Raw healthy snacks, made by you
Snacking doesn’t have to be a guilty pleasure, but an occasion to give your body a little boost. We lead busy lifestyles nowadays, so let’s get creative and create quick and simple snacks that are nutritious and empower us to carry on with the demands of our daily activities. There are many delicious snacks that can be made rapidly in raw form by ingeniously combining natural goodies, without worrying about having all the required ingredients or the exact quantities. After all, you’re on the go, and you can’t compromise on either time or good nutrition. Just make the best of the natural ingredients that you have in your kitchen. And once you make them, give them some inventive names, so that they feel more like your own creations – your own brand of goodness.
Here is some inspiration to get you started – the exact amounts to use have deliberately been left loose, so they don’t look like standardised recipes, but instead you feel free to experiment...
Banana sandwich
Amongst the world’s most powerful foods, bananas are a key component of many raw diets, due to its consistency and nutritional values. High in potassium and iron, they help lower blood pressure and protect the body against anaemia. And out of all the fruits out there, bananas are the perfect partners to nuts.
So, here is an innovative “sandwich” that will enable you to enjoy them together in a way that unleashes their flavours. Cut the banana into half, spread almond or cashew nut butter in the middle and top up your filling with coconut flakes, cocoa nibs or cacao and cinnamon. This healthy sandwich is not only delicious, but will keep you fuller for longer.
If you don’t have any nut butters or no time to slice a banana and spread them neatly, then a good compromise to combining the two is by piercing the centre of the banana with brazils, almonds or cashews just as you eat it. In this way, you are upgrading your snack, as instead of just having a simple banana, you are enjoying banana-coated nuts. Quality snacking on the go.
Or if you fancy an ice-creamy dessert, simply freeze a peeled banana for a few hours. Once frozen, the banana will have the same texture as an ice-cream and its natural sweetness will come out. So, by eating it slowly, one small bite at a time, you can still enjoy it as a healthy alternative to a sugary ice-cream, even if you don’t have time to cut it into chunks and put it in the blender.
'Keep me going’ blend
When you’re in a rush, simply make a velvety smoothie by blending a cup of coconut milk with a handful of dates and dried mulberries, a banana, a tablespoon of nut butter and some vanilla powder. If you want to get fancy, sprinkle some baobab or lucuma powder for extra goodness and top it up with coconut flakes.
Make sure you use quality almond milk, ideally homemade (it’s really easy to make it by soaking a cup of blanched almonds overnight and then whizzing them in the blender with 3 cups of water – you don’t necessarily need to strain the milk after, you can still enjoy it with its thicker texture and whole almond goodness in it).
Juice me Up, Slim me Down
If you are in the need of a snack, but concerned about any extra calories, then make yourself a fat-burning grapefruit-based juice. Deemed to be a weight-loss superfood, the grapefruit actually lowers the body’s insulin levels, thus preventing the body from storing sugar as fat and curbing appetite as well. So, blend a peeled grapefruit with a piece or two of dark chocolate, 4 watermelon slices and a handful of kale. The bitterness of the grapefruit and the dark chocolate will perfectly combine with the sweetness of the watermelon. Nature’s goodness for a winning diet!
‘Make my day’ breakfast drink
Start the day with your homemade glorious breakfast in a bottle. Blend a cup of almond milk with half a cup of oats, a few cashews and dried fruits such as mulberries, sultanas and dates and top it up with some cacao, vanilla or superfood powder sprinkle.
So, go on, embrace snacking and make your life and your diet happier! This type of healthy snacking can be enjoyed anytime and will leave you bursting with energy and vitality.
Leave a comment
Please note, comments must be approved before they are published