Nommy Nourishing Snacks

To snack or not snack? That is the question.

Some people say yes, other people say no. My personal opinion? You do you! Listen to your body, your hunger and your energy levels. If you are hungry, please eat (for more about tuning into your hunger, head here). As a general guideline (note that I say guideline, not rule), I encourage my clients to eat roughly every 3-4 hours or so. The reason for this is to support your blood sugar levels, which will have a big impact on your energy levels (helping to stabilise it and avoiding those darn energy crashes), feelings of stress or anxiety throughout the day (like feeling jittery, shaky and not as able to cope with daily stressors), and supporting your appetite (so you don’t get those intense and uncomfortable moments of extreme hunger).

So, with that being said, this post is all about how to put together easy, nommy and nourishing snacks. I like to make food as easy as possible and understand that when life gets busy, finding satisfying snacks that sustain you might not feel like a priority. So, these snacks are all easy peasy!

First up, what makes a snack a snack?
A snack can be whatever you want really! I like doing a ‘pick and mix’ with at least two of the three macronutrients (protein, fats and complex carbs). Bonus if you can get all three! These key components work together to keep you feeling full and energised by helping to keep your blood sugar levels regulated, as explained above. You’ll likely find that just having one of these components on their own won’t keep you full for long. Everyone has different tastes and there are oh so many ways to find a mix of fats, protein and complex carbs that you’ll enjoy.

Here's a guide to give you a general idea of protein, fat and complex carb sources for common snack options. This list isn’t exhaustive and provides just a few examples. Keep in mind that all foods contain varying amounts of all three macronutrients, and this list focuses on the macronutrient each food is high in. You’ll notice some foods are in more than one list, and that’s because they contain significant amounts of more than one type of macronutrient.

Protein: boiled eggs, canned fish, legumes, nuts and seeds, cheese, Greek yoghurt, edamame.

Fats: nuts and seeds, nut and seed butters, avocado, cheese, full fat Greek yoghurt, dark chocolate, olives.

Complex carbs: wholegrain crackers (e.g. Ryvitas, Vita Wheats), wholegrain or rye bread or wraps, rolled oats, veggies or fruit with skin on.

Flavour! Okay, so this isn’t one of the macronutrients but it’s super important that you enjoy your snack. Lots of the foods above are already super yummy on their own, but here are some ideas for extra flavour – herbs, spices, herb and spice mixes, dukkah, za’atar, chili flakes, dips, pickled veggies (e.g. pickles, sauerkraut), sun dried tomatoes.

And now, onto the ideas!

• Greek yogurt with fruit (like frozen berries) and a sprinkle of nuts, seeds or muesli (Carmen’s classic or fruit free muesli are my fave)

• Fruit with nut or seed butter (I love apple with peanut butter and banana with tahini)

• Ryvitas with avo (or get a lil fancy and add some feta and pepper)

• Vita wheats with cheese and tomato

• Slice of rye toast with Mayver’s Everything Spread or DIY vegemite

• Veggie sticks with hummus, tzatziki or guacamole

• Antipasto plate with olives, pickles, sundried tomatoes, etc

• Leftovers!

• Roast veggies with a dip like baba ghanoush (I like roasting up a big batch of veggies and keeping them in the fridge for the week)

• Boiled eggs

• Edamame

• Canned tuna, salmon, anchovies or sardines on wholemeal toast

• Store bought falafels dipped in hummus

• Carmen’s fruit free muesli bar

• This choc banana loaf

• DIY trail mix – blend together a mix of your favourite nuts and seeds along with anything else you fancy like shredded coconut, cacao nibs, dried fruit or bits of dark chocolate

• Sweet or savoury roast chickpeas, or the Happy Snack Co brand from the supermarket

• A couple squares of dark chocolate with almond butter

• A smoothie (start with this as a base and throw in any extras like cacao or peanut butter)

• Hot cacao (like this one) with collagen

• Chia pudding (here are six different flavour ideas, like coconut rough or mocha)

• These one bowl super seed biscuits

Psst…here are some extra hot tips
A have a few extra tips to make snacking even more easy.  

1. Keep a ‘snack box’ in your pantry with these sorts of foods. Any box will do, even an old cardboard box. Keep it stocked with these foods so they’re always on hand and easy to reach. Keep another box in your fridge for items that need to be kept cool (like yoghurt, hummus, veggies, etc).

2. Also keep some super easy snacks in your bag, car and work desk at all times. Carmen’s fruit free muesli bars and the DIY trail mix work really well here.

3. Keep a list of your go to snacks in your phone and on your pantry or fridge door. That way, when it comes to snack time and you’re wondering what to have or are blanking on what to mix together from your snack box, you can easily refer to your list :)

 
So, there you have it folks! Now go forth and enjoy!