Share your non-UPF, low sugar snack ideas?

[OctoRay]

Hello,

I've decided that this year I will make some big changes to my diet and give up sugar and UPF foods.

I've lost the baby weight (15kg 😲) and 3 meals and 2 snacks a day seems about right for maintaining my current weight. I'm a little stuck on snacks though and could do with some ideas. At the moment I have:

Nuts
Peanut butter or cheese on oatcakes or ryvita
Veg sticks and hummus
Boiled eggs
Greek yoghurt with a sprinkling of seeds

What else could I have? I think my snacks are a bit too nut-oriented some days, especially as I'm having porridge with chia seeds, mixed seeds and peanut butter for breakfast.

Actually while you're here, quick breakfast ideas would be good too!

I'm avoiding fruit at the moment.

Basically my aim is to keep my blood sugar as level as I can, while eating plenty of veg ☺️

Cottage cheese
Light baby bels
Poached shredded chicken made into a chicken salad sandwich filling
5% Greek yogurt and berries

Controversial for some but chocolate or chocolate/coffee chia seed pudding made with Greek yogurt is so good. High in protein and fibre and hits the spot for sweetness.

Ingredients
2 tbsp chia
3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt not Greek style
1/2 cup coffee
1.5 - 2 tbsp maple
Pinch salt
Few shakes cinnamon
Add all ingredients to a container, place lid on and shake up until everything is well combined
Set in fridge overnight or at least a few hours.

You can also put all in a blender then put it in a container. I use less maple syrup than stated.

Why is that controversial?

Also for breakfast

150g Greek yogurt
Honey if you need sweetness or peanut butter.
Berries I use frozen blueberries and strawberries kept in the fridge.
Flax seed, chia seed, hemp, pumpkin seeds.

Dark chocolate melted, let it set add date caramel and chopped nuts, put in the fridge until set. Nice little snack.

Homemade oat bars

Egg muffins with veggies added.

Spicy tuna mayo (not a lot of mayo) with chopped gerkins and chilli, scoop out a cucumber add the tuna cut into pieces and enjoy.

Some folk think chia pudding is shite and snobby. No idea why it's bloody lovely!

Kefir yogurt (for gut health - and quite filling)

Olives in pickle juice (good for blood sugars)

A coleslaw of mixed peppers and pickles with cider vinegar (again, blood sugars)

As you can see, I live a riotous life.

Peanut butter is a UPF unless you make it yourself

Olives.

My breakfast is natural yoghurt, high protein granola and a couple of Sainsbury's partially dehydrated prunes.

Veg sticks with a yoghurt dip - try grated ginger or mint or cucumber.
Celery sticks with thin slices of cheese.
Parma ham rolled up like cigars
Edamame peas in their pods - so delicious, and de-podding them takes a while so you don't overeat.

My go to snack is a ramekin of chopped celery and olives, mixed with gherkins if I’m feeling the need for slightly sweet stuff.

I buy 500gm of mixed nuts each week. They're quite filling.

I make my own wholemeal bread at the weekend (it only takes about 20 mins of actual effort), and I make batches of jam in the autumn, greengage, damson, blackberry & apple.

The bread only contains wholemeal flour from a farm, dried yeast and a drop of oil. The jams contain fruit from the garden, and sugar, nothing else. They taste much better.

For a savoury snack I have bread with olive oil & balsamic vinegar.

Not all peanut butter, pip & nut is not UPF.

This sounds interesting.
Why can't you use Greek style yogurt? That's what I've got in the fridge at the moment.

I like edamame as a snack. I buy shelled frozen ones and they're quick to zap in the microwave and are nice hot or cold. I have mine with sesame seeds. But you could do rock salt, chili, whatever you fancy really.

Chickpea Peanut butter balls with grated chocolate . I make lots and put them in the freezer.

Not true at all. There are many brands without palm oil, just peanuts.

Roasted unsalted nuts are the absolute bomb. Only need a small handful.

I'm a big fan of a breakfast smoothie made with kefir, flaxseed and frozen berries. I also often add collagen or protein powder.

All the supermarkets do peanut butter that is just nuts, no added oil, and there are more premium brands like Meridian and Pip n Nut.

Even the ones that have oil, salt and sugar added aren't really upf.

@AllFurCoatAndFrillyKnickers you absolutely can use Greek style, Greek has more protein than Greek style which keeps you fuller for longer. I use Fage 0%

Roasted chickpeas are ace

Can of chickpeas, rinsed, drained and roughly patted dry
Mix with 1 tsp olive oil and whatever spices you like - I usually use Garam masala cumin and coriander.
Into the air fryer for 15 mins (give them a bit of a shake every 5 mins)

They’ll keep for a couple of days in an airtight container (allegedly- they’ve never lasted long enough in our house to test this 😁)

Sounds weird, but baked sweet potato halves sprinkled with a little salt and cinnamon is delicious and full of fibre. It's a street snack in Japan (without the cinnamon)! I used to bulk-bake, freeze, and then just re-heat in microwave. Also delicious with maple syrup of course...

Roasted kale. I know. It doesn’t take long but it is delicious.

cardamomandtea.com/13578/roasted-kale/

Popcorn is good for a low calorie, upf free snack. You can add your own seasoning

I've bought kallo dark chocolate rice cake thins for snacking on too which I believe are UPF free, I've checked the ingredient list but I'm new to this so may be wrong

This week I plan to make cheese scones and banana bread as snacks for the kids

Are you doing glucose goddess OP, I'm actually finding my cravings for snacks are dropping from following her 'hacks', so long as I keep hydrated in the pm and have a good lunch.

Otherwise, I pretty much do what you do!