Healthy Snacks To Curb Your Salty, Sweet and Crunchy Cravings

When the craving for a crunchy, salty, or sweet snack strikes, many people grab a bag of chips or a candy bar. They happen to be cheap and easy options, readily available at any vending machine or gas station. However, choosing a snack-laden with fat, sodium, or high fructose corn syrup adds inches to your waistline and saps your energy.

I’m a big-time snacker since I graze all day long between meals, but I find that the trick to maintaining a healthy weight and feeling good is to snack on nutrient-dense foods that have a little dose of protein.

Here are three snack ideas that I eat almost every day. Hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

  • An Adult PB&J – Who doesn’t love PB&J? It’s a childhood favorite of mine that I still eat a few times a week. However, I’ve made some upgrades since I’ve become a health-conscious adult. Instead of using peanut butter and jelly on white bread, I use Wasa crackers (they’re low calorie and have a couple grams of protein and fiber in each one) and I use Sun Butter (sunflower seed butter) instead of peanut butter since I developed an allergy to nuts a few years ago. While I couldn’t bring myself to give up my favorite Bonne Maman strawberry preserves, I only use a thin layer of the sweet treat to keep the calories and sugar low. And, as an added protein boost, I add a sprinkle of hemp seeds on top.

Ingredients:

Wasa Cracker with Sun Butter, Jelly and Hemp Seeds
Wasa Crackers (2 crackers)
Cal 120
Fat 2g
Fiber 4g
Protein 0
Cal 100
Fat 8g
Fiber 2g
Protein 3.5g
Sugar 1.5g
Cal 50
Fat 0g
Fiber 0g
Protein 0g
Sugar 13g
Cal 40
Fat 3.6g
Fiber 0g
Protein 2.2g
Sugar 0g
Total
Cal 310
Fat 13.6
Fiber 6g
Protein 6g
Sugar 14.5g

 

  • Nut-Free Trail Mix – I’m allergic to nuts so when it comes to snacking on trail mix, it’s tough to find a pre-made option that won’t make me have an allergy attack. Dry roasted legumes and seeds to the rescue! I make my own crunchy, salty snack and add dried goji berries to sweeten it up. It curbs my cravings and keeps me feeling full. 🙂

 

Ingredients:

Dried Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans) with Dried Edamame, Raw Pumpkin Seeds, and Dried Goji Berries
Good Bean Dried Chickpeas (28g or 1 oz or 2 TBL)
Cal 120
Fat 3g
Fiber 5g
Protein 6g
Sugar 1g
Sodium 185mg
Cal 65
Fat 2g
Fiber 4g
Protein 7g
Sugar 0.5g
Sodium 75mg
Cal 45
Fat 4g
Fiber 0.5g
Protein 1.5g
Sugar 0g
Sodium 48mg
Cal 50
Fat 0g
Fiber 1.5g
Protein 2g
Sugar 6.5g
Sodium 38mg
Total
Cal 280
Fat 9g
Fiber 11g
Protein 17g
Sugar 8g

 

  • Muscle Building Hummus – While most health-conscious people already snack on hummus instead of high-fat dips, I like to give my hummus a little boost of protein and fiber. When I don’t feel like dipping carrots, celery or cucumbers, I use Wasa crackers (again, as stated above, they’re low cal, nonfat and have a small dose of protein and fiber in each crunchy sheet). I also like to add quinoa and hemp seeds to the dip, which adds a little protein and fiber to this super filling snack.

 

Ingredients:
Chickpeas/Garbanzo Beans with Majestic Garlic Cayenne Garlic (garlic, safflower oil, cayenne pepper, apple cider vinegar, sea salt, citric acid), Quinoa, Hemp Seeds, and Wasa Crackers
Wasa Crackers (2 crackers)
Cal 120
Fat 2g
Fiber 4g
Protein 0g
Hummus (2 TBL)
Cal 70
Fat 6g
Fiber 3g
Protein 3.2g
Quinoa
Cal 80
Fat 1.2g
Fiber 1.3g
Protein 3g
Cal 60
Fat 5.3g
Fiber 0g
Protein 3.3g
Sugar 0g
Total
Cal 341
Fat 15g
Fiber 8.5g
Protein 9.5g
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