Quick Snacks for On the Go

When we think of snacks, our mind thinks of chocolate, crisps and biscuits. We’re only human. If it came down to choice most people would rather grab a coffee and some biscuits rather than the apple and the bottle of water.

Sometimes getting healthy foods into our systems can be challenging. We stick to our plans of getting healthy meals, but what about the hours that hang between? It’s during the periods we aren’t eating that we crave the junk food. The war between health and junk is usually won by the temptingly tasty junk food.

With this post, I hope to share with you some quick, healthy alternatives to the usual junk foods you reach for. And maybe, it won’t be such a challenge to go for these instead of the junk- because trust me, this stuff is delicious.

Smoothies. I have to admit something. I have a complete obsession with smoothies. Who doesn’t love sticking a bunch of solids into a machine and watch them turn to gloop?!
Smoothies are a great way to get lots of fruits into your diet. Try experimenting with different fruit combos. It’s all about finding what you want. My personal favourite would be orange and banana, because it makes a thick smoothie, which I love.
Make a smoothie in the morning, stick it in a bottle and have a slurp on your way to work. The acidity of the fruits will be enough to wake you up, so you may not even need your coffee! They’re great for any time of die, so go stick some fruit in your blender and blend, blend, blend!

Pitta Bread. Pitta bread is great. Slice it open and stuff it full of your favourite veggies or meats. Maybe add some hummus or mayo. It’s a great afternoon snack or something to take on your break, and it tastes amazing too. Just don’t go crazy with the mayo.

Vegetables and Dips. In my family, we’ve lived a life of carrot sticks and dips. When chilling out and watching the TV at night, my mum would bring in hummus, chilli and low-fat cheese dips. I loved it, because as well as enjoying it (a lot), I also knew that it was good for me. I like to dip cucumber, brocolli, cauliflour and carrots, but there’s probably a million other things you could dip into it. Enjoy!

Rice Crackers. These are the best kind of crackers for you. Even if you suffer from coeliac, you can still eat rice crackers. Buy the lightly salted ones as they are better for you. You could spread peanut butter on them, dip them in soft cheese and chilli sauce, or just have them as a snack on their own. Either way they’re quite filling and deliciously light.

Scrambled Eggs. Scrambled eggs are easy to make, you just need milk and eggs. They’re quick, light and can be eaten as a healthy breakfast. Add a little bit of pepper to them (you won’t need salt) to bring out the flavour and serve with toast (if you want).

Lettuce Wraps. I actually found this idea online looking for healthy recipes for an HE project. It is basically what the title suggests: using a leaf of lettuce as your bread, fill with vegetables and meats and wrap up. It’s a great idea as it’s completely healthy, and I can’t believe I didn’t think of it before.

Dried Fruits and Nuts. Now, before you start picturing rabbits and birds eating away at seeds, let me tell you something- this stuff is really good for you. And it doesn’t have to taste like hamster food. I love salted peanuts or cashew nuts, as they’re small and can be taken anywhere. I also love to eat the little packets of raisins and apricots as they are easy to carry around as well. Dried bananas, although being quite high in sugar, and delicious. Holland and Barrett have a great range of healthy dried goods which I constantly buy.

Cereal & Breakfast Bars. Breakfast bars have suddenly become something huge in the land of dieting. And although they are great, I would recommend checking the labels of some. Yes, they are low in fat in calories, but some of them are really high in sugar to make up for this. I would recomend going for oat or grain bars instead of big chain breakfast bars, and remember to always check the label when buying.

These are just a few of the huge amount of snacks you could take instead of that junk. So next time you want to grab that bar of chocolate, grab the oat bar instead. Next time you want those digestives, grab the dips and carrot sticks instead.

Have a good munch!