5x healthy snacking
(without vegetables or fruit)
After all those pepernoten, Christmas wreaths, snack boards, and the cherry on top: oliebollen and apple fritters, the fun is really over now. Unfortunately, our brain (and stomach) thinks differently and will start to grumble around four o'clock. But it will be healthy. No worries, there won't be any snack carrot or cherry tomato involved. From these afternoon snacks you can snack unlimitedly (okay, almost unlimitedly) and you don't have to feel guilty about it.
1. Roasted chickpeas
Not only those standard bowls of hummus or falafel balls are made from this protein-rich legume, you can also bake them perfectly crispy in the oven. The legumes are packed with fiber and antioxidants and they don't even contain that many calories, while being very filling.
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
Drain the chickpeas in a colander and then wrap them in kitchen paper so they are as dry as possible. Line a baking dish with parchment paper and spread the chickpeas over the dish. Drizzle some olive oil over the chickpeas and sprinkle them with pepper and salt. For a savory version, it's nice to add some paprika or chili powder, and for a sweet version, use a teaspoon of cinnamon. Then let them roast for about 50 minutes. Toss the chickpeas every ten minutes so they brown evenly.
2. Edamame beans
My favorite among the beans. Just as a snack, with sushi, or tossed in a fresh salad. They are rich in protein, iron, calcium, and Omega-3 fatty acids and are just as filling as chickpeas.
Chances are you'll find the beans in the freezer at your favorite Asian grocery store. All you need to do is steam them briefly or boil them in a little salted water.
A little salt on top or some Sriracha for a kick.
3. Popcorn
Sorry, girlfriend. I don't mean that super sweet or intensely salty bucket at the cinema. The healthy version you can easily make at home in a pot. Popcorn is high in fiber and low in calories.
Buy unflavored corn kernels and skip the butter. Take a large, deep pot with a little oil and pop the corn kernels in a few minutes until they become popcorn. Add salt or a bit of powdered sugar.
4. Olives
Olives are a good source of healthy fats and low in calories. Just check the ingredient list before you toss the container in your cart. Often, olives from the supermarket are processed in such a way that there's nothing healthy left.
Buy your olives fresh at the market or in a health food store. Choose sun-ripened ones and avoid the jet-black ones that are often colored with dye.
5. Roasted pumpkin seeds
What do you mean, you're throwing the seeds of the pumpkin in the trash? Such a waste. Pumpkin seeds are super nutritious, healthy, and contain so many healthy nutrients that you'll get dizzy. Especially iron, magnesium, iron, and vitamin E.
Boil the pumpkin seeds for twenty minutes in salted water. Then remove them from the water and pat them completely dry. Heat some oil and salt in a pan and fry them until they start popping like popcorn. Then quickly remove them from the heat and enjoy.
