Depending on your body type and goal, your nutrition plan may require you to eat more than the traditional '3 meals a day'. It's important to keep your blood sugar balanced throughout the day, which is where snacks come in. This doesn't mean reaching for the biscuit jar or a packet of crisps!
To help we've put together a list of snack ideas to try and inspire you to reach for the best types of foods to fuel your body.
Snacks on the Go
Some of these ideas need a little bit of preparation either the night before or in the morning before you head out the door, but we've tried to keep that to a minimum.
Raw vegetables with dip, such as hummus with carrots, celery, cucumber, peppers, mangetout etc.
Hard boiled egg with cold asparagus spears (you can keep hardboiled eggs in the fridge for up to 5 days)
Wholemeal pitta bread or oat crackers with hummus
Piece of fruit such as an apple or pear or some berries with a small handful of nuts (almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts & brazil nuts)
Handful of dried fruits & nuts or seeds - customise your own trail mix, but remember to go easy on the dried fruit!
Spicy roasted almonds - although these need to be made ahead, they then make a great snack on the go! Spread 100g of almonds on a baking tray, cover with a mix of coconut oil, cumin, garam masala and cayenne pepper (about 1 tsp of spices in total) before roasting at 150 degrees for about 20 minutes until crunchy.
Sweet roasted almonds - another make ahead idea, but once it's done you're good to go! Spread 100g of almonds on a baking tray, cover with a mix of coconut oil, honey or maple syrup and a mix of cinammon and mixed spice (about a teaspoon of spice in total) and then roast at 150 degrees for about 20 minutes until crunchy.
Snacks at Home
All of these snack ideas either involve a bit of cooking, are best enjoyed hot or maybe don't travel so well.
Prawn & avocado with ryvita crackers (or use gem lettuce leaves if you're on a plan with lower carbs)
Edamame beans seasoned with salt or chilli (like Wagamamas!) - take a couple of big handfuls of frozen edamame beans in their pods, simmer for about 3-4 minutes, drain and then season with coarse salt, garlic powder and chilli flakes while still hot. Delicious!
Soft boiled egg with asparagus spears instead of traditional toast soliders
Homemade kale chips – break the kale up into bite size pieces on a baking tray, sprinkle with seasoning and a little rapeseed oil and then roast in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes
Roasted chickpeas - mix some chickpeas with a little rapeseed oil, salt and cayenne pepper then roast in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes
Sweet potato strings made with a spiralizer and drizzled with rapeseed oil and some seasoning (we like salt, cayenne pepper & chilli powder) and then roasted at 200 degrees for about 25 minutes (remember to turn half way through)
Poached or scrambled eggs on rye or pumpernickel bread (use a small amount of butter rather than margarine)
Smashed avocado on rye toast
Half an avocado filled with cottage cheese
Smoked salmon with avocado or raw spinach
Omelette with spinach and mushrooms (or any filling you like, such as spring onions, peppers, courgette etc.)
Small sweet potato jacket topped with cottage cheese
Mackerel or tuna on a bed of fresh spinach
Smoothie Recipes
Smoothie - either a green smoothie or a fruit smoothie with added protein powder. Take a look at our smoothie category for some great ideas.
Sweeter Snacks
There are times when you really do need something a little bit sweeter, hopefully these snacks will help tackle those cravings!
Small portion homemade granola & greek yoghurt (this doesn't have to be just for breakfast)
Bowl of porridge with some added seeds and berries
See our sweet roasted almonds suggestion in 'snacks on the go' above
Couple of our sweet cinnamon balls.