Snacking throughout the day is not as bad as you may think. As long as you are eating healthy snacks--think unprocessed, low-calorie, or higher calorie yet satiating--you are keeping your blood sugar levels from spiking and crashing. You are also avoiding the "ravenous trap," where cutting calories too much or for too long leads to a binge and/or bad food choices.
We have put together some healthy snacks we recommend, as well as some recipes using these ingredients. You'd be amazed how easily these simple foods can be turned into something you enjoy more than junk food!
Boiled eggs
Try boiling several eggs Sunday evening to have ready in the fridge for snacks.
Play around with different toppings other than just salt and pepper. We are fans of Everything but the Bagel seasoning and Truff hot sauce.
Sweet potatoes
Try roasting whole or chunks of sweet potato Sunday evening to have on hand for tossing in salads, grain bowls, etc.
Look for sweet potato boat recipes. Here's a great one: https://minimalistbaker.com/loaded-black-bean-sweet-potato-boats/
Popcorn
Sorry, but avoid the ultimate butter flavors and look for plain or simply salted.
Try sprinkling with nutritional yeast for a unique umami flavoring.
Greek yogurt
Use Greek yogurt in place of sour cream. Don't be skeptical, we swear it tastes the same, and it's higher in protein and lower in fat! We recommend Fage 2%.
Drop a dollop of Greek yogurt on a big bowl of berries--another great snack from our recommendations. Drizzle with honey or even hot honey.
Use Greek yogurt as a base for a creamy dip that accompanies some of our other recommendations, like kale, celery, carrots, cucumbers, and even watermelon! Kale Salad with Yogurt Dressing Greek Yogurt Ranch Dip Everything Bagel Dip Farmer's Market Platter with Cucumber Mint Dip Watermelon with Sweet Lime Yogurt Dip
Kale chips
You'd be amazed how much more you like kale when you turn it into kale chips! Try this recipe out, and note that this is another great place to add nutritional yeast for a unique umami flavoring.
Dark chocolate
Dark chocolate does have its health benefits and can scratch that chocolate itch for you. Stick to chocolate that has 70% cacao or more. If you find you can't trust yourself around an open bar of chocolate, look for individually wrapped portions or make your own by breaking up the bar, wrapping in foil, and freezing in a Ziploc bag.
Chickpeas
Make your own hummus and prepare to have your mind blown! Hummus is a wonderfully satisfying dip for other items in our recommendations, like carrots, celery, and cucumber. While most recipes call for tahini, and hummus is delicious with it, you can omit it entirely. Play around with garlic, lemon, and other seasoning ratios to get your own personal hummus blend. https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/12703-hummus (From the above recipe, use 2 cups of chickpeas if you are starting with dry chickpeas you cook yourself. Otherwise, use 1 can of chickpeas undrained and 1 can of chickpeas drained. Adjust seasoning to taste.)
Chickpeas are great additions to salads, either drained from a can, or roasted. Try this roasted chickpea recipe to top your salad, or simply to snack on. We strongly recommend you play around with different spice flavorings on this one. https://www.loveandlemons.com/roasted-chickpeas/