Well Balanced Afternoon Snacks
We all experience those periods of the day between meals where we crave a little something extra. Despite the general notion that snacking goes against a healthy diet, snacks can actually be a regular and essential part of maintaining one. In order to reap the benefits of snacking, however, it is important that we consider what we snack on and how often we snack. When we eat small, clean, and nutrient dense foods throughout the day, we can expect to enhance our wellbeing- both physically and mentally.
Benefits of Healthy Snacking
Beats cravings when several hours pass between meals
Increases brain power throughout the day
Provides the body with extra nutrients
Helps to maintain adequate nutrition if one has a poor appetite or cannot eat full meals, often in the case of illness
Aids recovery after physical exercise
Enhances mood
Preparing healthy snacks in advance not only saves time when you are in need of a pick me up, but it will also stop you from reaching for the wrong snack foods out of convenience.
Try Our Hummus Recipe!
Hummus is the perfect example of a healthy snack that can be prepared, stored, and eaten in a variety of ways. It’s packed with key vitamins, fibre, and healthy fats, which all contribute to maintaining a healthy, well-balanced diet that will benefit our physical and mental health. Hummus can be incorporated into meals in a variety of ways, however, for snacking it can be as simple as using it as your fruit or vegetable dip- that’s how we love it.
Ingredients:
2 tins of chickpeas (tip: save liquid from tins!)
6 cloves of confit garlic
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of tahini
Extra virgin olive oil
Add all ingredients to your mixer, including a small amount of liquid that’s left in your chickpea tins. Blend together.
Whilst blending, slowly add extra virgin olive oil until you reach your desired consistency.
To serve, drizzle olive oil and sea salt, or even some fresh herbs or chives if desired.