4 quick recipes for in between meals

A snack is a “light snack”. In a broader sense, such foods are characterized by a long shelf life and versatility – they can be eaten with your hands and on the go. However, most snacks are difficult to classify as healthy foods. Instead, let’s try to prepare a crunchy, tasty and healthy alternative! Below you will find 4 recipes for healthy snacks that taste really amazing.

Below you will find 4 recipes for healthy snacks that taste really amazing

From chips to muesli

For example, the earliest recipe for chips appeared in 1817 – in the famous English cookbook “The Cook’s Oracle”. Back then, potatoes were sliced ​​and fried in lard – then dried and sprinkled with salt. However, these french fries spoiled quickly, so they couldn’t catch on with the masses. A new era began in 1920 with the invention of airtight packaging for chips and similar light fast food.

These snacks quickly became very popular in the United States. Pretzels, crackers, salted peanuts, chips, and popcorn were sold on the streets, in movie theaters, at sporting events, and at children’s parties. Corn chips, a Mexican snack, also quickly caught on. Some of the most popular include Fritos, Nachos and Doritos. They are also often served with guacomole and other thick sauces – called dips, which are intended for dipping food. Later, the list of such treats was supplemented with cereals in the form of granola bars, small cookies and even sweets.

The most popular Mexican snacks include Fritos, Nachos and Doritos

By the way, muesli was born in Switzerland, also at the beginning of the last century. The local doctor Maximilian Bircher-Benner invented for his patients a dietary dish based on oatmeal, previously soaked in water for 12 hours. The raw oat flakes were supplemented with apples, the juice of half a lemon, a spoonful of cream with honey or condensed milk and a spoonful of all kinds of nuts. The innovative dish was called “muesli”.

Healthy snacks that are low in calories

Can snacks be healthy?

Of course – it just depends on how they are prepared. For example, potatoes contain ascorbic acid, B vitamins, iron, potassium and copper. What’s not healthy about it? But if they are fried in vegetable oil with a lot of salt and that too with the addition of flavor enhancers, flavors and other preservatives, the value of the snack is very doubtful. Or go for popcorn: at least corn contains a significant amount of fiber, so it can also be a healthy snack. The only important thing is that it contains a minimum of sugar, salt and oil.

In general, the best way to enjoy snacks is to make them yourself. We offer you interesting recipes for delicious and appetizing snacks that are healthy at the same time.

The best way to enjoy snacks is to make them yourself

4 recipes for healthy snacks that taste wonderful

Chips from the oven

Supermarket chips are full of salt, flavor enhancers and preservatives. What better reason to make your own chips?

Ingredients:

• Potatoes – 300 g
• Olive oil – 30 ml
• Salt, spices (smoked paprika, ground black pepper, Italian or Provencal herbs, dried onions and garlic) – to taste

You can also prepare the chips without olive oil if you want a more dietary option

Preparation:

1. Peel the potatoes and cut them into thin slices. Soak in cold water for 20 minutes to remove starch. Pat the potato slices dry with a towel and sprinkle with salt and spices. Drizzle with olive oil and stir to allow the potatoes to absorb the spices and oil – the more spices, the more intense the flavor of the chips.
2. Place the potatoes on a baking tray lined with baking paper and bake at 180°C for 10-15 minutes. The chips should brown and bulge slightly.

Such snacks are also made from other vegetables and fruits – pumpkin, carrots, beets, apples, bananas, green beans and zucchini. You can also prepare the chips without olive oil if you want a more dietary option – for example in a dehydrator or in the microwave.

The chips should brown and bulge slightly

Crispy oriental chickpeas

This delicacy is especially popular in Turkey, Iran, Lebanon, Tunisia and other Eastern countries. They are prepared both in a salty version with spices and sesame and in a sweet version with honey or sugar.

Chickpeas themselves are very healthy because they are rich in B vitamins. They are particularly rich in B9 – folic acid, without which a healthy pregnancy is not possible. In addition, it supports the vitality of the cells and helps with energy production.

Chickpeas also contain a lot of manganese. This trace element is important for reproductive function and the normal functioning of the nervous system. Chickpeas are also rich in fiber, antioxidants and polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Chickpeas are particularly rich in B9 – folic acid, without which a healthy pregnancy is not possible

Ingredients:

• Chickpeas – 450g
• Paprika – 1 tablespoon
• Salt – 1 teaspoon
• Spice mix (ground coriander, black and red pepper, turmeric, cumin, dried dill and parsley, Italian herbs) – 1 tablespoon
• Olive oil – 3-4 tablespoons

This delicacy is popular in Turkey, Iran, Lebanon, Tunisia and other eastern countries

Preparation:

1. Pour cold water over the chickpeas and let them soak for 12 hours. Drain the water if it is not completely absorbed, replace it with new water and cook the legumes for 30-40 minutes until they are soft. Pour them into a colander to drain off the excess liquid. Place the chickpeas in a bowl, add the spices and olive oil and mix well. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread out in a single layer. Bake at 200°C for 15-30 minutes, preferably with a fan oven. The chickpeas should be well browned.
2. Turn off the oven and let the snack cool without opening the door. This way the chickpea snack will be crispier and more delicious.

Chickpeas are prepared both in a salty version with spices and sesame and in a sweet version with honey or sugar

Oat bars with cranberries

Granola bars are a great alternative to sweets and chocolate, especially if you make them without sugar and other harmful ingredients. For example, oats can be perfectly combined with cranberries, which add a pleasant sourness.

In addition, oatmeal contains soluble fiber – the plant polysaccharide beta-glucan. It is partially water-soluble and forms a thick gel-like solution in the intestines. Beta-glucan is very valuable for health – it lowers the level of “bad” cholesterol, normalizes blood sugar levels, gives a feeling of satiety and promotes the growth of useful bacteria in the intestines.

And cranberries are rich in natural dyes – anthocyanins, which strengthen the walls of blood vessels, protect the heart muscle and lower blood pressure.

Granola bars are a great alternative to sweets and chocolate

Ingredients:

• Oats – 100g
• Cashews – 50g
• Dried cranberries – 50 g
• Coconut shavings – 3 tbsp
• Peanut paste – 1 tsp
• Honey – 2 tbsp

Oats combine perfectly with cranberries

Preparation:

1. Roast cashews and add grated coconut to the nuts a few minutes before cooking to brown them.
2. Put the nuts, coconut flakes and oats in a blender and chop well.
3. Add cranberries, honey and peanut paste and mix.
4. Place in a pan lined with cling film or parchment paper, flatten and place in the fridge for two hours.
5. Cut the bars with a sharp knife and store in an airtight bag in the refrigerator.

Cut the bars with a sharp knife

Eggplant sticks

Since the sticks are prepared in the oven and not in the deep fryer, you don’t need to worry about the calorie content of this snack. In this case, 100 grams of eggplant has only 35 kilocalories.

Ingredients:

• Medium eggplants – 3 pcs.
• Homemade breadcrumbs – 3 tablespoons
• Hard cheese – 50 g
• Egg – 1
• Mixture of dry Italian herbs – 1 tablespoon
• Dried garlic – 1/2 teaspoon
• Salt – to taste
• Ground black pepper – to taste
• Olive oil – to taste

Preparation:

1. Peel the skin off the eggplants and cut the flesh into long, thin slices.
2. Mix grated cheese with breadcrumbs, herbs, garlic and other spices.
3. Beat the egg with a fork, dip the aubergines and roll them in the breadcrumbs.
4. Place on a baking tray lined with baking paper and drizzle with olive oil.
5. Bake at 200°C for 15-20 minutes.
6. Serve with a thick sauce – tomato, guacomole, pesto, mushrooms, cheese or any other sauce you like.

Eggplant sticks from the oven