If you are a chronic snacker or just have a busy schedule, you might only have time for quick snacks throughout the day. You need to consume snacks since you don’t have time to sit down for a complete meal. You stay nourished with snacks. Without a plan and healthy snacks on hand, I will struggle and end up grabbing those sugary, unhealthy meals throughout the day.
I’ve discovered on this journey that healthy snacks fill me up, keep me steady, and give me energy all day long. Whereas if I have that bad, high-sugar snack, I experience a burst of energy followed by a slump after the sugar rush wears off.
With that said, I’d want to share my top three go-to snacks with you, which I prefer to keep on hand and be prepared to grab as I’m leaving for the day.
Chickpeas – Hummus
Two great ways to eat chickpeas; hummus which is mashing up the chickpeas adding some good spices etc. using it as a dip. This may be harder to have on hand if your running errands but is a great snack if you’re sitting at your desk looking for something to get you through until the end of the business day.
Here is a simple Hummus Recipe. There are many out there or you can tweak this recipe to meet your taste buds.
Ingredients:
- 1 can-15 oz. of washed and drained chickpeas.
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1/4 cup lemon juice, or up to two lemons, plus additional to taste.
- 1 medium-sized clove of garlic, chopped.
- ½ tsp. fine sea salt, to taste
- ½ cup tahini
- 2 to 4 tbsp ice water, add additional if needed.
- ½ tbs. ground cumin
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- Eat as is or add a garnish: garnishes can be drizzle of olive oil, sprinkle of ground paprika, or chopped fresh parsley.
Directions:
- In a medium pan place the chickpeas adding the baking soda. Bring the mixture to a boil while adding several inches of water on top of the chickpeas. Boil the chickpeas for another twenty minutes or until they are swollen, their skins are falling off, and they are softening. If necessary, lower the heat. Drain the chickpeas in a fine-mesh strainer, then cover them with cool water for about 30 seconds. Place aside.
- Lemon juice, garlic, and salt should be combined in a food processor or blender. After the garlic is very finely diced, let the mixture sit for at least 10 minutes to allow the flavor to bloom.
- Add tahini has been added, the mixture should be processed in the food processor until it is thick & creamy in consistency. Tahini should be scraped from the blender’s bottom and sides as necessary.
- Add two tablespoons of ice water into the food processor as it is running. Scrape out bottom of the food processor, then process the mixture until it is extremely smooth, light, and creamy. (You might need to add an extra 1 to 2 tablespoons of ice water if your tahini was particularly thick to begin with.)
- Add overcooked chickpeas and Cummins to the food processor.
- Add the olive oil gradually while blending. Blend for about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the machine as necessary, until the mixture is extremely smooth. If more ice water is required to achieve a super creamy texture, add it by the tbsp.
- Taste – make any required adjustments. I nearly always add an additional 1/4 tsp. of salt for more flavor in general and an additional tbsp of lemon juice for more zing.
- Once you’re finished, you can add the ingredients to a serving bowl or small, portable containers. Add your preferred garnishes, then serve. Hummus keeps nicely for up to a week in the refrigerator, covered.
Now you have a healthy dip or spread. You can use cut up veggies to dip or a brown rice cake to add the spread too. Both choices are great ideas!
Chickpeas – Roasted
In addition to being a fantastic snack, roasted chickpeas also make wonderful salad toppings or additions to grain bowls. The main drawback is that they don’t last very long as a snack. The hardest thing is keeping them crispy during their three-day maximum shelf life. If you choose to make these your go-to snack, keep in mind that you must make them from scratch at least a couple times every week. But they are worth making fresh since they are so wonderful!
Ingredients:
- 2 cans of 15-oz chickpeas
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp ground sumac
- 2 tsp. smoked paprika.
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
- ¼ tsp. Black pepper
Directions:
- 350°F Oven Temperature
- Use parchment paper to line your baking sheet.
- Rinse the chickpeas until water runs clear and they are no longer foamy. Place chickpeas onto a clean towel; drying the chickpeas off as much as possible, removing any skins that happen to fall off.
- Put chickpeas into a mixing bowl, sprinkle evenly with the olive oil.
- Add: sumac, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, pepper. Once these are added, toss gently until evenly coated.
- Spread chickpeas in a single layer onto the baking sheet.
- Bake for 45 minutes, every 15-minute stir or shack up the pan, or until the chickpeas feel dry and crispy to the touch. (Note: chickpeas will continue to crisp up even more as they cool after baking.)
- Serve right away or keep at room temperature for up to 3 days in a jar or bowl, uncovered (or lightly covered with a thin kitchen towel or paper towel). Keep in mind when selecting your oils Make wise decisions or look at our earlier article on healthy oils.
Buffalo Cauliflower Bites
As most of us love chicken wings, these bites are a great substitute and a healthy fun snack.
Ingredients:
- Cauliflower – 1 Large, cut into bite-size florets.
- Olive oil
- 2 tsp. garlic powder
- ¼ tsp. salt
- ⅛ tsp. pepper
- 1 tbsp coconut oil.
- ½ to ¾ cup Frank’s Buffalo Wing Style hot sauce
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 450F degrees.
- Fill a plastic bag with the bite-sized cauliflower florets. Olive oil should just be lightly coated on the florets.
- ¼ tsp. salt, ¼ tsp. pepper, and 2 tsp. garlic powder should be added. After you’ve sealed the bag, mix the ingredients around to coat all the florets.
- Place on ungreased baking sheet or pan; bake for 15 minutes on middle rack, flipping florets once. For the desired level of tenderness, check them after 10 minutes. They should be crisp not soggy!
- Take out of oven. In a medium microwave safe bowl, melt one tbsp of coconut oil. Add ½ to ¾ cup spicy sauce to the butter. Sprinkle hot sauce evenly over the cauliflower florets by tossing and stirring. Start with around half of the sauce and add more as desired.
- Place back in the oven; cook for additional 5 minutes.
- Serve with Blue Cheese for dipping!
The cauliflower bakes twice in the oven, taking less than 30 minutes to complete. After being lightly roasted with some dry seasonings, the cauliflower is then combined with wing sauce and coconut oil. Because you don’t want the wings to grow soggy, you should bake them twice. This helps avoid sogginess.
When cooking these wholesome, nutritious snacks, I insist on one thing: if it’s available where you live, use Frank’s Buffalo Style Hot Sauce. In that case, you might have to utilize a close variant.
Conclusion
This is just the beginning of my favorite snacks. As we go, I will be adding many more ideas, recipes and fun when it comes to adding nutritious snacks to your daily lifestyle.