Healthy Living Makes a Difference

Busy season is often snacking season. The fall season can get hectic as kids go back to school and extracurricular sports, clubs and lessons start up again. For many, this means it is even harder to eat regularly and maintain a healthy diet! Whether it is lack of time, resources or creativity, here are 35 great snack ideas to consider for lunch boxes, after school, as dessert or before bed! Many of these can be made ahead of time and some can even be frozen. Mix and match the following ingredients as you wish!

Ingredient Selection

• Organic Whole Grains – i.e. oats, quinoa, spelt, buckwheat, whole wheat, kamut, corn, rice (flours, cereals, bread, tortillas, crackers, etc.)
• Healthy Fats – organic/grass-fed butter or ghee, extra virgin olive oil, raw nuts (peanuts, almonds, cashew, pecan, walnut), seeds (flax, chia, sesame, hemp, sunflower, pumpkin), coconut or avocado (and butters/oils/full-fat milks).
• High Quality Proteins – organic/grass-fed dairy products (milk, yogurt, cheeses or kefir), whey or plant-based protein powders, organic/free-run eggs, organic/grass-fed/naturally-raised/wild-caught meats and seafood.
• Gluten/Dairy-Free Alternatives – beans/legumes (i.e. black beans, chickpeas), nut flours/milks (i.e. coconut, almond)
• Organic or Local and Chemical-Free Fruits and Vegetables – any and all in fresh, frozen, pureed, juiced or dried form! (i.e. sweet potato, beets, celery, squash, leafy greens, carrots, broccoli, raisins, berries, apples, bananas, oranges, pineapple, grapes, etc.)
• Natural Sweeteners – i.e. raw honey, maple syrup. Also, consider cane sugar or options such as xylitol, stevia, or coconut sugar.
• Extras – fun add-ins include matcha powder, dark chocolate, cacao powder/nibs, nutritional yeast, organic spices and extracts, etc.

A) Sweet Treats: Healthy Homemade Creations

• DIY Granola (Try Honey Almond Cinnamon, Quinoa Coconut or Peanut Butter Cacao)
• Healthy Cookies (Try Banana Oat Raisin, Peanut Butter Honey, Almond Flour Shortbread or Chickpea Chocolate Chip)
• Raw Fruit and Nut Balls (Try Almond Date or Prune Cashew – add a scoop protein powder!)
• No-Bake Energy Bites (Try Sunflower Butter Oat Flax, Pumpkin Pie Quinoa or Cacao Coconut)
• Baked Oat Bars (Try Cranberry Pumpkin Seed or Blueberry Chia with Greek Yogurt)
• Muffins (Try Whole Wheat Strawberry or Carrot Oatmeal)
• Sweet Bread (Try Spelt Banana or Coconut Flour Pumpkin)
• Whole Grain Scones (Try Apple Pie, Blueberry, Lemon or Chocolate Chip)
• Cereal Squares (Try Peanut Butter Crispy Rice or Cacao Puffed Kamut)
• Pancakes/Waffles/Crepes (Try Buckwheat Crepes, Spelt Pancakes or Wheat Waffles)
• Brownies (Try Basic Wheat, Spelt Zucchini or experiment with black beans/avocado/sweet potato/pumpkin/beets/coconut flour)
• Healthy Fudge (Try Green Tea Coconut Milk, Cacao Peanut Butter, Vanilla Maple or Coconut Oil Almond)
• Homemade Ice Cream (Try Coconut Milk Cinnamon, Matcha or Cacao Mint
• Pudding/Mousse (Try Cacao Avocado, Chia Almond Milk)
• Trail Mix (with nuts, seeds, dried fruit, popcorn, dry cereal, coconut and dark chocolate)

B) Fun Fruits: Frozen, Fresh, Pureed, Juiced or Dried!

• Frozen Fruit (alone or coated in nut butter/coconut/yogurt/dark chocolate)
• Fresh Fruit (alone, as a salad, on kabobs or served with nuts/nut butter or yogurt dip)
• Pureed Fruit (alone or in homemade popsicles, smoothies and frozen “nice cream”)
• Juice Gummy Snacks (made with gelatin/agar agar and sweetener)
• Dehydrated Fruit (i.e apple rings or homemade fruit leather)

C) Stay Full Longer: Proteins and Fats

• Hard Boiled or Deviled Eggs (try stuffing with avocado, tahini or olive oil-based mayo)
• Unpasteurized Cheese Slices, Goat Feta or Cottage Cheese (serve with nuts/seeds or fruits/veggies)
• Avocado Slices (sprinkled with sea salt or lemon juice)
• Nuts/Seeds (enjoy a handful, coated in yogurt/dark chocolate or consume in nut/seed butter and cracker forms)
• Protein Powder Shake (with water, milk or dairy-free alternatives)
• Roasted Chickpeas (with oils and sweet or salty seasonings)
• Regular or Greek Yogurt (with sweetener, protein powder, nut butters or fruit puree!)
• Meat Roll-Ups or Jerky (served with veggies and homemade condiments)
• Canned Salmon/Tuna (stuffed inside veggies, avocadoes, eggs, etc.)
• Edamame (choose a Non-GMO product – sprinkle with sea salt)

D) High Fibre Munchies: Veggies and Whole Grains

• Baked Veggies (as bites or chips – sweet potato, squash/zucchini, kale, beet, cauliflower)
• Whole Grain Crackers or Brown Rice Cakes (topped with nut/seed butters, guacamole or hummus!)
• Tortillas (baked into chips or rolled into stuffed pinwheels – serve with salsa, nut/seed butters, cottage cheese/yogurt, and guacamole!)
• Raw Veggies (serve with legume/bean-based hummus, nut/seed butters or yogurt/cottage cheese dip)
• Popcorn (choose organic kernels- try topping with coconut oil, sea salt and other spices)

Be sure to check out your local health food store for high quality ingredients and healthy recipe ideas!