Snacks with staying power

A good snack pairs fiber with a bit of protein or healthy fat. Our snack recipes do that with crunchy roasted chickpeas, creamy bean dips with raw vegetables, nori wraps and fruit with seeds.

Many of these keep well. Roasted chickpeas stay crisp in an open jar for a day or two, and bean dips last 3 to 4 days in a sealed container in the fridge.

Easy snack pairings

Try cucumber rounds with white bean dip, apple slices with almond butter, a handful of pumpkin seeds with an orange, or carrot sticks with tahini lemon sauce.

Snacks that keep you going

The most filling snacks pair produce with protein or fat: apple slices with almond butter, carrots with hummus, cucumber with guacamole, or a small handful of nuts with grapes. Roasted chickpeas and edamame are crunchy and high in fiber. Portion nuts into small containers ahead of time, since they are easy to overeat straight from the bag. Keep cut vegetables in water in the fridge so they stay crisp for several days, and you will reach for them before packaged snacks.

Kid-friendly and on-the-go options

Frozen grapes, banana slices dipped in a little nut butter and rolled in oats, or a muffin-tin plate of berries, cucumber rounds and pumpkin seeds go over well with children. For travel, pack trail mix you make yourself from unsalted nuts, seeds and a few raisins, which costs less than store blends and skips added sugar and salt. A small cooler bag with hummus cups and snap peas turns a long drive into a chance to eat more vegetables.

Choosing snacks that keep you going

Snacks satisfy most when they pair fiber with some protein or fat, such as vegetables with a bean dip, fruit with a handful of nuts, or roasted chickpeas. That pairing digests more slowly than a sweet snack eaten by itself, and it tends to carry you through to the next meal.

Easy snack building blocks

Raw vegetables such as carrots, cucumber, peppers and snap peas, prepped ahead in a container of cold water.

Dips made from white beans, chickpeas or lentils.

Unsalted nuts and seeds in small portions, since they are calorie-dense.

Whole fruit, which travels well and needs no preparation.

Oven-roasted chickpeas seasoned with herbs and spices.

Portions

A typical serving of nuts is a small handful, about an ounce. Portioning snacks into small containers ahead of time makes it easier to enjoy them without overdoing it.

Allergies

Tree nuts, peanuts and sesame are all common food allergens. For nut-free households and schools, seeds such as pumpkin and sunflower make good alternatives, although some people are allergic to seeds as well.

Snacks recipes

Crispy Rosemary Chickpeas

Cucumber Dill White Bean Dip