Healthy snacks

[Bumperlicious]

I definitely don't go along with the no snacks between meals credo, I need to eat regularly or I get cranky. But my snacks consist mainly of fruit and homemade baked goods (usually bran muffins). These aren't too bad but my snacks are usually sweet and carb based. Does anyone have any other ideas for snacks, preferably portable ones I can take to work.

Ideas for 2 year old DD would be good too, as she tends to have fruit or biscuits for snacks, and is a bit fussy (doesn't like cake ).

Oh, and I am now pg so snacks are going to become important in staving off MS if I get it again. I can't go resorting to daily breakfast baps from the canteen at work and several donuts like last time!

Hello Bumper, Many congrats on the pg. Lovely .

How about home-made flapjack? Ok, still a lot of sugar but the oats are slow releasing carbs and you could add some dried fruits and crystallised ginger. Ginger helps with nausea. I think I've got a recipe for a banana one which uses less sugar somewhere.

Get a flask and take it to work filled with soup? Oat cakes and pumpkin seeds are nice. You can get oatakes in a load of different flavours now - including ginger!

Mixed bean salad?

There was a nice recipe on here for falafel somewhere, if you want me to go looking. I'll keep thinking...

I'm similar....I need feeding or I get grumpy but it's difficult to have variety when you're not near your own kitchen. Here are some ideas for you:

• Chopped up carrot sticks and brazil nuts
• Rice cakes with hummus
• Bruscetta (toast the bread at home in then morning and take some chopped up tomatoes in a little tub)
• Celery with low fat cottage cheese
• Nuts of any variety will keep you full for longer (as will eggs but they're not really mobile)

Hope this helps

Amy x

Thanks for the ideas. I'm not a huge fan of nuts, so they are out. I often have a large jar of seeds and raisins and stuff but it is expensive to keep topped up, better look out for a Julian Graves sale!

Houmous and carrot is a good idea. I love falafel too, they're deep fried though aren't they, does that make them really bad (years of dysfunctional eating has made me lose all perspective!).

I do like the flavoured oatcakes, but they can be expensive too, would like to make my own but haven't found a good recipe.

Love flapjack, but again that's mostly pretty bad isn't it? Does the banana one use less butter. I would love the recipe.

Falafel here page down a bit. They are oven baked so low fat - hurrah!

Will dig out flapjack recipe later.

Riverford have some fantastic recipes that may inspire you.

Flapjack Recipe:

80g brown sugar
40g butter
60g marg
250g oats
pinch salt
1 banana
3 tbsp honey

Oven 220

Melt butter and marg in deep saucepan over a very low heat.
Add sugar, honey and mix until liquid.
Add oats, salt and mix.
Mash banana and add to oats.
Spread over a baking tray.
Bake for 15 mins. Remove once turning darker.

These are different to the sticky flapjack we're used to and are quite crumbly as the sugar and fat are less than some recipes. Taste nice though! I've also added a few raisins to the mix.

Yoghurt? If you have access to a fridge.

So the OP asks for healthy snacks that are not sweet and carb based and people post about flapjacks?! What's more sweet and carb-based than that? Flapjacks are not healthy snacks. You might as well have a few donuts or half a packet of biscuits.

I use the banana and date flapjack recipe (posted by Maebee?) in MN recipes - no sugar added.

How about bananas? I find them good for an instant energy boost.

Also dates and figs. They are very high in sugar and calories, but you only need one or two for a wuick energy lift.

Nigella's cheesy star recipe is a good alternative to biscuits etc for DC's

Thanks OMDB, bananas are already a staple, I like to have 2 snacks, one for morning and one for afternoon, although I love natural yoghurt and banana so I might try and get into the habit of taking some in. I love granola too but am yet to find the ideal recipe.

Hi KnottyLocks - This recipe looks lush. Have you heard about the Bake it Better campaign we're working on at the mo? it's a week of baking, selling and eating cakes all in the name of fundraising...if you don't have time to do that, maybe you could upload this recipe onto Mydish

www.mydish.co.uk/
www.gosh.org/kiss-it-better/get-involved/bake-it-better/

They are making the best recipes into a book which will then be sold with all the proceeds going to Great Ormond Street. It's a great way to get your recipes published while helping save the lives of sick children.

I think this flapjack recipe would be a great one to get on there - what do you think?

Amy x

oatcakes with houmous

rice cake with some cheese spread/cottage cheese

grapes, apple and small piece of cheese

Mixture of carb and protein should help get you through the day with snacks - though have to admit am a huge fan of just cherries by themselves... yum...

I always take fresh water for my twin boys to drink when I meet them from school. First rehydrate your children as they often feel hungry when they are really thirsty. (Let's face it how many children actually drink the water you send them in with every morning?)
Next I always take cereal for them to eat in the car on the way home. I find that Honey Loops are the best as they are a bit like popcorn. Also they are getting an energy boost without filling themselves up before dinner.