Quick and Easy Snacks

By: Danielle

Three meals a day and two snacks. That's what we are all striving for. I don't know about you but that snack time is usually synonymous with nutrient-lacking foods. My girls now come up to me and say "Mommy I want a snack, not food". Hearing her ask that was an eye-opener for me.

She wanted a snack because snacks are usually fun, tastier than dinner, and sometimes even something out of a package. So I changed things up when it came to snacking…not just for my kids but for myself as well.

I made sure our snacks were made with nutrient-rich foods, and leveraged whole foods as much as possible. Just as we do with meals, I'm always aiming to have the following: protein, fat and fiber. These are the nutrients that sustain us, keep us fueled and focused. So we don't want that cookie later.

Each and every snack you see here will have at least two of the following: protein, fat or fiber.

Here are 10 quick and healthy snack ideas:

1. Avocado or guacamole with fruit (i.e. organic berries)
2. Hardboiled eggs with veg (i.e. sliced peppers)
3. Coconut yogurt with chia with fruit (i.e. mango)
4. Lara bars
5. Kale chips with cashews
6. Pecans with dried fruit (i.e. unsulfured apricots)
7. Coconut chips with apple slices
8. Apple chips with cheese (sheep's cheese is so tasty, and more easily digested than cows)
9. Rice cakes with sunflower seed butter and homemade jam (love chia seed jam!)
10. Hummus with veg (cucumbers)

And I'd be remiss not to tell you that snacks don't have to be snacky foods. They can be mini meals. Like leftover dinner or lunch. Sometimes I'll have a salad for morning snack or chicken and broccoli in the afternoon. The easiest thing to do is think about it this way: every time you put a food in your mouth, ask "is this fueling and feeding my body?". If the answer is yes, then chow down and enjoy. Of course, give yourself permission to happily have some chocolate or cake once in a while too. No matter what you're eating, savour and appreciate it.

For more snack inspiration you can check out this article.