What's your secret to healthy snacking?

[LouMumsnet]

Calling all snackers - and parents of snackers!

We're writing a Mumsnet guide to healthy snacking and would love to include some gems from wise Mumsnetters. We're after crafty ways to get more fruit and veg into the DC, and clever, portable snacks to eat in the car after school or on the go.

Please do pop your ideas in this thread - we look forward to reading them.

Thank you

I used to love rice cakes but have switched to oat cakes and will never go back! I don't get the same sugar crashes, and the cheese oatcakes taste amazing especially. I keep a packet of cheese oatcakes, a bag of dried fruit and some nuts in my bag. I also carry a stash of dried fruit snacks for the kids which come in handy sometimes as an incentive to leave the park that kind of thing. I usually have crisps for them too and always some fruit and water bottles.

Our favourite snack in my house is a slice of cheese though!

I bought a snack cookbook years back- everything from hummus to healthy choc. Amazing book and recipes

Pickles, boiled egg, olives (especially marinated ones with sun dried tomatoes), smoked salmon, total fat free yogurt with greek honey and roasted hazelnuts is utterly lush and very filling, as is avocado whether in a smoothie with banana and blueberries or smashed on whole grain ryvita. Eatlean protein cheddar is really good too, and if you have that with a clemantine it makes you think of kids party food (if you're a certain age!).

Or have a drink and wait until the next meal!

@AurorasGingerbreadHouse

I used to love rice cakes but have switched to oat cakes and will never go back! I don't get the same sugar crashes, and the cheese oatcakes taste amazing especially. I keep a packet of cheese oatcakes, a bag of dried fruit and some nuts in my bag. I also carry a stash of dried fruit snacks for the kids which come in handy sometimes as an incentive to leave the park that kind of thing. I usually have crisps for them too and always some fruit and water bottles.

I love oatcakes too and the cheesy ones are lovely with tomato soup.

@SquirtleSquad

We love making egg "muffins" (essentially mini omelettes) with various fillings such as broccoli cheese, mushroom, carrot and pea. They're nice hot or cold. I think I actually came across them as a weaning food but my older ones love them too (so do DH and I) 🥕

I love the look of those! Will try

Popcorn, homemade with agave syrup
Cheese scones
Low sugar biscuits, we make orange, oat and sultana ones with banana and dessicated coconut 😋

Oh and apple and carrot muffins

A small chunk of cheddar with an apple, celery or Branston pickle.

When dd was likely to be DESPERATE for a snack, mostly post school, I have something healthy (cucumber was her preferred).
If you give sugar, they want sugar. Easy to day, but set good boundaries really early and don't use sugar as a reward/bribe/treat. Dd was easily pleased by olives because she never got chocolate #meanmummy

Easy to SAY

A Guide to Healthy Snacking should be a very quick read.

“Humans do not need snacks and will not die if they don’t eat for 4-5 hours and will actually be much more healthy”
The End.

While the above is true, if you have a person who naturally is a grazer, they find it hard to eat a full meal in one go. Plus, if you do things like swimming or stay up all night with a sick child/newborn baby then you can get ridiculously hungry. You won't die but it's a nicer ride in life if you can eat when you're genuinely hungry.

I can go long periods without food, but I can also put up with extreme temperatures and my pain threshold is different too. But that doesn't mean I expect it from everyone else too.

Well said @Scales2020

@DioneTheDiabolist

Nuts! DS1 does not eat any fruit or veg, but he will eat nut bars because he doesn't know they're healthy. They're full of fibre, protein and other nutrients. His favourite are the M&S nuts, seeds and sea salt bars.

I complain loudly and go on about them as though they were as bad as Mars Bars.

Oh I may try these. Dd2 has quite a restrictive diet (no fruit, only certain veg and lots of other things are a no go) but she has just tried some nuts (think she was fascinated by the nutcracker!) and she loved them! The bars sound nice and she might eat them.

Porridge with toasted hazelnuts and a teaspoon of honey

Well yeah. You CAN live without a lot of things, but we generally don't.

We'd be healthier by doing many things differently (no driving, no alcohol, no caffeine no smoking, no living in dusty centrally heated buildings...)

Meanwhile back in the real world, for better or worse, most people snack, and wouldn't it be better to do that as healthily as possible?

I don't snack any more because I can assure you I do not snack on carrots!
I don't keep it in the house and I only eat three meals a day and nothing else. If I am desperate I might eat a banana but rarely.
I eat my last meal as soon as I get home from work so I have a long fasting period.

@hamstersarse

A Guide to Healthy Snacking should be a very quick read.

“Humans do not need snacks and will not die if they don’t eat for 4-5 hours and will actually be much more healthy”
The End.

This.

The secret to 'healthy snacking' is not to snack. Wait a few more hours and have a proper meal. Food manufacturers have convinced us we need to eat constantly but it's nonsense, designed to sell more of their products, to the detriment of our health.

I eat roasted peanuts and cashews instead of biscuits - I find that they satisfy my craving for something sweet. I eat them unsalted. My belly fat has reduced considerably.

Nuts

Apples and frozen ( defrosted) blueberries with kefir - delicious and great for the gut . A few whole almonds .

I think some people on here are ignoring the fact that different people have different needs. If I ate three meals a day I would not be able to meet my nutritional needs. Snacking works for me.

Could the egg muffin chefs please provide a how to guide?

Don’t snack.