No time to stop and take a break? Not to worry – these healthy and portable snacks will keep you going in between meals. Most of these can be carried in your handbag or stored in your office desk drawer.
- A piece of fruit
A perfect source of fibre and low GI carbohydrates, fruit is portable, cheap, and a great alternative to a sweet biscuit when you need a ‘pick me up’! Apples and bananas are a great choice, as you can carry them around in a handbag without spoiling.
- Chopped vegetable sticks
You can ‘go to town’ munching on chopped carrots, snow peas and celery, and their fibre and water content will fill you up quickly. If you have a fridge nearby, you can dip them in cottage cheese or hommous for a hit of flavour and protein.
- A handful of nuts
Crunchy and satisfying, snacking on nuts instead of a high-carbohydrate snack can reduce belly fat and improve cholesterol, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Heart Foundation. However, nuts are still calorie dense, so if you are watching your waistline be careful not to overindulge. Keep your nuts in a small container, about 10-15 nuts is a good serve.
- Roasted chickpeas
If savoury is more your thing, try out roasted chickpeas – they are much lower in saturated fat and salt than potato chips, and higher in protein and fibre than popcorn. You can buy roasted chickpeas from the health–food aisle, or make them yourself and get creative with flavours! To make your own, drain and rinse a tin of chickpeas, sprinkle with your favourite spices (easy on the salt!) and roast in a hot oven for 20-30 minutes, until crisp.
- A boiled egg
Protein foods are known to reduce appetite, and eggs are often used as a ‘gold standard’ reference for high quality protein, as they contain all essential amino acids. Eggs also rank highly on the ‘Satiety Index’, and have shown to be more filling than a carbohydrate snack of equal calorie . Hard-boiled eggs can last in your fridge for up to 4 days.
- Wholegrain crackers with natural peanut butter
Create a mini-sandwich using wholegrain crackers and natural peanut butter for a portable snack that ticks all the boxes – low GI carbohydrates, fibre, protein and healthy fats!
- A homemade bliss ball
Bliss balls can be the perfect healthy treat, but if you read the label, you will find that many store-bought varieties contain as much added sugar and saturated fat as a mini mars bar! And, they can be very expensive. Be safe and make your own – it’s easy if you have a high-powered blender! Just add a variety of dried fruits, nuts and seeds, natural protein powder (optional), puffed grains and flavourings such as cacao, cinnamon and vanilla and blend together, adding water if needed. Roll 1tbs of the mixture into balls, and coat with shaved coconut if desired. You can store in the fridge for 7 days, or freeze.