We’ve all been in a similar situation, sitting in class, head in hands, daydreaming about what we’re going to be eating for lunch (praying that it’s the pasta and not the lumpy, week-old looking cottage pie that your canteen so frequently serves up) and suddenly your stomach roars as if it’s holding prisoner to a Tyrannosaurus Rex, just as everyone falls silent.
Perfect.
Enter — the healthy snacks. Full of flavour and natural fats, these snacks will keep you full up when you need it most and save you from the embarrassment of a rumbling stomach in class.
Personally, I spend an awful lot of time in the kitchen and that’s for one reason only — the food. I love to cook it but, even more so, I love to eat it. Unfortunately some people say that eating all day long isn’t exactly healthy so I try to stick to three main meals a day. However, snacking allows me to frequent the kitchen more than three times a day. In fact, you could say that by now I’m a regular, the cupboards even know my name and every time I walk by they shout out “Issy! Issy, over here! Check me out, I’ve got a fresh batch of bagels in here with your name on it.” Not wanting to be rude I always yield and have a peep inside but sometimes my snacks can turn into mini meals and then I’m no longer hungry come dinner time. So, to overcome this I came up with some ‘good-for-you’ snacks that are especially great during that hunger-filled stretch between lunch and dinner. But whatever time you decide to eat them, these snacks will be sure to keep your hunger at bay.
For me, peanut butter is one of the greatest foods out there. There was once a (sad, sad) time when I spurned even the very thought of peanut butter but now I rejoice in the rich flavour and contrasting textures. So smooth and creamy, yet with hidden jewels of crunchy goodness hiding throughout. Peanut butter is simply delicious. If you’re still lurking on the dark side and have yet to discover the delights of peanut butter then skip over to the next recipes that will be sure to take your fancy.
If you can resist eating these before you put them in the freezer, it’s well worth the wait!
If any of you have a go at making some of these snacks, Tweet me your pictures @issybudd. I’d love to see them!
First published February 2015
Frozen Banana and Peanut Butter Bites
Ingredients
- •2 bananas
- •10 ml (2 teaspoons) peanut butter (I like to use crunchy but smooth works, too)
Preparation
Peel one banana, mash a third of it with a fork and mix it with the peanut butter in a small bowl. Set aside.
Cut the remaining bananas into 1.3 cm (½ inch) thick slices.
Top half of these slices with the peanut butter mix and then place the other banana halves on top, making a little sandwich out of them.
Place your mini banana bites onto a tray and pop in the freezer for at least 2 hours.
Enjoy!
Avocado and Smoked Salmon Topped Rice Cakes
A nutrient-dense fruit (fruit! who knew?), avocados are a great source of potassium and monounsaturated fats. You can often find me with an avocado in one hand, spoon in the other, tucking into one of these beauties and later looking guilty as my mum asks, “Where have all the avocados gone!?” Paired with lemon, cream cheese, and smoked salmon, it’s a match made in heaven.
Ingredients
- •2 unsalted, plain rice cakes
- •Half an avocado
- •A thin covering of cream cheese
- •A few strips of smoked salmon
- •Lemon juice
- •Ground pepper
- •Chilli flakes (optional)
Preparation
Slice your avocado in half and scoop out the flesh from one half, transfer it to a bowl and roughly mash it up.
Spread a thin layer of cream cheese onto the two rice cakes, followed by the avocado. Top with a few strips of smoked salmon, squeeze over the lemon juice and sprinkle with the ground pepper and chilli flakes.
Sweet and Spicy Almonds
Ingredients
- •50g (1.76 ounces) whole almonds
- •15 ml (1 tablespoon) runny honey
- •2.5 ml (½ teaspoon) ground cinnamon
- •2.5 ml (½ teaspoon) chili powder
- •A pinch of coarse sea salt
Preparation
Line a baking tray with parchment paper and set aside.
Put the almonds into a non-stick pan and fry over a medium heat for about 3-4 minutes, shaking them frequently.
Add the spices to the pan and mix them with the almonds.
Pour over the honey and coat the almonds in the sticky mixture.
Continue to cook for a further minute, stirring constantly.
Tip the almonds onto the parchment paper and leave to cool for 10 minutes (after 5 minutes sprinkle over the sea salt).
Break apart any clusters and enjoy.