DIY Trail Mix: Seeds + Nuts + Dried Fruit + Dark Chocolate
Think beyond peanuts and raisins and make your own variant. Add pumpkin and sunflower seeds, which are packed with protein, and almonds and pistachios, full of healthy fats. For fibre, add a small amount of dried fruit and for those with a sweet tooth, a few chunks of dark chocolate. Good quality dark chocolate is crammed with healthy antioxidants that help play a role in regulating mood, blood pressure and brain function. All of these ingredients are easily available, so stock up, make a big batch and portion them out for your binges!
Guacamole and Hummus
Want the crunch factor? Ditch the crisps and try crunchy veggies like sliced red pepper, carrot sticks or celery sticks paired with a dip like hummus or guacamole.
Make your own Guac:
- Finely chop 2 to 3 tablespoons of onion (or spring onion).
- Using the back of a fork, crush the onion until it flattens.
- Add to a bowl along with the flesh of one avocado, a pinch of salt and the juice of half a lime.
- Mush and mix well.
- Add tiny dashes of salt or lime to taste.
If that sounds like too much hard work, you can also buy pre-made guacamole at most supermarkets.
Tuna
Satisfy your hunger pangs with good-for-you protein. Tuna is packed with omega-3s, which play a role in supporting brain and eye health, heart health and may also improve your immune system. Get a tin of tuna, or for added convenience, try the packets. Just make sure to stick to tuna in water rather than oil and check that it contains 300mg sodium or less. Enjoy with freshly cut veggies or in a salad.
Alternative crisps
Yes, you read right. But, with a health twist. Try veggie crisps. Local grocers’ store variants like sweet potato, beet, carrot or zucchini.
Make your own veggie crisps:
- Simply choose veggies of your choice, slice them uniformly into thin slices.
- In a bowl, toss them with salt and pepper and olive oil until evenly coated.
- Spread out on baking tray lined with baking paper. Try not to overlap the veggies.
- Bake for 10 minutes on 180°C.
- Flip, then bake for another 5 to 10 minutes until crispy and brown, but not burnt.
- Remove from the oven, allow to cool and enjoy!
Energy balls
These sweet, no bake treats take minutes to throw together and are filled with good-for-you ingredients.
You will need:
1 cup rolled oats
½ cup coconut flakes
½ cup ground flax seed
½ cup mini chocolate chips
½ cup peanut butter
1/3 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Combine all the ingredients in a medium sized mixing bowl. Refrigerate and chill for about 30 minutes. Then roll into 20 to 25 evenly sized balls. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.