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The Perfect Snack

Written by Staff Reporter

Thursday, 29 April 2010

Many people came back to me last week about my suggestions around a healthy snack. It seems that people struggle with this one; what to eat when you are on the road, in the car, at the desk or on the way to the park after school, we all need a little something to keep us going till lunch or dinner. So what do we need to remember?

When I think about my eleven o'clock snack or the four o'clock snack, I try to make sure what I have is balanced. This means, generally, that there is some form of protein and some form of carbohydrate. For example at eleven, a great suggestion is some fruit (apples, bananas, pears are easy to carry around) would be a perfect carbohydrate and some nuts and seeds and/or natural yogurt as a protein.

At four, a dip, such as hummus (see below), guacamole or Tzatkiki (a Greek dip made with yogurt, cucumber and mint) are a good source of protein and vegetable sticks, oat cakes, rice cakes or wholegrain toast act as the carbohydrate. It's easy.

Eating healthier snacks throughout the day can help to balance blood sugar levels, manage weight, and even reduce cravings!

Chilli Hummus

125g dried chickpeas or 1 tin of chickpeas Juice of 1 lemon
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons of EVOO
½ teaspoon of dried chilli (or paprika, or ground cumin, or ground coriander)
Sea Salt and freshly ground pepper

Crudites
Celery
Carrots
Pepper

If using dried chickpeas, prepare the night before. Put a saucepan of water on to boil. Once boiling, add chickpeas and cover. Turn off heat and leave over night. The next day, drain water, cover barely with fresh water and bring to boil. Simmer for about 1 hour. Drain off water (saving a little for the hummus) and allow to cool. Or simply drain a tin of chickpeas and wash well.

Place all of the ingredients, except the salt and pepper, into a food processor and blend to a consistency you are happy with. Season lightly with salt and pepper. If you feel it needs more lemon or oil, add slowly and blend a little further till you reach a taste you are happy with.

If you are interested in having a health focused cooking demo at home with friends or family, contact me on This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

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