Ask the nutritionist: Healthy snack ideas

by on in Nutrition, Recipes

Welcome to our second episode of

‘Ask the nutritionist’

Healthy snack ideas for when you need an energy boost:

Berry Oatmeal

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups water, briskly boiling
  • 1 cup steel-cut oats
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon and/or almond milk (both optional)
  • 1 tsp honey (optional) or brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp nuts, toasted (optional)
  • 1 cup blueberries

Method:

  • Pour the oatmeal and cinnamon into the boiling water till it begins to thicken.
  • Lower to simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Add remaining ingredients.
  • Enjoy!

Roasted Eggplant Spread

Ingredients:

  • 1 medium eggplant
  • ½ medium red bell pepper
  • ½ medium green bell pepper
  • 1 red onion
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 3-4 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 ½ tsp kosher salt
  • ½-¾ tsp fresh ground black pepper
  • Palm-size chicken breast

Method:

  • Pre-heat oven.
  • Cut eggplant, peppers and onion into cubes.
  • Toss in a large bowl with the garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper.
  • Roast for 45 minutes, until vegetables are lightly browned and soft, tossing once during cooking.
  • Cool slightly and mix with grilled chicken breast.

Chia Seed Pudding

Ingredients:

  • ½ Cup Skimmed Milk
  • ½ cup Greek Yoghurt
  • 1 cup Strawberries
  • 2 tbsp Chia Seeds
  • Vanilla Extract
  • Cinnamon

Method:

  • In a jar or cup, combine greek yoghurt, milk and chia seeds.
  • Place mixture into the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
  • After 2 hours, check the mix and make sure it has thickened.
  • If thickened, top with cinnamon and chopped strawberries & enjoy!

Other healthy snack ideas:

  • Low fat cottage cheese and flax seeds on brown bread
  • Egg whites and red bell pepper with guacamole
  • Low fat cream cheese on wholegrain crackerbreads with parsley and tomatoes
  • A small low-fat plain yoghurt, orange segments and a sprinkling of sunflower seeds
  • Carrot sticks and two tablespoons of low-fat hummus
  • Pitta bread with canned tuna and cucumber
  • Wholegrain rice crackers with peanut butter / Greek yoghurt and berry of your choice
  • Homemade cereal bars – get creative in the kitchen! For example, mix 2 mashed ripe bananas, 60g Now Food Egg Protein, 150g oats, 2 tbsp peanut butter and 100g chopped seeds, pressing into a baking tray and baking in the oven (180°C for around 25 minutes) until golden.  Divide them into servings of 4 and taking one serving per day.

To conclude, if you are purchasing packaged products:

  • Watch the amount of fat, saturated fat, salt and sugars in your snacks, as well as the calorie content.
  • Avoid eating in response to emotional signals when stressed!
  • Teach yourself to listen to accurate hunger cues.
  • Make it a point to be in control of the number of snacks you take per day.
  • Plan ahead!
  • Do not wait to be hungry to go shopping. it’s a sure-fire recipe for disaster!