any sauce, including hummus, to make a healthier chip than normal. There are also tons of different options for your base: you can use sweet potatoes, apples, bananas, zucchini, Brussels sprouts, eggplant, avocado, radishes, green beans, squash, and many more. For a veggie chip, all you need is your vegetable of choice, along with some oil and salt. Fruit chips don’t even need the oil or salt, though you can use spices like cinnamon for some flair.
Just slice your fruit or vegetables into thin slices, tossing the veggies with oil and salt, and put them into the oven. Try baking them at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes, flipping them halfway. You can easily leave them in longer for more crispy results. Experiment with these! They are an excellent replacement for normal chips, so go wild.
8) Red Pepper with Guacamole
Guacamole alone is filled with nutrients that are good for you, so replacing tortilla chips with bell peppers just makes the entire snack all that much more healthy. Simply slice up your bell pepper, and if you want to soften them up, toss them with oil and bake them for a bit. Then it’s down to the guacamole. You’ll want avocados, cilantro, lime juice, sliced tomatoes, diced onions, diced garlic, and salt to taste. Peel your avocados, place them in a bowl, and mash it up. Add in the other ingredients to your own preference, and fold them into the mixture. Guacamole is a fairly simple recipe, so it’s easily worth making, especially considering the rich taste and creamy texture.
9) Peanut Butter Protein Balls
For those wanting sweet treats while still staying healthy, then this is the choice for you. These protein balls are easy to make and deliciously sweet and creamy. You will need 1 cup of rolled oats, 1/2 cup of chocolate chips, 1/2 cup of ground flaxseed, 1/2 cup of crunchy peanut butter, 1/3 cup of honey, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extra. It’s as easy as combining these ingredients in a bowl and forming them into balls. Then you’ll place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and put them in the freezer for an hour. These treats are an amazing substitute for dessert, or just for a quick bite for some much needed-protein.
10) Chicken Avocado Rolls
Our final healthy snack is an excellent combination of meaty, cheesy, and creamy flavors. For these wraps, you’ll need one cup of diced, cooked chicken breast, 1 diced avocado, 1/4 cup of shredded cheddar cheese, 1/4 cup of diced tomatoes, 2 tablespoons of minced onion, 2 tablespoons of cilantro, 2 tablespoons of sour cream, 1 tablespoon of lime juice, 3 medium tortillas, and salt and pepper to taste.
First, combine the avocado, cheese, chicken, tomato, cilantro, sour cream, lime juice, onion, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Make sure they are fully combined and the avocado has become chunky yet creamy. Spread this mixture onto your tortillas, and serve either hot or cold. Enjoy these delicious wraps as a snack or even as an appetizer.
