Nutrition
Marisa HeinzeJanuary 27, 2022
Tips for healthy snacks in your everyday life
Healthy snacks are an important part of a good diet. Sometimes, unfortunately, the three main meals are not enough to get us through our day full of energy and strength. A snack in the afternoon or evening gives us the push we need to successfully overcome all our upcoming tasks.
Sugar-free snacks: healthy and low in calories
Since every extra meal naturally increases calorie intake, it makes sense to have a small selection of healthy and low-calorie snacks handy, otherwise it is very likely that we will simply eat chocolate and chips. While both taste delicious, they lead to obesity and health problems in the long run.
Fortunately, however, there are numerous delicious, but at the same time healthy and low-calorie alternatives. The following recipes are guaranteed to keep you full and happy throughout the day.
Here you'll find three different categories to choose from to your heart's content:
Snacks that are sweet and sugar-free
Snacks that are spicy
Snacks that are low in calories
Snacks that are spicy
Snacks that are low in calories
There's guaranteed to be something for everyone.
1. Sugar-free snacks: Energy Balls
In short:
- delicious
- provide a lot of energy
- quickly prepared
- also suitable for on the go
- great gift for friends
Energy Balls taste delicious and are healthy at the same time. In addition, they give, as the name suggests, fast energy. They are quick to prepare, ideal for take away and also make a nice gift if you decore them attractively.
You can also vary the Energy Balls by simply mixing other ingredients into the basic dough. The balls are especially delicious with nuts, dates and coconut flakes, but pumpkin seeds or chia seeds are also great options. Although the energy balls are so delicious, they only take a few minutes to prepare because the basic dough only consists of four ingredients.
For the basic dough you need:
- Dried fruit e.g. dates, 1 cup of
- Tender oatmeal, ½ cup
- Nuts, ½ cup
- Nutmeal e.g. almond paste, 4 to 5 tbsp.
In addition to dates, figs, apricots, cranberries or raisins are also very good as dried fruit. Instead of oatmeal, you can use other cereals if you like them better. Walnuts, cashews and almonds are great for the nut mix.
For the nut puree, peanut puree, cashew puree, tahini or hazelnut puree are all possible options in addition to almond puree. There are many possible variations.
2. Sugar-free snacks: dried fruit
In short:
- long shelf life
- only a few ingredients
- ideal for work or school
but:
- time-consuming
For the preparation you need:
- Favorite fruit e.g. apples
- Chia seeds as topping (optional)
The only downside to preparing this is the long time it takes for the fruit to dry. Therefore, it makes sense to prepare a large portion in advance. Dried fruit stays edible for a delightfully long time, so this is not a problem.
Besides apples, pears, plums and quinces are suitable fruits. But you can turn almost any fruit into dried fruit in the oven. Drying takes 6 to 10 hours, depending on the type of fruit. Only when you can no longer see any moist spots, the fruit is ready.
It is therefore advisable to check the fruit at regular intervals. The thicker the fruit, the longer the process takes. For this reason, thin slices are ready faster than whole fruit.
The oven requires a heat of about 50 degrees Celsius.
3. Sugar-free snacks: banana bread
In short:
- filling
- juicy
- lasts for several days
A favorite among healthy snacks is banana bread. It is particularly filling and, because of the bananas, quite sweet even without the use of sugar. The ripe bananas provide a delicious flavor. Nuts and dried fruits also go well with the dough. Raw cacao gives the bread a particularly nice color.
The preparation time is not as long as with the dried fruit, but also not as short as with the Energy Balls. Since the banana bread has to go into the oven, it takes about 45 minutes to prepare.
Preparation: Banana bread
- Bananas, 4 pieces
- Spelt flour, 200 grams
- Rolled oats, 50 grams
- Baking powder, 2 teaspoons
- Salt, a pinch of
- Cooking oil, 70 milliliters
- Oat milk,
- Walnuts
- Cinnamon
The best way to start is to preheat the oven to 160 degrees Celsius, this will save time. Next, mash the ripe bananas with a fork and add them to the bowl. Then add all the dry ingredients. The oat milk and oil are stirred in at the end.
Put the finished dough into a loaf pan then. After 50 minutes the bread is ready. In the meantime, the kitchen is guaranteed to smell wonderful. The bread tastes best when it is still a little warm.
Make healthy snacks by yourself: spicy & delicious
Sometimes you need something more like a spicy snack. Here, too, there is a delicious selection that is also healthy.
1. Vegetable sticks with hummus
In short:
- fresh
- spicy
- many vitamins
- many proteins
- quickly prepared
This snack is on the table in just a few minutes. Therefore, it is ideal when you need to go fast. You can cut your favorite vegetables into strips and then dip them in hummus.
If you have a little more time, you can of course make the hummus yourself. It's much less complicated to make than you might think at first glance. However, you will need a good blender, otherwise the consistency will not be consistent.
Hummus:
- Chickpeas, 1 can
- Salt, a pinch
- Pepper, a pinch of
- Lemon juice, 1 teaspoon
- Chili powder, 1 pinch
First, chop. All your favorite vegetables are good options. However, carrots, peppers and cucumbers are certainly the classic choice for vegetable sticks, as they are easy to cut into strips.
To make the hummus, simply add all the ingredients to the blender and then give it a good mix. After only one minute, the hummus is ready.
2. Roasted chickpeas
In short:
- delicious snack
- easy to prepare
- few ingredients
Roasted chickpeas are perfect for nibbling in the evening and easy to prepare. Moreover, they are also really healthy.
For roasted chickpeas you need:
- Chickpeas, one can
- Oil
- Paprika
- Curry
- Chili powder
The first step is to heat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Then carefully rinse the chickpeas in a sieve with running water. To season the chickpeas, paprika, curry or chili powder are very suitable.
After 15 minutes in the oven, the chickpeas are ready. To keep the chickpeas crispy, keep them in a container with a lid. By the way, roasted chickpeas also go very well with salads.
3. Wholemeal bread with avocado
In short:
- quick preparation
- very filling
- provides important fatty acids and vitamins
Quick to prepare and filling is a whole wheat bread with avocado. Avocados provide many healthy unsaturated fatty acids and contain vitamins E, B6 and D. Therefore, they are ideal for a healthy snack.
For a whole wheat bread with avocado you need:
- Two slices of wheat bread
- Avocado
- Salt
- Pepper
- Paprika
- Chili powder
- Chili sauce
It only takes two minutes to prepare this healthy snack.
Everyday snacks: low calorie
The following healthy snacks are ideal for losing weight:
1. Coconut water popsicles
- provides antioxidants
- contains vitamins
These popsicles (similar to water ice) taste great, especially in the summer, and they have almost no calories. Especially if you use coconut water instead of coconut milk, they are absolutely low in calories.
They also contain many vitamins and minerals. The berries provide important antioxidants. Popsicles are especially delicious with strawberries and raspberries. A dash of lemon adds freshness.
For coconut water popsicles you need:
- Coconut water or coconut milk, 1 can
- Raspberries or strawberries
- Lemon juice
- Lemon balm (optional)
For the mold, old yogurt cups are suitable if you don't have a proper popsicle mold. You can use spoons or wooden sticks as the style. After a few hours in the freezer, the popsicles will be frozen.
2. Mango yogurt
This mango yogurt is especially creamy and really ready in no time. The preparation is very simple. The mango is processed in a blender to a fruity puree and then served in layers in a glass.
For your sugar-free mango yogurt, you'll need:
- Mango
- Coconut-based yogurt
Agave syrup is suitable for sweetening. Chia seeds or almonds add crunch and provide lots of healthy fats. Of course, you can also omit the nuts to save calories.
3. Popcorn
Homemade popcorn contains only 89 kilocalories per serving. Popcorn can be prepared both salty and sweet.
The following ingredients are needed:
- Popcorn, 20 grams
- Coconut oil, 1 teaspoon
- Salt or honey
Prepare the popcorn with oil in the pot. Then sprinkle with the seasoning of choice, done!
All in one
The healthy snacks are not only delicious, but also healthy and provide enough energy for the whole day. Most snacks are quickly prepared and last for several days. Even chips and chocolate don't stand a chance against these sweet and savory treats.
Small snacks have the clear advantage of keeping blood sugar levels more constant. On the other hand, nutritionists criticize that snacks make you fat. With healthy vegetable or fruit snacks, however, you're on the safe side.
All low-calorie varieties contain less than 100 kcal. The Popsicles even only have 45 kcal. So snacks can be healthy and harmless for your figure if you choose the right recipe.