In my Pinterest browsing the other day I came across a pin that claimed to be a list of 100 Healthy Snack Ideas. I was massively disappointed when I clicked on the link only to find over a third of the items to involve unhealthy processed junk with lots of low-fat this and that, and calorie counting.
Not at all healthy, in my books.
Here are my criteria for a healthy snack ideas list…
- non-processed (this generally means no “ingredient list”, unless I made it myself)
- NOT low-fat / low-calorie
- limit how often we eat fruit
- not heavily reliant on grains (gluten-free for us)
- includes probiotics, lots of healthy fats, raw, high in protein
So, I made my own list and want to share it with you all, because I often find myself in a snack-time rut. This list is going on my fridge and with my meal planning notes, so that I can plan snacks wisely. Oh, and as a bonus, you can combine any number of these things to together to make an easy lunch. A snack tray for lunch is met with cheers (literally) from the under 3-feet-tall crowd in our house.
Side note: I wrote a breakfast e-cookbook called The Breakfast Revolution which has recipes for lots of the ideas below – you can get your copy here. Muffins, fruit salad, pancakes, eggs, soaked oatmeal breakfast cake, breakfast custard, and much more!
100 Healthy Snack Ideas
- Almonds & raisins
- Air-popped popcorn with butter and real sea salt
- Raw veggies with hummus
- Apples & peanut butter
- Homemade granola bars
- Mini tuna & cheese lettuce wraps (use a lettuce leaf as a wrap)
- Chicken salad lettuce wraps
- Egg Salad lettuce wraps
- Green salad (our all-time favourite dressing is by Katie of Kitchen Stewardship, author of Healthy Snacks to Go)
- Steamed veggies smothered in butter & real sea salt
- Hard-boiled eggs
- Plain yogurt with honey or maple syrup
- Green smoothies (like this Mango-Nectarine Smoothie Recipe)
- Herbal tea or Homemade honey-sweetened lemonade
- Homemade beef jerky – if you aren’t into making your own this one has decent ingredients
- Homemade fruit leather – if you are not wanting to make these at home, this one is a decent alternative
- Applesauce (no sugar added and/or homemade)
- Real sourdough bread with lots of butter and homemade Honey-Sweetened Strawberry Chia Seed Jam
- A piece of (seasonal) fresh fruit
- Fruit salad
- No-Bake Chocolate Coconut Macaroons
- Homemade hot chocolate (like my Honey-Sweetened Hot Chocolate Recipe)
- Blender Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding
- A slice of high-quality cheese (no artificial colors, raw if available)
- Scrambled or fried egg
- Organic corn chips and lacto-fermented salsa
- Homemade pickles (Lacto-Fermented Garlic Dill Pickles Recipe)
- Fresh berries & (honey or maple syrup-sweetened) whipped cream
- Ants on a log (celery with PB & raisins)
- Cherry tomatoes
- Nitrate-free deli meat
- Baked apples (sprinkle on some cinnamon)
- Chocolate avocado pudding
- Blueberry Cheesecake Protein Smoothie
- A cup of homemade chicken bone broth (my kids love this!)
- Homemade “larabars” (get the e-book with tons of larabar recipe variations here)
- Sweet potato fries
- Tuna melts on your favorite bread or bun
- Homemade popsicles (like these divine Strawberry Coconut Chia Popsicles with Nut Butter Drizzle)
- Gluten-free banana-pecan bread
- Mini pizzas (on toast, tortilla, or pita)
- Soaked/baked oatmeal
- Chocolate-Banana smoothie
- Frozen grapes
- Snap peas
- Homemade ice cream
- Coffee Cake
- A mug of soup (like this delectable curried butternut squash soup)
- Homemade granola with coconut/almond milk
- Parfait (yogurt, fruit, granola)
- Grain-free muffins (Double Chocolate Banana Muffins, Coconut Flour Chocolate Muffins, Pumpkin Spice Coconut Flour Muffins)
- Homemade Stovetop Kettle Corn
- Homemade trail mix
- Homemade crackers
- Kale chips
- Homemade brittle
- Roasted pumpkin or squash seeds
- Deviled eggs
- Spinach dip
- Simple herbed avocado
- Dandelion Fritters
- Healthy Peppermint Patties
- Homemade potato chips
- Browned Butter Fudge
- Raspberry Poppyseed Muffins
- Roasted asparagus (topped with parmesan and salt – yum!)
- Steamed spinach
- Homemade banana bread
- Quinoa pudding
- Dark chocolate
- Dehydrated fruit chips
- Roasted chickpeas
- Nachos and cheese
- Homemade crackers & PB
- Banana-Walnut Muffins
- Crackers & pate (grass-fed organic livers are amazing super foods!)
- Organic raw sweet peppers
- Homemade Peanut Butter Cups
- Homemade milkshakes
- Cold lentil salad
- Green apples and homemade caramel sauce
- Chocolate-dipped strawberries
- Cold leftover pancakes (my kids love these!)
- Meatballs with marinara for dipping
- Bacon-wrapped asparagus, water chestnuts, or scallops
- Cold fried chicken
- Dried anchovies
- Chickpea and bean salad
- Vegetable juice
- 20-Minute Peanut-Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Baked beans
- Dried dates with coconut butter stuffed inside (DELISH. This is the coconut butter I have.)
- Egg muffins
- Fried Plantains
- Cream cheese & salsa mini-wraps
- Spiced Crispy Nuts
- Rice pudding
- Sandwich bites
- Guacamole
- Homemade French Fries (Better than fast food!)
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links – thanks for supporting Red & Honey!
Ultimate Bundles Healthy Meal Planning Bundle
Is healthy eating is important to you and your family? If you want to eat well, but you’re overwhelmed with decision fatigue and the busyness of everyday life then the Healthy Meal Planning Bundle is for you!
This amazing collection of e-cookbooks and bonus resources (all indexed and organized to suit your dietary needs!) will help you to simplify mealtimes and help you eat better.
This bundle has
- Over 1000 tried and tested recipes, categorized to help you find what you need
- 38 meal plans that have been made for you to choose from
- 14 cookbooks
- Meal planning resources
- Healthy eating resources
- Nutritional information on every recipe
- Each recipe is indexed by dietary needs & health goals (including gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, soy-free, wheat-free, keto, paleo, vegetarian and more!)
- It integrates with the Real Plan app
- And, is backed by Ultimate Bundles 30-Day Happiness Guarantee!
If you want easy plans & recipes to help you plan and achieve your healthiest year of meals then head here to grab your Healthy Meal Planning Bundle and get started today!
Xxjones21
Thank you so much for making this website. i am seventeen and recently started this beyond strict diet to repair my body from Lyme disease. Although i wasn’t a fan of eating so healthy in the beginning, restricting processed food and eating organically has helped a lot so far and i just read above about 100 snacks that i most likely will be able to try (finally!) this will be a big help(:
Beth Ricci
That’s great that it’s helping you already! Good luck with your continued recovery 🙂
Bjrivera
How is butter a healthy fat?
Beth Ricci
Check out this post that I wrote on Why I Eat a High-Fat Diet… https://redandhoney.com/2011/05/why-i-eat-a-high-fat-diet-and-why-i-think-you-should-too/
Res9712casi
apples diced up with a couple of spoonfuls of vanilla honey greek yogurt and pecans yummy
Beth Ricci
mmm, sounds yummy!! 🙂
Zoey
I JUST saw that list, and googled “real food” healthy snack list and found this one!! Thanks!!
Shawnda
Edamame is my 3 year old’s FAVORITE! Love the list for other great ideas, Thanks!
Shawndaholcomb
Edamame is one of our favorites! Just steam in the microwave or a little water on the stove and sea salt. My 3 year old loves them, it may be the fun of squirting them out of the pod, but I am ok with that. They are packed with protein!
Beth Ricci
Hi Shawnda,
I used to enjoy edamame as well, but have learned about the dangers of soy, which we now avoid entirely, other than small amounts of fermented soy (like tamari soy sauce). Here’s an article if you’re interested…
http://www.foodrenegade.com/dangers-of-soy/
Hillary
These were some great suggestions. Next fall, I’ll be returning to college for my second year, and I’m looking for some unprocessed snacks to take to school with me. I have no access to Walmart or a grocery store, and it’s so hard to find food that will stay good in my room and be delicious AND be health (most importantly). I’ll definitely be bringing a lot of these foods with me next fall, so I’m not snacking on nasty food like Goldfish and Doritos. 🙂
Achyhart
I found that ANY kind of chips that is packaged is bad for you and that includes Pringles and Sun chips. I have been a Sun chips lover for a very long time (until I got the jist on them). Also when you use butter, make sure it is REAL butter (I usually get the unsalted kind; you can always add some salt if you desire). Anyway, I understand what all the jibe is about the butter and the bacon, it is your opinion and you can ‘NOT’ make those snacks if you choose OR moderate as you feel! You ALWAYS have a choice and no one will take that away from you. I am new at ‘A LOT’ of this and really am at a loss when it comes to eating healthy (up until a few months ago). I have always wanted to eat healthy but was not shown how as a child and now as an adult, I am a newbie at this. I want to give up on all the goodies and will eventually get there (being optimistic here)… I love your list and there are a few items I have never tried before but I have always lived with the motto, ‘At least TRY it before you make your opinion’, and I do live by that! I just tried hummus for the first time about 6 months ago and am still trying to get my room mates to try it without any success (YET! I don’t give up that easy!!!) 😀 Thank you so very much for the list and I will try it and will try to get my roomies to try it also!!! 😉
Nicole
What is the Tuna and cheese lettuce wraps??
Beth Ricci
The lettuce wraps are pretty easy – not really a “recipe” per say – I just make tuna salad or egg salad or whatever, as per usual, and plop it into a big lettuce leaf, wrap it all up and eat it. Basically just using a lettuce leaf instead of a bread-type wrap. It’s really yummy!
Achyhart
That is wrapping the ingredients in lettuce instead of bread. I called that my ‘BREADLESS sandwich’ from years ago when my exhusband and I were so poor we couldn’t afford a loaf of bread. He loved the idea! So, I can help with this answer!!! 😀 😀 😀 <3
Amanda
You have made my LIFE by showing me that sourdough bread is a healthy snack. I am the happiest camper now.
redandhoney
Haha! That’s great! Just make sure that it’s REAL sourdough – made at home and not the stuff from stores, which is not true sourdough. The GNOWFLGINS blog has an excellent e-book about sourdough and making your own starter and everything 🙂
Chefstef58
Great list!!! Do you have a good recipe for homemade granola bars?
redandhoney
I’m just about to post one in the next day or so! Stay tuned 🙂
Samanthaboon
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 puréed dried figs (that have been soaked)
2 egg whites
Tsp vanilla extract
*mix these ingredients together then add…
2 cups granola ( your choice of mix)
1/2 cup of raisins
*side note: I added a 1/4 cup of goji berries
Beth Ricci
Here is my recipe: https://redandhoney.com/2012/05/healthy-homemade-granola-bars-recipe/
I wouldn’t personally consider sugar and wheat flour to be real healthy ingredients, although it would be healthier than what you buy in the stores at least.
Jessica
What’s the recipe for egg salad lettuce wraps?
redandhoney
I don’t really use a recipe – it’s just egg salad (boiled eggs mashed up with mayo, s&p) wrapped in a piece of lettuce, just like you’d use a regular wrap. make sense?
The American Homemaker
This list made me hungry! I need to be better at providing non-processed snacks for my kids… I used to do pretty well when I was a stay-at-home mom, but after my divorce and going back to work I’ve slacked.
redandhoney
It sure can be tough… I find it difficult too and I wrote the darn list, ha! 🙂
cassie l.
Great list – thanks for posting! I could do much better I know — but the applesauce one I loved. I have never understood why they add sugar to applesauce!! And I also loved the veggies in butter — I’m a fan of real butter. I’m not sure why people eat that fake stuff.
Beth
It is so sad that people actually believe margarine is better for them, since butter tastes SO much better and is so healthy! (Margarine is horrible for you!!)
Hannah Elise
I would be intrigued to see recipes for the quinoa pudding (we recently discovered quinoa with the start of our gluten-free journey, and LOVE it) and the chocolate avocado pudding (neither my son nor o were all that impressed by avocado when I started introducing hm to solids, but everything deserves a second chance, right?). Also, the homemade. Potato chips… how do you make them? I’m familiar with homemade french fries, but am not sure how to go about doing homemade potato chips.
Thank you for the list… I am hoping to make some homemade larabars if I can get some dates in the budget this month. 🙂
Beth
This is the quinoa pudding recipe we tried. It wasn’t our favourite, but I’m not giving up the search just yet! http://allrecipes.com/recipe/quinoa-pudding/detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=quinoa%20pudding&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page
As for the avocado pudding – just mash up your avocados, add cocoa powder, honey, and coconut oil, with a bit of sea salt. The smoother you can get it the better (we used a hand blender). It tastes like a really rich chocolate pudding!
And lastly homemade potato chips – there are a ton of recipes online, but this one looks fabulous! (the key is making sure you use a healthy traditional oil with a high smoke point, like lard or tallow). http://nourishedkitchen.com/homemade-potato-chips/
Natasha
Kale chips? How do you make these?? (And I love this list!)
Beth
You basically just wash and dry the leaves, tear them into chip-sized pieces, toss them with some olive oil and salt and pepper, then bake til crispy but not burnt. If you google it I’m sure you’ll find tons of “recipes”. I wasn’t a big fan of them, but I included them on the list because I know lots of people love them!
Crystal Walker
I’m up late reading this and realizing I’m starving. It is a mouth-watering list at midnight! I will have to try some of these tomorrow. Yumma.
Beth
Haha, yeah, it’s a dangerous thing to read about food when you’re already hungry! 🙂
Alicia
Oh Beth, thank you! Sometimes just seeing a list helps so much more in buying & preparing throughout the day/week. These are so wholesome & I’m more than willing to have them on hand for say; the 1000+ times snacks & small meals are requested.. ( ok throughout the year 😉
Beth
I’m glad it will be helpful to you 🙂
Marissa
lots of great snack ideas Beth! I just made up a list of snacks a couple of weeks ago and these are some things that we like; frozen fruit & veggies, smoothie pops, and raw kabobs are fun (veggies, cheese, cooked meat, fruit), Leftover pancakes w/ Jam, Maple syrup kettle corn/nut mix, Bananas and Yogurt Dip (w/ honey & cinnamon or strawberry puree), & Fruit pudding (basically berries cooked down w/ a little honey)
The girls also love these two recipes:
http://thismama.wordpress.com/2011/02/11/the-give-away-winner-and-a-couple-of-recipes/
http://thismama.wordpress.com/2011/11/14/almondwalnut-macaroons/
Thanks for all the ideas!
Beth
raw kabobs… I think my kids would love that! we do a maple syrup kettle corn as well, and it is so good.
thanks for the recipes, too!
Michelle
Wow! 100 healthy snack ideas. That’s quite a list. My favorite is chocolate dipped strawberries. Thanks for sharing.
Beth
chocolate-dipped strawberries is a definite treat, but oh so yummy!
Grace
Amazing! Thank you! And now I will be pinning this. 🙂
Beth
Thanks! It’s already been re-pinned over a hundred times (I pinned it too). Wow! 🙂