Your definitive afternoon snack guide
It’s winter – we all crave tasty comfort food and find it tough to strike the balance between healthy and delicious. And those with kids know the struggles of finding the perfect after school and holiday snacks to keep the young ones happy without compromising on nutrition. So here we go – your guide to the perfect afternoon snack.
Kids
For the little ones, or for the young at heart, afternoon hunger usually requires a quick fix of sugar to get through the hours between lunch and dinner. But not only is this not great for anyone’s health, sustained energy over the arvo is what you really need. Tasty treats for the kids can include dried fruits, frozen yoghurt, fritters and wholesome baked goods.
Ants on a Log – The after school classic still holds up with children and adults alike, and your celery can be enjoyed with cream cheese, natural peanut butter, sultanas, cranberries, or whatever healthy toppings you can rustle up!
Pea and Noodle Fritters – As simple as combining everything in a bowl, pan fry, enjoy hot or cold!
Students
When study, classes and being switched on all day transforms into unassailable hunger, something healthy, easy and affordable is the way to go.
Fruit and Nut mix – As simple as it sounds, natural, and as delicious as you would imagine. While the mixture and ratio is up to you, some of the best afternoon snacking dried fruits and nuts include cashews, almonds, raisins and sultanas, dried cranberries, dried apricots, walnuts, sunflower seeds and pepitas. In the interest of keeping these delicious between-meal treats as healthy as can be, it’s important to understand the value of portion size.
Muesli – Continuing the natural fruit and nut theme, muesli is a great snacking option in the afternoon hours. And getting around the exorbitant prices you’re likely to encounter at the supermarket, you can get past this by making your own for a fraction of the cost. Including oats, nuts, and fruit brings your afternoon a good dose of fibre, wholegrains and protein. At Peaches, we have a great range of muesli for you to snack on all day.
Busy Workers
Warding off the temptation to snack when you’re in the office or out and about during the day can be a challenge, but you need not reach for the junk food. Keeping mentally switched on is crucial when you’re out trying to make a living, so check out these great performance snacks to take to work.
Fruit Salad – Another tried and tested classic, a fruit salad in the afternoon is a great way to satisfy both the food cravings and the sweet tooth in one go. What’s more, making it yourself before you leave for work in the morning means you know exactly what’s going into your arvo snack and you can put in what you like and what suits you and what’s in season.
Greek Yoghurt – Taking down a serve of yoghurt in the afternoon is made simple with the variety of pre-packaged option available on the market today. However, it can be even cheaper to grab a large tub from the supermarket and put a serve in a container.
There it is – healthy snacks to satisfy just about everybody. Now you can have some food between meals without having to worry that your calorie count will be off the charts, and be able to do so with foods that taste awesome!
