share
Meal Prepping, Podcast
Ok, who doesn’t love a good snack? Snacks are great to give you energy when you’re on the go. They’re there for you when you just want that little something to see you through to dinner or when you have people over. When going plant-based, however, you may have trouble coming up with new snack ideas. This is why we created over 40 snack ideas that are not only nutritious but also incredibly delicious. And you can decide, based on the categories we’ve created, what snack is most suitable for you at the time:
- When you have no time (snacks with minimal prep)
- When you feel like an energy boost
- When you are feeling fancy
- When it’s hot outside
- When you are wanting something salty
- When you are craving something sweet
- When you want something crunchy
- When you want higher protein
- When you don’t feel well
Apart from that, we will also tackle the following questions:
- Why do we snack?
- Is it okay to snack?
- What is a balanced snack?
- How much “should” you snack?
Why do we snack?
Snacks are a normal and natural part of eating. It’s not a bad thing if you would need to have a snack between meals or after a meal. Snacking is part of being human. Going for prolonged periods of time without eating can leave you feeling fatigued. You might start to lose focus on something that you’re doing or start to feel irritable. It can even lead to you overeating at your next meal if you’re especially hungry. Snacking can be an important part of your practice when it comes to nourishing your body.
Is it ok to snack?
Snacking got a bad rep due to diet culture. It made us believe that snacks somehow equate to doing something naughty. We automatically have this bad association with the word. But when you notice yourself starting to think about food in between meals or you find yourself drifting off and being unable to concentrate, that may mean it’s time for a snack or time for you to get up and do something else. Hunger or any other bodily cues related to that really shouldn’t be ignored.
How to create a balanced snack
When creating a snack, we recommend including at least two different food groups. And it’s a little bit more complicated when you’re plant-based, because there’s not a very clear differentiation between protein, carbs, and fat like there may be with the standard American diet. For example, don’t just have a banana by itself. That’s a carbohydrate and a snack like that might leave you feeling hungry fairly soon afterwards.
Balancing your snack is actually kind of similar to balancing your dinner plate. This will help ensure that you’re eating a variety of nutrients and it will help you feel more satisfied after eating. Going back to the banana, we recommend pairing something like a banana or a piece of fruit with a protein or fat, like nut butter, a handful of nuts or a protein bar.
How much should you snack?
Once you’ve created a snack, how much you choose to eat depends on several factors. The first thing to consider when snacking is thinking about how hungry you are. Also, consider your individual energy needs. What is it that you specifically need? What are you doing later in the day? What did you do earlier that day or even yesterday?
Because you’re not a robot, what you did yesterday and do today can have an impact on your metabolism and hunger levels. Do you need a little extra something because you have a workout or a long walk or run that you’re going on?
Consider how long it might be until your next meal or when you’re going to be eating again. If it’s going to be several hours and you’ve got this big dinner coming up, maybe you need a more substantial snack to tie you over. Or perhaps you’re eating in two hours and you just want something small to tie you over before you have lunch or dinner.
Snacks for when you have no time (snacks with minimal prep)
Minimal prep number one is to grab and get some fresh fruit or granola. You can buy granola or make your own. Other options are seed bars, roasted chickpeas, or even vegan jerky as well as trail mix. All of these you can keep in your house or pantry and just grab and go whenever it needs to be quick.
Snacks for when you feel like an energy boost
The answer is: energy bites – the meaning is literally in the name. They’re pretty easy to make, especially if you have a food processor. You can flavor them with lemon and poppy seeds, and try carrot cake, classic oats, chocolate chips or pumpkin pie versions. There are so many good recipes out there or you can just buy them at the grocery store, too. They also freeze well. Other energy snack ideas are fresh fruit with some nuts or a quick smoothie with some nut butter.
Snacks for when you are feeling fancy
If you have a little bit of extra time, you could prep overnight oats. Stuffed dates with your favorite nut butter or plant-based cream cheese and pureed pumpkin can also be really fancy. Or go back to the classics, like avocado toast. Just remember that spices can completely change a recipe and take it to the next level – so the same base recipe can be changed to your personal desire.
Snacks for when it’s hot outside
Your classic cooling drinks are smoothies or milkshakes. Chocolate and cherry, maybe with some frozen banana, plant-based milk and nut butter is such a classic combination. Homemade fruit popsicles are also wonderful. To keep it simple, just dip a banana in chocolate, coat it with some seeds and nut butter, freeze it so the chocolate hardens – and you’re done. Such a fun treat.
Snacks for when you are wanting something salty
For a savory option, make your own guacamole and dip your crackers into that. Steamed edamame sprinkled with sea salt is another great salty snack. You could also put together a nice tortilla, schmear it with plant-based cream cheese, add your favorite toppings and then slice it into pinwheels. Or just have some quick nachos with vegan cheese, which are really satiating, too. But going back to the basics, hummus and crackers will never get old. Another fun thing is to just swap your bread for a rice or corn cake and it’s a whole different experience.
Snacks for when you are craving something sweet
Our favorite sweet snack is chia pudding with assorted toppings, like peanut butter and jelly. You could also make a sweet pinwheel with fruit and nut butter. Furthermore, perhaps meal-prepping some muffins, like carrot cake or muffin or chocolate zucchini muffins, is more up your alley. There’s also something called dessert hummus. For that, just pair your hummus with something sweet – that way, it hits both flavors. If you prefer more cooling snacks, you might want to check out yoghurt barks, which are very similar to frozen yoghurt. Need we say more?
Snacks for when you want something crunchy
We love popcorn and nutritional yeast as a nice kind of cheesy, crunchy snack. Apart from that you can buy or make some nice kale chips. Or roast some chickpeas with your favorite spices for a great snack that hits both carbs and protein. But any kind of chip (we love plantain or sweet potato) or cracker with a dip is also going to meet your crunchy needs.
Snacks for when you want higher protein
If you need a bit more protein, any bean dip is going to be your friend. You can buy them or make your own. Combine that with some veggies or crackers for that crunch – and you’re good to go. Or even plant-based yoghurts with a little bit of granola and some extra nuts and seeds might just hit that spot. Wasabi peas are another snack that is protein dense. Or perhaps try a vegan chocolate pudding with tofu and avocado for that creaminess. Other than that, you can always just add protein powder to a smoothie and bulk up any snack that way.
Snacks for when you don’t feel well
Our favorite tummy-friendly snack ideas are pureed pumpkin, sweet potatoes, bananas, rice, applesauce or toast – anything that’s nice and bland, really. Or opt for a beverage such as ginger-infused tea. Often your body will know what is a good choice on days like these.
I don’t know about you but that puts me in a snacking mood. If there was a snack that we didn’t mention or if there’s something that you especially enjoy that falls into one of these categories, please showcase it on Instagram and be sure to tag us. That way, we can reshare it, because people are always looking for ideas when it comes to snacking.
Listen to the podcast episode
IF YOU LOVE US, TELL US:
If you enjoyed this episode, go ahead and hit SUBSCRIBE. There is a new episode every Monday. Click here to subscribe on iTunes.And if you’re feeling generous, take a few seconds to leave The Plant Centered and Thriving Podcast a review on Apple Podcasts. Hearing what you think helps me to curate the best content possible that will benefit YOU. So all you do is click here to review, click “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review.”
