Easy Healthy Snacks Recipes

If you’re after a healthy alternative to the usual afternoon sugar or fat ridden snack options, here are some great recipes that will satisfy your hunger without the extra calories.

Cauliflower Broccoli & Halloumi Fritters 

Prep time:10 mins

Cook time: 10 mins

Total time: 20 mins

Serves: 8 fritters

Ingredients

For the fritters

•1½ cup finely diced cauliflower

•1 cup finely diced broccoli

•½ cup grated halloumi cheese

•2 whole eggs

•1 tablespoon coconut flour

•Pinch of salt and black pepper

•Coconut oil

For the coriander aioli

•2 tablespoons plain yogurt (can also be completely omitted)

•1 tablespoon olive oil

•1 tablespoon freshly chopped coriander

•½ garlic clove, finely grated or diced

•A squeeze of lemon or lime juice

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, combine the fritters ingredients. If not using any haloumi cheese, add a more generous pinch of salt. Mix well.

Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat and melt 1 tablespoon of coconut oil. Using your hands, shape the mixture into small patties and add to the hot pan, one by one. Bring the heat down to medium and fry for 4 minutes on each or until golden brown.

In the meantime, whisk together the aioli ingredients and serve in a side ramekin.

 

Nut Free Zucchini & Sun-Dried Tomato Muffins 

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 35 mins

Total time: 50 mins

Serves: 6

You can experiment with using grated sweet potato or carrots instead of zucchini. Pumpkin seeds can be replaced with other seeds, and of course, you can use nut meals like ground almonds or hazelnuts if you like.

Ingredients:

• Coconut oil for greasing
• 1½ cup grated zucchini
• 6 sun-dried tomatoes, rinsed if in oil
• 1 medium clove garlic
• ½ cup pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
• 2 eggs
• 2 heaped tablespoons flaxseed meal
• ¼ cup tapioca flour
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• Generous pinch of salt
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder

Instructions

Preheat oven to 175 °C/350 °F (conventional oven). Grease a medium muffin tray (6 casings) with a little coconut oil.

Using your hands, squeeze grated zucchini to remove as much of the juice as possible. Add the flesh to a mixing bowl.

Add sun-dried tomatoes, garlic and pumpkin seeds to a food processor. Process until ground and incorporated. Transfer to the bowl with the grated zucchini.

Add eggs, flaxseed meal, tapioca, onion powder, salt and baking powder to the mix and combine together very well.

Divide the mixture between 5 or 6 muffin casings (depending on the size) and place in the oven, middle shelf. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool completely before removing from the tray.

These muffins can be stored in an air-tight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

 

Crustless Quiche 

Makes a large family size quiche.

8 – 10 Eggs

Ingredients:

• 8 – 10 Eggs
• Half a Onion finely diced
• Baby Spinach, 1 handful
• 2 x Rashes Bacon diced
• Cherry Tomatoes halved
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees.

Grease a flan dish.

Cook onion and bacon in a pan. Once cooked sprinkle over base of flan dish.

Place the tomatoes over the bacon and onion.

Crack the eggs in a large bowl. Whisk together.

Add spinach, salt and pepper and stir through.

Spoon egg mixture over the top of the flan dish. Give it a little stir to mix the bacon through and then smooth the top and pop in the oven for 20 – 30 mins or browned on the top and centre cooked.

 

Baba Ganoush – eggplant dip

Who doesn’t like baba ganoush? It’s made with eggplant (aubergine), olive oil, lemon and usually with tahini and various seasoning. You can use the oven or a BBQ grill to roast the eggplant.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 45 minutes plus cooling time.

Servings: 4

Ingredient

• 1 large eggplant, cut in half length ways
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbspTahini paste
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove
• 2/3 tsp sea salt
• pinch of cracked pepper

Instructions

Heat oven to 180C and bake eggplant drizzled with olive oil for 45 minutes or until crispy and dark golden brown. It should be soft on the side.

Cool eggplant for about 1 hour and remove outer skin only. Cut roughly and place in a food processor or blender with garlic, tahini, salt, pepper and lemon juice. Purée until smooth. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil, parsley and some scattered pomegranate to make it extra pretty.

 

Almond Hummus

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Servings: 4-5

Ingredients

• 150gm blanched almonds
• 2 tbsp tahini paste
• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 lemon, juice only
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 tsp Celtic salt
• A pinch of pepper

Instructions

Pre-blanch the almonds if you need to.

Process all ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Drizzle with olive oil and some paprika and parsley when serving. Store in the fridge with a thing layer of olive oil on top to prevent drying (almonds love moisture).

I like to serve this dip with radishes, carrot and celery sticks or red peppers. It’s also yummy on salads and vegetables.

Paleo Nachos with Sweet Potato Chips

Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Total time: 50 mins

Serves: 4-6

These paleo nachos can be served as a dinner meal or shared between friends. If you can tolerate dairy, feel free to melt some regular cheese over the top.

 

Ingredients

Sweet potato chips

•1 large sweet potato

•2 tablespoons coconut oil or olive oil

•sea salt

Spicy beef

•1 medium brown onion, finely diced

•1 teaspoon coconut oil

•1 long red chilli, diced

•400 grams ground beef/beef mince (just under a pound)

•2 garlic cloves, finely diced

•½ teaspoon smoked paprika (regular is also fine)

•½ teaspoon regular sweet paprika

•½ teaspoon ground cumin powder

•½ teaspoon ground coriander seeds

•1 tablespoon tomato paste

•1½ cup tinned diced tomatoes or tomato passata

•⅔ teaspoon sea salt

•½ teaspoon black pepper

Tomato salsa

•2 medium tomatoes, diced, seeds out

•2 tablespoons chopped green onion/scallions

•2 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander/cilantro

•½ teaspoon chilli flakes or cayenne pepper

•1-2 tablespoons lime juice

•2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

•½ teaspoon sea salt

Guacamole

•1 avocado, mashed with a fork

•1 small garlic clove, finely diced or grated

•Juice of ½ lime

•¼ teaspoon sea salt

•black pepper

Instructions

Sweet potato chips – If making sweet potato chips, preheat the oven to 170 C/338 F (conventional, not fan forced). Slice the sweet potato as thin as you can, you can leave the skin on. Use a mandolin slicer or a slicer setting on a food processor if you like. Toss the potato slices in melted coconut oil or olive oil, use your hands to separate the slices and get them coated evenly. Place parchment/baking paper on two flat roasting trays and place potato slices in a single layer, overlapping each other slightly if needed. Bake for 20-25 minutes and then turn the chips over. Bake for another 20 minutes or even longer if you want them very crunchy. Keep an eye on the time if you oven tends to get too hot and reduce by 5 minutes on each side.

Spicy beef – In a deep skillet or a frying pan, heat the ghee or coconut oil over medium heat. Add the onion and chilli and sauté for 5 minutes, until golden. Add the beef and bring the heat to high. Cook and stir with a spatula for 5 minutes, separating the pieces along the way. Then add the rest of ingredients, stir and bring to boil. Turn the heat down to low and simmer for 20-25 minutes, with a lid on, stirring regularly.

Tomato salsa & guacamole – Combine salsa ingredients in a bowl and set aside. Prepare the guacamole and set aside.

Finally, assemble the nachos in the following order. Place the beef in the middle of a large, deep platter. Make a well in the middle and push the beef outwards. Add the tomato salsa around the beef and place the chips on the edges of the platter. Place dollops of guacamole on the beef.

 

Paleo Salmon Avocado Sushi

Prep time: 35 mins

Cook time: 5 mins

Total time: 40 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• Coconut oil
• 1 medium salmon steak or fillet
• sea salt and pepper
• ½ red onion, finely diced
• 2 long continental cucumbers (also known as Telegraph), try to pick the fattest ones
• 1 avocado, roughly chopped
• Coconut aminos & wasabi for dipping (Tamari wheat free soy sauce can also be used)

Instructions

Heat a little coconut oil in a frying pan until sizzling hot. Season salmon steak with a little sea salt and pepper, fry over medium-high heat for 1 ½ minutes on each side. Set aside and once cooled down, pull the flakes apart and remove any visible bones. Mix with the red onion.

Cut cucumbers into even 1½ – 2 centimetre thick rolls. Using a small knife, carefully cut out the flesh of the cucumber making sure the walls stay in tact. The easiest way to do it is by placing the rolls flat side down and rotating them slightly as you cut through the flesh. You can always cut the flesh out roughly and then carve the walls carefully by holding the ring in your hand.

Using your fingers fill each ring with some cooked salmon. Press the mix inside the ring down leaving the top half unfilled. Fill the top half of the ring with the avocado. Push the mix down well, even if some of it starts spilling over the top. You can just wipe the edges before serving.

Serve right away or refrigerate for later. You can take these to work for lunch or bring a large platter to a party.

 

Cauliflower Popcorn – Roasted Cauliflower 

Ingredients

1 head cauliflower

4  tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon Himalayan salt, to tast

Directions

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Trim the head of cauliflower, discarding the core and thick stems; cut florets into pieces about the size of ping-pong balls.
• In a large bowl, combine the olive oil and salt, whisk, then add the cauliflower pieces and toss thoroughly.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment for easy cleanup (you can skip that, if you don’t have any) then spread the cauliflower pieces on the sheet and roast for 1 hour, turning 3 or 4 times, until most of each piece has turned golden brown. (The browner the cauliflower pieces turn, the more caramelization occurs and the sweeter they’ll taste).
• Serve immediately and enjoy!

Blueberry , Chia +Banana Pancakes

For those who have nut allergies, you can substitute almond meal for 1/2 cup organic desiccated coconut. I love to serve mine with a dollop of lush natural yoghurt.

 

Ingredients (Makes 6 banana cakes)

100 g (1 cup) almond meal

1 tablespoon chia seeds or ground flaxseeds

1/2 teaspoon gluten free baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

250 g  – 2 ripe bananas, smashed

2 organic eggs

125 g blueberries to serve

 

Method

Combine smashed banana and eggs.Add almond meal, linseed, baking powder and cinnamon.

Fold in blueberries if using.

Rest for 5 minutes.

Heat a pan over a low heat and add a little coconut, macadamia or olive oil

Spoon pancake batter into rounds onto the pan and flatten slightly with the back of your spoon.

Cook over a very low heat. Take your time and don’t rush.

Flip over and finish cooking.

Serve and enjoy with natural or coconut yoghurt.

• High protein: Pump up the protein and use 4 tablespoons protein powder in place of the almonds.

• Nut free option: Use 1/2 cup organic desiccated coconut in place of the almond meal for nut free.

 

Quick Coconut & Chia Seed Pudding

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• ¼ cup shredded unsweetened coconut
• ¼ cup chia seeds
• ¾ cup full fat coconut milk
• ½ cup coconut water
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp Himalayan salt
• ½ cup fresh raspberries

Instructions

In a small bowl or half pint Mason type glass jar, add coconut, chia seeds, coconut milk, coconut water, vanilla and salt and mix until very well combined.

Place in the refrigerator and allow to rest for at least 2 hours

Serve with fresh rapsberries or other fruit of your choice

 

Macadamia Chocolate Cookies

You can tinker with the amount of natural sweetner and cocoa powder to see what you like best but as I don’t like them too sweet I only used a small amount of coconut syrup. Macadamia nuts can be replaced with cashews or blanched almonds

Ingredients

• 1 cup raw macadamia nuts
• 1/4  cup coconut flour
• 1/4 cup almond mea
• 1 egg
• 4 tbsp coconut oil, melted
• 2 tbsp cocoa baking powder, unsweetened
• 3 tbsp coconut syrup or 3 tbsp maple syrup or honey (if avoiding fructose, use rice malt syrup and use more than 2 tbsp if you like them a bit sweeter)
• 1 tbsp water
• 1/2 tsp gluten free baking powder
• A pinch salt

Instructions

1Process madamia nuts into smaller crumbs in a food processor. It’s ok if you have some larger pieces in there. Add almond meal, coconut flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt. Give it another whiz to mix it all up.

2Add the rest of ingredients and process until well incorporated and you have a thick, sticky, doughy mixture. Scoop it out on to a cutting board or a tray. Shape the mixture into a log, about 3cm radius. Wrap in clingwrap and refrigirate for 15 minutes to set.

3In the meantime, heat oven to 160C or around 350F.

4Unwrap the log and slice it gently into equal size cylinders, about 1 cm thick. Place on a baking paper covered tray and bake in the oven for 11-12 minutes.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 12 minutes

Number of servings: makes about 15 cookies