13 healthy, functional snack ideas
Snacking can be an important part of your day, the extra energy and mini break they provide are vital- especially when working from home. But snacking comes with a lot of pitfalls that can be difficult to avoid. Lots of hidden sodium or processed sugar, , empty calories, and overeating just to name a few.
Incorporating functional foods into your snacking routine is the easiest way to snack healthy!
Here are 13 healthy, functional snacks to try at home:
Savory snacks
If you prefer salty snacks but want to keep things healthy by going light on (or skipping!) the salt, these snacks will fill that savory craving.
Homemade chips
This is another healthy spin on a classic. Store bought chips are easy and tempting but you’ll thank yourself for making these healthy ones! Bake for 30 minutes at 400 for sweet potatoes and apples, 350 for kale.
Use a mandoline or sharp knife to carefully slice sweet potatoes
Crisp in a dehydrator or at a low oven temp until crunchy
Try kale chips for a quicker and easier chip, no cutting required
One of the main benefits here is the lack of all the salt and oil you find in store bought chips. Sweet potatoes are a perfect savory choice because they’re full of beta-carotene, which is a precursor to vitamin A, as well as fiber. Kale also provides antioxidants and gives an immune system boost.
Baked cauliflower bites
Whether you make these ahead or snack on them warm from the oven, these bite sized veggies are a wonderful snack. Try Italian seasoning, curry mixes, paprika, or your favorite seasonings!
Cut fresh cauliflower into bite sized portions
Toss with olive oil and seasoning of choice
Roast on a sheet pan until cooked and lightly crisp
This can be an immune system boosting snack as both cauliflower and olive oil may help support your immune system. Both contain antioxidants and olive oil may help support heart and brain health.
Avocado, tomato, and mozzarella toast
A versatile and easy snack that can be adapted for all diets. Use a whole grain bread or even try making your own! After toasting your bread layer slices of avocado, tomato, and mozzarella then drizzle with a little olive oil.
Whole grain bread is always best, whole grains have more fiber, potassium, calcium, and magnesium than processed grains do. Avocado pairs well with toast and can support heart health while also providing fiber, key vitamins, and good fats. Plus it has a high satiety to help you feel full.
Adding tomato slices provides more vitamins, especially folate and vit C. They also provide more fiber but also some fluid and can support vision health- very important when you spend all day staring at a computer! The mozzarella provides some probiotics, can help reduce weight gain, and support bone health. The drizzle of olive oil adds another flavor plus antioxidants.
Mini hummus tray
Hummus is a powerhouse snack, it has a high fiber content and lots of vitamins and minerals. Key ones include folate, iron, vitamin B6, and thiamin. Plus it has polyphenols, which may aid in digestive health, weight management, and issues like diabetes. When eating it as a snack, be sure to keep the serving size to no more than 2 tablespoons.
Try pairing various veggies with your hummus for extra benefits. Red bell peppers are a classic choice but also try sugar snap peas, carrots, or even the homemade veggie chips from above!
Hard boiled eggs
Eggs are quick and easy to boil plus you can make one batch to last the whole week. They make a satisfying snack because they’re high in protein but low in both calories and saturated fats. Eggs are also high in vitamins A and D and support eye, nerve, and brain health.
Try new and fun seasonings beyond salt and pepper to add some variety to this snack. Smoked salt, poultry spice blends, and chili powder are just a few to start.
Sweet snacks
If you crave sweet things all day long, here are the snacks for you! These snacks will satisfy your sweet tooth without jeopardizing your health.
Healthy banana split
You read that right, a banana split as a snack! This is a healthy take on the ice cream shop classic.
Peel and split a banana and place in a dish
Scoop yogurt of choice on top (in place of ice cream)
Drizzle with honey and sprinkle with cacao nibs
Bananas make a healthy snack that's supportive for your digestive health thanks to their fiber content. They also provide potassium and vitamins B6 and C. Both bananas and yogurt have been shown to aid in weight management so this is a great diet friendly option!
Homemade yogurt cups
This is fresher and better for you then the store bought version, plus you get complete freedom to make your own flavors!
Dice fresh fruit of choice (I recommend peaches)
Lightly mash the fruit until it's juicy but keeping some chunks
If desired, sweeten the fruit with some honey or coconut sugar
Mix fruit in with greek yogurt, or coconut, cashew, or almond yogurt as a dairy-free option
These yogurt and fruit cups make a filling snack thanks to the high protein content of yogurt, which helps you to feel full. Additionally, you get probiotic benefits from the fermented yogurt (great for gut health) and the fruit provides fiber and antioxidants. While skipping the sweetener is best, using honey or coconut sugar both have lower glycemic indexes so will help prevent a post snack energy crash.
Snack sized overnight oats
If you’re a breakfast any time of the day person then this is for you! And since you make it the night before, it’s a quick snack to grab between work.
Combine old fashioned oats with milk of choice
Mix in a scoop of chia seeds
Pro tip: Add raisins to sweeten and get more benefits
Oats control hunger and prevent your blood sugar from spiking. They’re also full of fiber and antioxidants.. Adding chia seeds provides protein and more antioxidants plus they may also prevent blood sugar spikes and have a high satiety (aka how full a food makes you feel). Raisins are a sweet but healthy add in thanks to their low-moderate glycemic index. They can also help to reduce your appetite and promote good oral health thanks to their texture.
Nut and seed bread with ghee
Bread and butter is a worldwide staple snack. We ate it in my house with the addition of white sugar on top. This wasn’t the healthiest snack but when made with nut and seed bread with ghee it becomes a healthy AND functional snack.
Nut and seed bread has a high protein content which will help you feel full plus the nuts and seeds provide antioxidants, fiber, and can reduce inflammation and may lower risk of heart disease. Ghee is a perfect substitute for butter since it provides healthy fats without all the dairy solids.
Try adding a drizzle of honey for some sweetness plus antioxidants and minerals.
Simple snacks
Sometimes you just don’t have a lot of time to grab a snack, especially when you work from home and live on zoom. Here are a few good healthy snacks you can run and quickly grab!
Trail mix
Mixing up a large batch of your own trail mix blend is a quick and easy way to have a healthy snack on hand. Just make sure to use raw unsalted nuts and stick to a ¼ cup serving size to keep it healthy.
Here are some ideas to include in your trail mix, pick your favorites and mix away!
Raisins
Almonds
Cashews
Brazil nuts
Macadamia nuts
Dark chocolate
Banana chips
Nuts are a tasty and functional snack, they’re nutritional dense, high in protein and fiber, and antioxidants. They may also support weight loss and reduce inflammation plus lowering risk of heart disease. Raisins are a healthy way to add some sweetness and dark chocolate balances the nuts while providing antioxidants and can also support heart and brain health.
Popcorn
This is one of the best snacks out there! Just remember that it needs to be air popped and lightly seasoned. Movie theater popcorn unfortunately isn’t a healthy option.
Pop plain ol’ popcorn then season it with whatever you want, making sure to stay light on salt and resist the urge to drown it in butter.
Popcorn has high satiety, so even a little can help make you feel full. Plus it has lots of fiber and antioxidants. Try seasoning it with olive oil, curry powder, or nutritional yeast!
Citrus fruits
Eating fruit is an important part of keeping a healthy diet and it’s common to not get enough. Picking fruit for a snack is a way to up your intake, plus it’s a quick and easy snack to grab. Citrus fruits, like mandarins and oranges, are an especially good pick thanks to the refreshing scent and health benefits.
Fruit is full of fiber and fluid, a perfect combination for your health. You also get a bunch of antioxidants and a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. Citrus specifically has vitamins like potassium and vitamin C. Plus citrus may be protective against health issues like diabetes, ulcers, hypertension, and more!
Dark chocolate
Surprisingly, this can be a perfect functional snack. Chocolate has lots of antioxidants plus it can also support heart and brain health. Don’t eat a whole bar but a few squares of dark chocolate can give you great benefits. Make sure to pick a bar with a cacao content of 70% or greater since that means more actual chocolate and less sugar.
Happy snacking
You can also easily come up with your own functional snacks by following a few guidelines. First is the portion size, a snack should be about 10% of your daily caloric intake. This usually ends up being 150-300 calories depending on your needs. Snacking constantly is tempting but stick to no more than two a day.
Next is food! There are endless options but a good way to start is by picking an item from two different food groups (like hummus + veggies). Or pick one strong functional food then building off of that (like oatmeal + add ins). And if you need an easy single item snack try to pick something with lots of fiber or from a food group you don’t eat enough of (like citrus).
No matter if you eat a snack off the list or create your own remember to be mindful while you eat. Make eating a mini break, relax away from your computer and work and enjoy it. Snacking on functional foods will help you improve your body and mind, so snack away!
Authors note: As someone who eats several meals throughout the day, snacking is a huge part of my daily life. I love walking away from my computer and taking a break to make something. I always feel so refreshed when I go back to writing!