Snacks are so confusing and so necessary at the same time. They play a crucial role in helping us make it from meal to meal. But at the same time, what are we supposed to eat?
Like with anything, I’m a big fan of snacks are that easy. Because snacks are meant to be simple things eaten between meals, I definitely don’t think you need to spend extra time in the kitchen whipping up an elaborate snack (unless, of course, you want to!).
The most important aspect of a snack is that it helps you get from one meal to another.
It’s super normal to feel hungry between breakfast and lunch or between lunch and dinner. Or, if dinner’s early, you might even be hungry for a snack before bed. There’s no wrong time to eat a snack.
In general, I like snacks that have 2 main nutrients: protein and fiber. These 2 nutrients help to keep us feeling full and satisfied.
Other than that though, there’s no rule when it comes to snacks. As long as they’re doing their job – helping you get from one meal to another – they can really look like whatever you want.
Think about a time you had a long gap between lunch and dinner and maybe didn’t eat a snack. Or if that’s hard to think back on, imagine that’s the case. If you ate lunch at noon and aren’t eating dinner until 7pm, you’d be really hungry by dinnertime.
Not only is it unenjoyable to let hunger get this strong but also, at this point of excess hunger, it becomes hard to eat mindfully. It’s hard to check in with fullness or even think about what you want to eat, as primal hunger becomes the main drive for eating.
This is one reason why snacks are so important. A snack gaps the bridge between lunch and dinner so that you avoid reaching that point of excess hunger.
Lastly, there’s no right or wrong size… or right or wrong snack. Some days, an apple and peanut butter might be perfectly satisfying. Others, you may need more of a mini meal to hold you over. There is nothing wrong with either one of these.
Our hunger varies from day to day – as it should! So it’s perfectly normal and okay for our snack sizes to vary from day to day too.
That said, there’s also no rule that you have to eat something like an apple and peanut butter for a snack. Sure, some days that might be delicious. And other days, that leftover banana bread that you baked over the weekend might sound delicious for a snack too.
Again, there is no right or wrong. As long as your snack gets you from point A to point B, it’s doing its job.
All that said, I know figuring out snack ideas can seem really tough. Here are 30 easy snack ideas to try. Bookmark them for whenever you need new snack ideas!
30 easy snack ideas to try
- Greek yogurt with berries
- Peanut butter toast
- Crackers, carrots and hummus
- Protein bar (read my favorites here)
- Savory cottage cheese with tomato slices and crackers
- Peanut butter and jelly sandwich
- String cheese and popcorn
- Dried edamame
- Avocado toast with an egg
- Energy balls
- Dried chickpeas
- Banana bread with peanut butter
- Simple green smoothie with frozen banana, milk, spinach and yogurt
- Cereal and milk
- Mixed berry smoothie with frozen berries, milk, Greek yogurt and peanut butter
- Crackers with edamame dip
- Cheese quesadillas with guacamole or salsa
- Overnight oats with nut butter + banana slices
- Apple with peanut butter
- Cottage cheese with cantaloupe
- Coffee smoothie with cold brew, milk, frozen banana and yogurt
- Trail mix with dried fruit, nuts and chocolate chips
- Peanut butter stuffed dates
- Mediterranean snack plate with cucumber, tomato, olives, pita and hummus
- Store-bought spinach artichoke dip with carrots and crackers
- Fruit and cheese plate
- Pita chips with tzatziki
- Homemade nachos with cheese and black beans
- Cookies with Greek yogurt dip (vanilla Greek yogurt + peanut butter)
- Banana chocolate chip oaties
- English muffin pizzas with tomato sauce + cheese
- Tuna salad with crackers
- Easy peanut butter fudge with peanut butter, coconut oil and maple syrup
