Top 10 Healthy Snack Ideas
In a busy life, finding the right healthy snack can feel like a challenge, especially when trying to balance work, family, and your health. For parents who are constantly juggling tasks, it’s easy to reach for convenient but unhealthy options. However, making better choices is possible with some preparation.
The following list will help provide the best healthy snacks for energy, brain clarity, wellbeing and maintaining a healthy weight.
A Movement Snack
Don't shoot me, but the best snack isn't actually food at all, but some movement!
Most of us are snacking due to a perceived lack of energy or boredom, getting some simple, quick movement in will kick your metabolism into gear, not only providing energy for your movement but also for your brain!
Simply get up and move around for 1-5 minutes, this could be a walk to the kettle or bathroom or you could ramp this up to some squats, pull-ups, push-ups or my favourite movement snack, a foot-hand crawl!
That not hitting the spot? Read on...
If it's not boredom or energy crashes driving the snack-attack but genuine hunger then odds are that your last meal was lacking. Specifically lacking in protein and fibre!
And this is exactly where a ROAM bar comes in handy. It's pretty simple, made from beef, whey protein and chicory root. You're getting both protein and fibre in a handy snack bar. Push the boat out and give their chilli bar a whirl or get funky with their smoked paprika, cranberry and almond!
One bar does the trick for a satisfying quick hit but we have been known to have a couple of these along with some dutch cheese as a meal while travelling (little hat tip to the dutch cheeses there; could easily have made the list).
Not too much to be said here, traditional South African dried beef.
Biltong is packed with protein and some old fashioned, friendly fats with a bit of salt. Yum
Be super careful though, a lot of what is on the supermarket shelves is covered in absolute nonsense like sweeteners and preservatives - go for something like these instead!
A pack of biltong might be enough to see you through to a proper meal but can also make a great addition to a meal, bolstering the protein and lessening the need to even think about snacking!
(Any other additive free cold cut meats could also be on the list - its just that the shelf life and need to refrigerate that mean I'm leaving them out - apart from mentioning them here, that is 😂).
A boiled egg
Eggs are a superfood multivitamin... repeat after me... eggs are a superfoo...
Ok, ok, I'll get on with it!
Complete protein source , great fat profile, trace minerals and beneficial compounds. All this is great for satiety and eggs are a fat loss cheat code!
Maybe you've noticed but they come prepacked in a wonderful handy package... called a shell! How handy!
How many eggs should you eat?
Peckish... 1 or 2
Needing to make it a meal... 6 or so!
Got an egg... got a meal... the train passengers may not thank you though.
After a funky alternative? Try Taiwanese Tea Eggs - we lived on these whilst travelling around Taiwan!
Flax crackers
Flax is a powerhouse when it comes to satiety, feeding our gut bacteria and helping them to create compounds that make our hunger hormones take a break!
The specific fibre found in flax isn't really rivalled in any other food (that I'm aware of) and you're also getting a great source of plant based omega 3 fats and a well rounded protein (for a seed).
Go easy on the amount here, flax crackers are easy to over eat and are quite energy dense. Have a couple and wait a while to see if you really need more (you probably don't btw!).
These combine pretty nicely with all of the above and anything else you'd usually put on a cracker.
Here's an idea for making your own and here's one ready made for you!
Seaweed snacks
Again here we're thinking about fibre, and very little energy at all. Interestingly though, seaweed has got that satisfying umami flavour (the 5th taste sense) which just really hits the spot for some of us. So this is a go to craving buster, without the pitfall of kicking off a calorie binge, and the middle aged spread!
You'd struggle to overeat these, and the cost would rack up! You'll probably just want a pre-prepared bag or a sheet of sushi nori added to your flax cracker and dutch cheese (maybe I should be sponsored by the Netherlands?).
Fruit
Remember the humble fruit?
I couldn't not mention fruit in a list of snacks, apart from them just being too obvious.
But, we do need to perhaps be a little selective in our choice of fruit when it comes to usage as a snack.
We want to lean away from tropical fruits, dried fruits, or fruit juices. All higher in sugar, likely to be overeaten, and leave you feeling hungry in an hour or so.
Instead, opt for berries - high in antioxidants and polyphenols (a bit like fibre) and can also be high in fibre too. Berries hit the sweet spot without the sugar load or the calories. Go for wild dark berries where possible (blackberry, chokeberry, blueberry) or a raspberry (super high in fibre).
Also, good old apples are a great source of the fibre called pectin, to keep you well filled.
All the other fruits are also not bad options, just remember to go for whole fruits so you're getting the full amount of goodness in a natural food matrix and are less likely to overeat.
Macadamias
I could have just said nuts, but not all nuts are created equal, and queen of the nuts is definitely the macadamia!
Macadamias are jam packed with brilliant monounsaturated fats. So much so that we often now use macadamia oil for cooking! Macadamia's are also high in antioxidants and stack up pretty well when it comes to protein and fibre. Including macadamias in the diet has been shown to reduce both oxidative stress and inflammation.
Even a handful of macadamias will keep you going. They are super-calorific but regular inclusion of macadamias in the diet is a net benefit for sure.
Macadamias are great on their own and even better with pinch of salt. Snack if you must, but these might be a great addition to the end of a meal to mitigate the need for snacking.
Protein Shake
Protein shakes are... protein rich!
Wow, thanks for that... you're welcome.
Specially formulated to deliver protein with little else, these are a go to snack if you're desperate to fill a hole (nutritional or emotional) without too many extra calories or simply add more protein to the diet.
Usually a 25-30g protein hit from your shake will do the trick for satiety and is a good number for sneaking up the overall amount of protein in a day. Bear in mind that plant based proteins are usually less bio-available and come with some extra calories per gram of protein. Your best bests are going to be whey, collagen or caisin with caisin likely to leave you fuller for longer. Liquid calories overall are not brilliantly satiating.
Protein shakes travel well as powder and just need hydrating and shaking.
Bonus snack: a more well rounded whole-food option that comes from the dairy camp is greek or bulgarian yoghurt. The downside is the need for a spoon and transport. If you've ever had a yoghurt pot explode in your laptop bag you'll know what I'm talking about. Always go for a yoghurt where protein is higher than the amount of fat and carbs. Fage is great and usually ones in similar shape tubs are mimics of this protein rich powerhouse.
85% Dark Chocolate
You might be asking "really? chocolate? healthy?"
Yup, low in sugar and very high in antioxidants, I consider dark chocolate a nutritional supplement superfood.
Notice I said, supplement. This should not be a cornerstone of your diet, but a small addition that can 'hit the spot' as a snack or make a great dessert. You just need 1-2 squares to get the benefits and the feel good effect.
Wanting a luxury snack or dessert - add some of this to your salted macadamias!
Benefits of Healthy Snacks for Busy Parents
Having an arsenal of health supportive snacks available can be a game changer for staying on top of your health goals when parenting. Often, preparing whole meals for yourself while juggling family life, isn't always that easy. Knowing what to reach for when you need to create a quick ad-hoc meal or even just grab on the go, can keep you from getting to the point of being so hungry that you end up reach for baked goods or 'fast food' and sloshing it down with a copious amount of sugar from a smoothie, labelled as 'healthy'... and then stimulating cravings as you crash 90 minutes later and feel the need to scratch the itch again.
Proaction (having supportive options to hand) is better than reaction (succumbing to whatever is around when hunger kicks in).
To be clear, the path to all day energy, consistent clarity and ideal body weight should include 2 or 3 square meals with not a whole lot in between, but supportive snacking might be the halfway house you need before getting your metabolism and mindset fully optimised (if that sounds like a pipe dream... we should talk).
What Healthy Snacks Can I Feed My Children?
Your children need to be fuelled with all the building blocks to fuel an active and resilient lifestyle without causing crashes, mood swings and hanger. Having the right snack or makeshift meals to hand can be a game changer. We're thinking high protein, high fibre and top-draw fats.
Roam Bars and or Biltong - packed with protein and fibre to help build robust little bodies.
Boiled eggs - quick, convenient, nutrient powerhouse, full on energy and building blocks.
Macadamias - one of nature's pre-made hyperpalletable foods that are also amazingly good for your kids - keep them well fuelled but also offset oxidative stress and inflammation.
Berries - Kids love these, they are convenient and full of great nutritional value without too much sugar, avoiding the pitfall of hype-hype-hype... crash-crash-crash!
85% Dark Chocolate - if you're gonna give your kids chocolate, go dark... but they don't like dark chocolate! Start weaning them, go for darker and darker and darker until it's all they like and milk chocolate tastes gross. Doesn't sound realistic, 100s of clients have done this themselves and with their kids - it's a game changer! Do it now!
The last idea here applies to many snacks for kids - they want highly processed sugar combined with fat because this lights up our reward centres in the brain... and this has been advertised to them... and to us as parents.
These foods did not exist in nature, we're not well adapted to live a life that regularly includes them, and as parents its our job to curate a supportive food landscape for our children.
How can Whole Life Health help you?
At Whole Life Health we take a holistic approach to health coaching, focussing on nutrition (and the timing of that nutrition) but also movement and fitness, sleep, stress, mindfulness, breath habits, play, relationships as well as the development of a robust and health supportive mindset.
1-on-1 coaching
Our Whole Life Transformation 12 week programme brings together a comprehensive education focussed on human health based on evolutionary biochemistry paired with weekly 1-on-1 coaching with a habit change expert, acting as your strategic partner, helping you to navigate the process of habit change as you curate an upgraded metabolism and mindset. You also receive 6 moths access to the TRIBE - or inner circle community, of busy parents setting themselves up for true longevity and health-span.
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Join the TRIBE and we'll have you up to speed in 21 days through our 21-day kickstart programme. From here you'll have a solid foundation to then adopt and adapt all the extra health tools on offer to set yourself up for long term success.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the healthiest thing to eat for a snack?
If you feel you absolutely must snack then reach for something high in protein, fibre or ideally both - something like this is a good bet!
What to eat instead of crisps in the UK?
Crisps are classic combo of carbs and fat, lighting up the brain's reward systems but actually providing little nutritional benefit. A great alternative to get some crunch, super healthy fats as well as antioxidants is a handful of macadamia nuts. Add some salt and you've got a real craving buster that also lowers oxidative stress and inflammation!
If you really can't resist crisps then head for some cooked in avocado or olive oil rather that the usual dodgy stuff!
What is a healthy junk food snack?
Healthy junk food? If you're really in a pinch, scour the shelves or fast food joints for something that is highest in protein and fibre that you can find. I'd totally go for some form of processed meat, even with some dodgy preservatives rather than opt to eat McDonalds or Greggs. Really need to eat at somewhere like this? Ask for some burger patties without the bun and mayo or go for a bacon bap... without the bap!
What should I eat if I crave junk food?
If you're craving junk food ensure your main meals are satisfying with enough protein and fibre included. If it's boredom or a dopamine hit you need to cure, try moving your body in fun ways or taking a sniff on some citrus or peppermint essential oils. If you really must eat, go for some easily accessible protein and fibre - like a ROAM Bar!
