Staying at home has become a way of life for many of us during the pandemic. Whether you are working from home, choosing to self-quarantine, or just wanting a few ideas when it comes to healthy snacks, we’ve got you covered!
More often than not, unhealthy snacking happens out of habit rather than actual hunger. If hunger is the real reason for reaching for snacks throughout the day, there are easy changes that can be made to your snacking habits to keep you from either a. snacking out of habit vs. hunger and b. choosing healthy snacks over unhealthy ones. Adding more protein, whole foods, and smart carbs into your snacks and meals is one of the best solutions to keep you full longer and to avoid a sugar crash from processed foods.
One way or another, we have all felt the impact of the COVID-19 Virus. Try one or all of the below healthy snack recipes to freshen up your palate and help you avoid the “Quarantine 15”!
EASY TO-GO SNACKS
- Create your own trail mix - combine nuts, seeds, dried fruit, popcorn, and even dark chocolate.
Portion into ¼ cup serving sizes.
- Deli meat roll-ups - spread meat with cream cheese and wrap around cucumber or wrap the meat around string cheese.
For a crunch, you can add a pickle.
- Peanutbutter snack - slice up a banana, apple, celery, or grab some pretzels and eat with peanut butter.
Can top with raisins or dried cranberries.
- Hard-boiled eggs - a quick protein-packed snack.
Hard-boiled eggs (with their shells on) can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.
RECIPES:
1. HOMEMADE HUMMUS
Serve with veggies, crackers, or pita chips
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 drops sesame oil, or to taste (optional)
Instructions:
Blend garbanzo beans, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, cumin, salt, and sesame oil in a food processor; stream reserved bean liquid into the mixture as it blends until desired consistency is achieved.
2. STRAWBERRY BANANA SMOOTHIE
- 1 frozen banana
- 1 cup strawberries (fresh or frozen)
- 1/2 cup unsweetened Greek yogurt
- 1 cup unsweetened milk (nut, soy, animal)
Blend everything together until smooth, adding a splash more milk if the smoothie is too thick for your blender to process well. Enjoy!
3. PEANUT BUTTER SMOOTHIE
- 1 frozen banana
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter
- 1/2 cup unsweetened Greek Yogurt
- 1 cup unsweetened milk (nut, soy, animal)
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder (optional - for a splash of chocolate)
Blend everything together until smooth, adding a splash more milk if the smoothie is too thick for your blender to process well. Enjoy!