If you’re trying to lose weight – or stay at a healthy weight – being on a calorie-controlled diet can be challenging, which makes it hard to achieve lasting results over the long term. Too often, our mindset when we’re dieting is about depriving ourselves, which means we’re hard on ourselves in terms of when and how we eat. This leaves us more susceptible to hunger cravings, making it more tempting to reach for sugary or carb-filled snacks for a quick lift.
Instead, a more sustainable approach is to make room in your daily eating plan for healthy snacks that contain nutritious and unprocessed ingredients. With a bit of imagination, snacks can still be delicious and filling as well as being healthy (and even carb free!). Plus, snacks that are nutrient dense can help you feel fuller for longer – which keeps your energy levels up and makes it less likely that you’ll overeat as the day progresses.
Healthy lifestyle brand Tony Ferguson offers customised meal plans depending on your lifestyle and wellness goals, and all of these include healthy snack options for the day. To get your healthy eating started on the right track, here are three of their snack options that feature ingredients that you can easily find in the supermarket, or that you may already have in your cupboard or fridge. They’re also slightly more sophisticated than plain old carrot sticks, which means they’re the perfect go-to if you’re having guests over, but still want to maintain your healthy eating plan.
Aubergine and Pepper Dip with Baby Marrow Chips
INGREDIENTS
Aubergine & Pepper Dip
1 large aubergine
2 red peppers
Olive oil spray
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp paprika
Juice of one lemon
2 tsp olive oil
Salt and pepper, to season
Baby Marrow Chips
1 large baby marrow
Olive oil spray
Moroccan or Cajun seasoning
METHOD
Aubergine & Pepper Dip
- Preheat oven to 200ºC.
2. Place the aubergine and peppers on a lined baking dish, spray with olive oil
and bake for 30 minutes or until the pepper is blackened. Place the pepper
in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap until cool. Set aubergine aside to cool.
3. Peel the skin off the pepper and remove seeds. Remove the skin from the
aubergine and place the flesh in a food processor with the pepper, garlic, spices,
lemon juice and oil. Process until smooth. Season to taste.
Baby Marrow Chips
- Preheat the oven to 220ºC and line a baking tray with baking paper.
2. Cut the baby marrow into 3mm slices and spray with olive oil on both sides.
Sprinkle lightly with seasoning.
3. Bake for 15-20 minutes, turning once, or until well coloured.
Ricotta Dip on Cucumber Boats
INGREDIENTS
250g low fat ricotta
1 tbs lemon juice
1 garlic clove, crushed
Fresh basil, chopped
1 red chilli, chopped (optional)
Salt and pepper, to season
Cucumber boats
1 medium baby cucumber
METHOD
Ricotta Dip
- Combine all ingredients and season well.
2. Serve on cucumber slices or aubergine bruschetta.
Cucumber boats
- Cut the cucumber into 2.5cm slices.
2. Using a melon baller or teaspoon, scoop out the centre of each slice ensuring you leave a base to hold the filling.
3. Fill with ricotta dip.
Baby Spinach Chips
INGREDIENTS
200g bag baby spinach
Mixed herbs
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Olive oil spray
METHOD
- Place the baby spinach leaves in a single layer on a lightly oiled baking tray.
- Sprinkle the leaves with the herbs, salt, and pepper and spray lightly with olive oil.
- Bake in a 180ºC oven for 7 minutes or until crispy.
- Ensure you store excess chips in an airtight container.
Tip: For a different flavour, try adding lemon juice and black pepper, soy sauce or chilli and lime juice to the chips prior to baking.
Healthy snacks don’t have to be boring and bland. In fact, just the opposite – they can be both filling and delicious. If you’re trying to adjust your eating to stick to a meal plan with a set number of calories per day, a healthy snack can be the small lift you need to keep your eating consistent throughout the day. The secret is to be prepared and always have healthy options within easy reach, so get shopping and get cooking – your body will thank you!
