Healthy Savoury Snacks for you and your children

It is always very difficult to give you suggestions for readymade, shop bought snacks as they are often full of additives and other nasties but here are ones I would buy myself if out with no homemade flapjack or nuts in my bag!

 

1. Nuts & Seeds: Many supermarkets now sell a small snack pot which contains nuts, seeds and fruit – I’ve seen these in M&S, Lidl and Sainsbury. These are a great option as they are packed full of minerals and essential fats. An ideal afternoon snack. You can also buy flavoured seeds. Avoid dry roasted, salted and honey coated nuts.
2. Organix Cereal Bars: not just for kids these cereal bars contain only natural sugars and also contain vegetables such as carrot. You will usually find these in with the baby food!
3. Organix crisps: another not just for kids, if you like your crisps then these ones will be much better for you as they do not contain any additives and no salt.
4. Popcorn: avoid the sweet varieties and opt for plain or salty.
5. Seaweed thins: these are crisp like snacks made from seaweed. Seaweed is incredibly high in nutrients. You can buy these from Waitrose.
6. Tiger nuts: a good source of essential fats and minerals.
7. Yoyo: made by Bear, these fruit rolls are made just from fruit.
8. Fruit & vegetables: the best form of takeaway food!
9. Dark chocolate: yes, I did actually say that, a mini bar of 70%+ dark chocolate is actually good for you.
10. Bounce energy bites: these are so easy to make but if you are out and need a snack then this is a great healthy option.
11. Nakd bars and other similar bars: a great emergency snack but don’t have these too often as they do contain high levels of naturally occurring sugars. Always check the label to see where the sugar is coming from and avoid any that mention ingredients ending in ‘ose’ or of course sugar or syrup.
12. Smoothies: do not use a smoothie as a drink alternative, a smoothie contains the whole fruit and veg so it counts as a food. An easy to grab on the run snack though. Opt for the vegetable loaded ones in preference to just fruit.

 

Here are my homemade options.

 

1. Hummus with vegetable crudities or crackers
2. Cheese and grapes
3. Cream cheese on celery
4. Peanut butter or nut butter spread onto apple wedges
5. Roasted seeds
6. Flavoured roasted nuts
7. Popcorn
8. Oven baked avocado
9. Hardboiled egg
10. Kale crisps
11. Roasted chickpeas
12. Olives
13. Melon wrapped in Parma ham
14. Savoury muffins
15. Home baked bread with mashed banana (this is delicious if the bread is still warm)

 

 

Here are a couple of savoury snack recipes:

 

Cheesy Squash Scones

• 250g butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and diced
• 300g wholegrain spelt flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp xylitol (or Stevia)
• 60g chilled unsalted butter
• 50g grated cheddar
• 1 medium egg, beaten
• Milk for glazing
• A little grated parmesan

 

1. Preheat oven to 200C
2. Steam squash for 15 mins, then mash in a bowl and keep to one side
3. Mix flour, baking powder & xylitol together
4. Rub in the butter using finger tips
5. Add the egg, cheddar and squash
6. Mix to form a dough
7. Roll out on a floured surface, approx. 1 inch thick
8. Cut out 12 shapes using a cookie cutter (different shapes are fun for the kids)
9. Brush with a little milk & top with a sprinkle of parmesan
10. Bake for 15-20 minutes

 

 

Sweet Potato Muffins

• 220g Sweet Potato, Peeled and Grated
• 250g Self Raising Flour (use gluten free if needed)
• 50g Coconut Sugar (or use caster, stevia or xylitol)
• 50g Raisins
• 50g Chopped Nuts (I use walnuts or pecans)
• 1tsp Baking Powder (use gluten free if needed)
• ½ pint of Dairy Free Milk (I use homemade almond)
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp oil (either melted coconut oil, mild olive oil or rapeseed)
• 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
• 1 tsp Ground Nutmeg
• Pinch of salt (optional)

 

1. Preheat oven to 180C, gas mark 6.
2. Place 12 full size muffin cases in a muffin tin or spray a muffin tin with oil.
3. Grate the sweet potato and add all the dry ingredients.
4. In a separate bowl beat the eggs with the oil and then add the milk.
5. Mix the dry and wet mixture together, it will make quite a wet mix.
6. Spoon the mixture in to the muffin cases/tin, filling to ¾.
7. Bakes for around 20-25 minutes until golden on top (note that muffins need to cool before being removed from the cases because they will stick)

 

Breakfast cookies (not just for breakfast) – see the video here.

 

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