Healthy and quick snack ideas

If you’re looking for that sweet treat, but would rather route for a healthier alternative, then read on.

When supermarkets are filled with naughty snacks and nutritionists are advising us to eat less sugar, its easy to feel guilty when opting for that carrot cake- but not all snacks have to be calorific and fatty. You can still have your breakfast, lunch and dinner as normal, while saving a treat for the evening when you’re peckish. These are my home-made recipes that will satisfy your craving.

Chocolate Truffles. What you will need: Hazelnut butter, cocoa and organic honey. You can buy these ingredients from Holland and Barrett or any other health shop. How to make: In any order at all, mix the hazelnut butter and honey together. Depending on how sweet you want it, you can add as much honey as you’d like to the mixture. Then add cocoa powder- if you like your chocolate strong, then feel free to adjust the amount. When you’re done mixing, shape it into little balls, rolling between your hands and lay them onto a small plate. Place in fridge, it takes around 2 hours for the chocolate to set. You might want to sprinkle some cocoa on the truffles to make it more interesting and creative, the great thing about this recipe is that it’s super quick and can be done in 5 minutes.

Chocolate Mousse. Ingredients you will need for two: 1 avocado, 1 banana and however much cocoa powder you’d like to add. How to make: Mash all the contents together, first with a spoon because the surface is flat, then with a fork and make sure everything is properly mashed for the right consistency. Separate the mixture into two, it can be in two small bowls or glasses, then put into fridge. It’s a good idea to put cling-film over your desserts, so it wont absorb the odours of the fridge. You will need to wait around 3 hours, as it’s better when it’s cold and when it’s done, top it off with a dollop of peanut butter or squirt cream. Enjoy.

Oatbars. What you will need: Plain oats, natural peanut butter (without the extra oil or preservatives) and your choice of either honey or blended dried fruit for natural sweetness. I like to add dried cranberries, which I put in the blender for a minute, as I find that it makes the energy bars less dry. Not everybody likes raisins! It should be 65% oats, 25% peanut butter and 10% honey/ cranberries. Be sure to stir it well, or else you’ll be left with lumps. Next, shape the bars to the shape and size you want. Preheat the oven to gas mark 4 and lay the bars onto a baking tray for around 20 minutes, allowing them to cool afterwards. These are ideal for people who are tight on time in the morning and find it difficult to have breakfast in a limited amount of time. The oats will slowly release energy and you’ll be ready to face the day ahead.