Healthy snack ideas

Anxiety and boredom can often lead to unintended snacking. And with us all set to be at home over the next few months, now might be a good time to set some healthy snacking habits.

Snacks do not necessarily have to be a bad thing. They can be a great way to boost your nutrient intake, so if you are finding yourself eating too many snacks, ditch the biscuits and try some of these healthy ideas.

Dried apple rings– Scrub, core and thinly slice apples. Dip them in lemon juice to prevent them form discolouring. Pat the apple slices dry with a clean tea-towel. Sprinkle them with some ground cinnamon. My new lockdown toy is a dehydrator, however if you don't have one of these fun gadgets, place on an oven tray in a single layer. Bake in a low oven (about 70ºc) for anything between 3-6 hours (depends on thickness of slices and oven), or until the apple slices are dried.

Hummus and veggies – hummus contains fibre, protein, folic acid, vitamin B6, magnesium and iron. The iron in plant foods is made more bio-available by eating it with some vitamin C, so dipping baby tomatoes, slices of red pepper or cucumber sticks can help with iron absorption.

Falafels – these tasty little balls make a filling and healthy snack on their own, or served with mashed avocado, hummus or wholemeal pitta

Wholegrain crackers spread with peanut butter – this snack combines complex carbohydrates with protein to help keep hunger pangs away. Make sure your peanut butter is sugar-free though

Frozen grapes – when I first heard of frozen grapes, I confess I wasn’t that hopeful, however they are a really more-ish and yummy frozen treat. Wash and destalk the grapes. Put in a freezer bag and freeze overnight – that’s it!