It is no secret that everyone loves snacking. Even after committing to a healthy diet, avoiding snacks and treats can be tricky. Unhealthy snacks make up a large portion of the calories that you consume every day. But that does not mean that you have to ditch the snacking completely. Switching to healthy snacks to keep your body in check and satisfy your cravings throughout the day and there are several healthy snacks that you can make at home for a quick and easy break in-between meals.
Frozen Banana Popsicle
Many people enjoy frozen treats after a hectic workday. However, with the calorie count being high in ice cream, popsicles are a healthier snack option. Banana popsicles made of frozen bananas are tasty, and they can give you an energy boost. You do not have to worry about excessive calories, and you can easily make the snack at home. All you need to do is freeze half of a banana on a stick and your toppings later on. Homemade banana popsicles are rich in vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals to nourish your body. The bananas also replenish minerals like potassium in your body, which is vital in regulating your blood pressure. You can customise the banana popsicles to your desired flavour by dipping it in dark chocolate or nuts.
Trail Mix
When counting down hours to the end of a workday, trail mix is the perfect treat. You can never go wrong with a snack made from cashews, walnuts, peanuts, dark chocolate, and dried fruit, all of which are very good for you. Apart from taming your cravings, trail mixes are filled with lots of hidden goodies, including vitamins, proteins and minerals. Most nuts are also great sources of omega-3s, which keep the cholesterol levels in your body in check. The dried fruit in the snack also contains healthy sugars to boost your energy levels. Trail mixes are simple to prepare and are the best way to indulge your healthy cravings.
Hummus
Hummus is a creamy and delicious treat, which you can use as a dip or spread on anything you like. It is incredibly easy to make at home with its main ingredients being chickpeas, garlic, tahini, and lemon juice. After cooking and peeling the chickpeas, you can add the rest of the ingredients and put them in a food processor until it comes together in a pasty mixture. After that, it is ready to eat, so it is super easy to prepare and will save you money if you start making your own.
Hummus also has several health benefits if eaten regularly. Hummus helps to curb hunger, can promote healthy digestion, and can combat inflammation throughout the body. Also, its components have a high nutritional composition. Best of all, hummus is gluten and dairy-free, which means anyone can enjoy it without worrying about allergies.
Sliced Veggies
Crudités are an excellent way to improve vegetable intake and enjoy a healthy snack at the same time. Most health organisations recommend that you eat 2 serves of fruit and 5 serves of vegetables every day, so eating sliced veggies as a snack can help you to reach your daily allowance. You can slice a variety of vegetables like cucumbers, carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower to experiment with different dips.
Since there is no cooking involved, all the ingredients will stay intact for a long time, and are very easy to eat as a snack on the go. Sliced vegetables increase the fibre content in your body and replenish vitamins and essential nutrients. Indulging in crudités is also great for your gut health, so chomp on some veggies next time you feel like a snack.
Protein Balls
If you need a treat to tide you over as you wait for the next meal, you should reach for the protein balls. Protein balls are a great treat to make at home, and only require a few ingredients of your choosing. You can add nuts and fruits to keep you full and boost your energy and you can substitute any milk or yogurt used to bind the ingredients together with your favourite dairy-free alternative.
Protein balls with cashew nuts are good for your heart and maintaining your hormonal levels, which is very important for people that like to work out regularly. You can also customise your protein balls by adding your favourite flavour of protein powder from Luxe Fitness. So you can make sure they taste good and you get the health benefits from a very tasty snack.
Eating healthy snacks is good for your body since it limits unhealthy cravings and helps you to maintain a balanced diet. If you can find a healthy alternative to the bad foods that you crave, you will find that you won’t be missing out your usual snack time, later on, you’ll just have something better to eat instead. So if you’re on a budget and you’re trying to be as healthy as you can be, you should try making some healthy snacks at home so that you don’t feel bad when you get hungry throughout the day.
