9 Healthy, Filling Snacks for Any Time of Day
Snack time is pretty much all the time if you ask me, lol! I love having tons of different options on hand at the house to fill any craving, from crunch to chew, sweet to savory. But! I don’t usually care for snacks that are totally void of nutrients or satisfaction. Having easily accessible, healthy, and flavorful snacks around is important when you are looking for a healthy relationship with food. I look for snacks that have a nutritional profile other than just carbs and sugar. Why? Because the more you snack on empty, the more you continue to reach for empty. IF you are doubling up and filling your nutritional needs while working on a good flavor profile that makes you happy - this is the ultimate snack satisfaction.
Don’t get me wrong, we all love carbs, but finding snacks that have protein, fats, and fiber are going to be more beneficial in the long run. Plus, healthy snacking can promote an active metabolism, while also keeping me feeling full!
I have a few go-to snacks that have a great nutritional profile to keep you healthy and happy all day long. Keep on reading to find out my five favorite snacks for any time of day!
Trail Mix
With a mix of nuts, dried fruit, seeds, or granola, you can get a ton of different benefits from one snack. Fiber, fats, protein, and vitamins are all included! Making your own trail mix at home is not only going to taste better, but you can be in control of how much of each ingredient you use and you don’t have to worry about pronouncing some of the additions usually found in grocery store granola. Don’t forget to toss in a few pieces of chocolate because everyone knows that’s the best part. :) I’m making my batch with some almonds, cashews, pretzels, cranberries, and dark chocolate chunks. BTW this is incredibly amazing for pregnancy, labor and postpartum.
Greek Yogurt + Granola
I love this for the dose of healthy bacteria that is amazing for your gut. You can get something with or without dairy, just look for lower sugar options. Add a vanilla bean, honey almond, or even a dark chocolate flavor granola and totally up your yogurt game with some crunch. My go-to choices are vanilla coconut greek-style yogurt with dark chocolate granola or strawberry yogurt with oats + honey granola. I recommend dumping everything into a bowl so you have room to enjoy it - and add some fruit on top for an antioxidant bonus.
Veggies + Hummus
Hello, plant-based protein! Veggie sticks and hummus are a classic combo. I personally like using carrots, celery, bell peppers, or cucumber slices to dip in my hummus. Luckily, there are tons of different flavors of hummus, so don’t knock it until you try a few of the options out there. Roasted red pepper or garlic are probably my favorites. If you’re picking up some celery for this snack, grab some extra for the snack that’s up next!
Celery + Nut Butter
This classic snack may feel “childish”, so we’re going to update it a bit! I make a delicious adult version of ants on a log by adding other toppings like dried cranberries, chocolate chips, crushed pecans, or sunflower seeds. Try changing up the nut butter to almond, cashew, or walnut butter for a different flavor. If peanut butter is your favorite, switch up the texture, like chunky, to add some variety.
Popcorn
Going to the movies and grabbing a big bucket of buttery popcorn sounds great, but that isn’t the type of popcorn that makes for a filling snack. When it’s made right, popcorn can be a good option! Surprisingly, it has a good amount of fiber to keep you feeling full, and if you control the toppings - you can really make it light and healthy. I like to add nutritional yeast for a “cheesy” flavor, plus some garlic and onion powder. If butter is more your style - that’s great too! Because you are in control, you are able to monitor the ingredients and amounts and that’s what matters.
Smoothie
Strawberry Banana, Peanut Butter Banana, Triple Berry, Chocolate, the list of smoothie flavors goes on! The point being, a smoothie doesn’t have to just be a breakfast item. It’s perfect for a pre or post-workout snack, a night-time sweet tooth satisfier, or a quick lunch for a busy day. Plus, they’re super easy to whip up on those days where you feel less than thrilled to make anything. It’s a realistic snack that we can make without a lot of ingredients, or crazy prep-time. The key with a smoothie is to ensure that you are not just filling it with fruit. A healthy fat and protein will help to keep you feeling full, which is the feeling we are looking for! Examples of these are nut butters, protein powders, seeds, or nuts. Keep the fruit to about 1/2 a cup so it doesn't turn into a sugar bomb.
Roasted chickpeas
Into chips? I get it, they’re addicting. But we all know that the nutrition we get from a potato chip isn’t ideal. And a lot of us (me included) find them way too easy to snack on while we make the kids their lunch. A great chip alternative that you can make right at home for cheap is a pan of roasted chickpeas. The crunch that we all love is still there, so we aren’t missing out! Keep it simple and toss on a little olive oil and S&P, or spice it up and use chili powder, garlic powder and onion powder. Oh, and paprika. However you eat ‘em, you can enjoy knowing that they’re protein-packed, rather than full of empty calories.
Banana n'ice cream
If you’ve got a sweet tooth like my kids and me, this cool treat can help. A bowl of banana n’ice cream has been my go-to recently, as the weather has been hitting 90. Essentially what you are doing here is blending up frozen bananas to make the same texture as soft serve ice cream. You can also do this with other fruits! To prepare - cut up bananas into small pieces and freeze them. I keep a bag of frozen banana in my freezer at all times. When you are ready to blend - add some of your pieces to a blender with a little bit of almond milk and blend until combined. You want to add just a bit of liquid at a time until you get the right consistency. A few tasty toppings we love include fresh fruit, nuts, seeds, and chocolate pieces. PS, bananas get sweeter as they brown, so don’t be afraid to use up those extra-ripe ones sitting on your counter!
Baked Goods
Alas, a lot of them can be filled with sugar and empty calories. Instead of throwing them out of your day completely, look for alternative recipes for your favorite baked goods. If you’re a blueberry muffin lover, find a recipe that includes protein powder, less sugar, or even a sugar alternative. Amp it up even more by adding some peanut butter to keep you feeling full. Making healthy switches doesn’t have to be a bummer!
Are you a fan of snacking? Who isn’t! Snacking can be frowned upon in many fad diets, but it can be a great thing when you’re mindful about what you eat. I want to know if you’re adding any of these snacks to your daily snacking routine, so let me know down in the comments below!