Healthy salty snacks: ideas and recipes to snack between meals

Many people, when snacking between meals, automatically opt for sweet snacks such as pastries, cookies, energy bars, shakes, yogurts or dairy desserts. most of these options are too rich in sugarseven healthier options like energy bars, whole-grain crackers or chocolate-dipped cereal pancakes.

Sweet snacks can have a big impact on health, and not just weight. Instead of sweet snacks, it is convenient, at least in most cases, choose salty snacks or the salty version of the most popular snacks.

Why choose salty snacks

Salty and balanced snacks have many health benefitsgiven that:

They help regulate blood sugar and prevent cravings. They provide stable energy for many hours and improve performance. They help regulate hormones and keep us satiated for longer. They can reduce the need to snack on sweets and the craving for unhealthy dishes They can improve the mood and increase the good smoke. They can help us to keep the metabolism active.

How to make healthy salty snacks

To choose a balanced salty snack, it is advisable opt for nutritious ingredientsrich in protein and complete carbohydrates and fiber such as vegetables, legumes, nuts, whole grains and healthy fats.

You don’t need to get too complicated. A balanced snack can be as simple as any of these ideas:

A handful of nutsStrips of vegetables with a little hummusAvocado seed crackersWholegrain sticks with legume vegetable patesCereal pancake with tahini and vegetablesCheese with cherry tomatoes and cucumberA hard-boiled egg with a cracker and radishesBaked chickpeasA cup of gazpachoA few strips of baked tofu with vegetablesHomemade popcornBaked vegetablesA small sandwich with a protein-rich filling

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To organize ourselves better, we can use the leftovers from other meals such as baked vegetables, legumes, tofu or vegetable burgers and turn them into fillings for sandwiches, spreads and pâtés. Or we can include a recipe for a salty snack in our batch cooking and thus have options for several days.

3 healthy and original salty snack recipes

Apart from the ideas that we have offered you above, we leave you here some recipes for healthy and different salty snacks.

1. Cheese flavored salty energy balls

Energy balls are one of the most popular snacks. Try this salty version for a snack, which gives you stable energy for many hours. It is ideal as a post-workout snack and it is ideal for batch cooking, since it is easy to transport and can last for about 5 days in the fridge. For other combinations, try other nuts, legumes or other seasonings with different herbs, curries, dried tomatoes, olives etc.

INGREDIENTS FOR 4 PEOPLE

4 tablespoons rolled oats 1/2 cup almonds 1/2 cup cooked white beans 4 tablespoons nutritional yeast 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder 1 tablespoon parsley or other herbs salt

PREPARATION (10′ + cooking 10′:

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and toast the almonds and oat flakes for about 10 minutes. In a food processor, first grind the almonds and rolled oats. Add the rest of the ingredients and pulse a few times until you get a paste. If it’s too runny, add a little more rolled oats. Try the taste. With the help of your wet hands, form balls and store in a container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

2. savory cake of rice, lentils and vegetables (“handvo”)

If you are thinking of making a pastry dish at snack time, you will have a difficult time, because almost all of them are sweet: cupcakes, biscuits, donuts, palm trees, Neapolitans… But why not try a salty version of biscuit, such as handvo.

The handvo is a salty cake, originally from India, which is prepared with lentils, rice and vegetables and typical spices of this region such as ginger, cumin, mustard, garam masala, turmeric and coriander, and is consumed accompanied by a good tea.

Try this easy version for a different snack. It is perfect to make during batch cooking for snacks for the whole week or as a snack to take to outdoor activities or excursions.

INGREDIENTS FOR 4 PEOPLE

1 cup brown rice 1 cup red lentils 1/2 onion 2 garlic cloves 1 carrot 1/2 zucchini 2 tablespoons oil 1 teaspoon ginger 1 teaspoon turmeric 1 teaspoon ground coriander 1 teaspoon turmeric 1/2 cup yogurt 1 tablespoon sesame seeds 4 tablespoons fresh coriander 4 teaspoons of baking powdersalt

PREPARATION (15′ + cooking 55′ + 8h soaking):

Combine the rice and lentils in a large bowl, cover with warm water, and let soak for 6-8 hours. When preparing the cake, preheat the oven to 180 degrees and grease a cake tin with oil or line it with parchment paper. Chop the onion, carrot and garlic. Chop the vegetable very finely and grate the zucchini. Chop the coriander leaves. In a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the onion, garlic and carrot, a pinch of salt and cook for about 10 minutes. Add the zucchini and cook 5 more minutes. Add the spices and give it a few turns in the pan. Drain the lentils and rice well. In a powerful glass blender or with the help of a thermomix, crush the lentils and rice soaked with half a cup of yogurt. Pour into a bowl, add 1 teaspoon of salt, the vegetable sauce, sesame, coriander and baking powder. Mix well. Pour into the cake pan and bake for about 40 minutes.

3. Crispy carrot chips

If you are a lover of crunchy snacks, but you want to take care of your health and that of the planet, try these homemade carrot chips prepared in the oven.

INGREDIENTS FOR 1 TRAY

1-2 carrots 1 teaspoon olive oil salt

Seasonings (optional): 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast, half a teaspoon of spices such as paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, curry, cayenne, ginger, coriander, fine herbs….

PREPARATION (10′ + COOKING 30′):

Preheat the oven to 150 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Peel the carrots and cut them as thinly as possible into diagonal slices. Ideally, use a mandolin or potato peeler. In a bowl, mix the carrot slices with the salt, oil and spices, place on the tray and bake for about 30 minutes. Flip halfway through. Carrots become crisp when cooled. Consume the same day.