5 Easy, No-Bake Snacks That Are Healthy And Energizing

I love chips! And I love snacking. And I am willing to bet there is a lot of you out there who love to snack too. Chips are not good for me. They are not good for anyone as a matter of fact. Loaded with carbs and bad fats, they are a recipe for a health disaster in the long run.  Although I love chips, I make a conscious effort to exclude them from my diet everyday. But I’ve had to get creative so I came up with these 5 easy, no-bake snacks that are healthy and energizing for you and me.

Snacking is important and could be the difference between gaining, maintaining or losing weight.  But eating healthy is hard when so many bad choices are readily enticing. The key to snacks is planning.  Planning and preparing snacks is crucial to weight control.  Although it sounds like a lot of work, it is not.  Next time you’re at the grocery store, pick up some additional things and your tummy will thank you. Let show you how.

The following 5 snacks are healthy and delicious! They are my go to when I am starving and need to calm down my inner feisty and hungry Latina. Don’t believe me? Give them a try! I’ve also included a cost per snack because I am an accountant and a total nerd. Plut it’s helpful to those who like to budget.

• Hummus and Avocado Toast: Loaded with heavenly goodness, this is of my favorites. I got the recipe from Where You Get Your Protein a vegan food blog. I’ve tweaked the recipe a bit but only to make it easier. The best part is, you can also serve as a starter or a snack when you have guests!
  
  Ingredients:
  -Whole-wheat toast or your choice of bread (toasted)
  -Hummus: You can make this or buy it. I used to get the HEB brand and that worked out great. Now I get a hummus made by the locals at our weekly market.
  -Avocado
  -Tomato slices: Normally does not require the entire avocado. That leaves more for later.
  -Salt & Pepper to taste
  -Lime Juice (just a sprinkle will do)
  Instructions: Once the bread is toasted, spread a couple of tablespoons across it. (anywhere from 3 – 6 tbsp). *If counting calories, fewer tbsps means fewer calories. Slice about 1/4 of the avocado and add on top of the hummus. Cut your tomato into slices then add a couple to the toast. At this point, I add salt & pepper and sprinkle lime juice on top and take a bite because I can’t wait any longer. Ha. It’s just that good!
• Fruit and Veggie Smoothie: This is so filling. I sometimes do it for lunch when I am busy running errands.
  Ingredients & Instructions: Please see a list of the complete ingredients and instructions here: Healthy Smoothie Recipe
  
  
• Celery & Peanut Butter: Super easy and super cheap
  Ingredients:
  -2 TBS of peanut butter.
  -Celery.
  Instructions: Cut up the celery. Serve about 6-8 cup up sticks on a plate and store the rest for later. Add two tablespoons of butter to your plate and you’re done! How easy is that?
• Wheat Waffles, Peanut Butter and Jam: I am addicted to waffles. (Read how I consumed a fair amount of waffles in Belgium. I regret nothing. Ha!).  This snack is one of my favorites.  It’s a great combination of sweet and salty, and so filling you won’t need another snack for a while.
  Ingredients:
  -Frozen wheat waffles from your favorite grocery store.
  -Peanut butter
  -Your favorite jam
  Instructions: Toast your waffle to the desired toastiness.  Spread 1 – 2 TBS of peanut butter across it. Then spread 1 TBS of your favorite jam on top.
• Apple Slice Cookies: I make this when I have a sweet tooth.  Althought they are technically not real cookies they sure taste yummy.  Plus they are way healthier. I got the recipe from One Little Project.
  Ingredients:
  -One apple
  -Peanut butter
  -Unsweetened coconut
  -Mini-chocolate chips
  -Chopped walnuts
  Instructions: Cut up apples into slices (about 1/4″ or whichever thickness you prefer). Decore the slices. Soak up excess juices from the apple slices with a paper towel. Spread about 1/4 TBS of peanut butter on each slice. I don’t like mine with too much peanut butter so my spread it thin. Sprinkle a few chocolate chips, coconut, and chopped walnuts on the peanut butter apple slice and you’re done! Tah-da! It’s super easy!