lately i’ve been feeling like june cleaver. if she was black and queer and a feminist. ok so maybe not very june cleaverish at all lol.
however, quarantine has taught me some very important lessons in the kitchen. most importantly, my partner and i have developed a meal planning routine and make sure to eat several plant-based meals a week. we don’t label our diet, but simply focus on eating as healthy as possible.
there’s just one complication: i’m a huge snacker. my favorite way to eat is by grazing, basically munching on snacks throughout the day. onraé hates this habit. she makes me at least eat a real breakfast and dinner.
despite her disdain, i’ve found a way to making my snack obsession as healthy as possible.
The Best Plant-Based Healthy Snacks
coco matcha maca smoothie: DE.LICH.OUS. this smoothie is one of my favorite snacks, especially before lunch. the best part is maca is an adaptogenic herb that’s great at reducing stress and anxiety.
the recipe is simple. i mix two teaspoons of all natural coco powder with two teaspoons of matcha and a half teaspoon of maca powder. i use oat milk for the liquid and dates or frozen bananas to sweeten it. top it off with a few cubes of ice before blending and voila! feel free to add more or less matcha or coco to your taste.
diced apples and sun butter: pretty simple snack that’s perfect when you have a hankering for something sweet, but don’t want loads of added sugar. i love snaking on apples and sun butter before bed as a post-dinner treat. also, this snack is perfect if your’e packing lunch for yourself or a family.
hippeas: where would i be without hippeas? the world would be such a cold dark place if this snack didn’t exist. they are “chips” made from organic chickpeas and a great source of plant-based protein. the best part is the ingredients are super simple and don’t include a bunch of processed garbage that you can’t pronounce. my favorite flavor are the white cheddar. they’re like cheetos, but ten times better.
READ: My Self-Care Morning Routine
unsweetened dried cherries and raw cashews: this one is for all my folks like me with a serious sweet tooth. this snack is 100% free of refined sugar and as natural as a goes. cherries are a great source of antioxidants and cashews are a powerhouse of vitamins and minerals. in fact, they’ve been proven to help prevent heart disease and cancer.
this is the kind of snack that i love to take on a road trip or an outdoor event. the cashews will fill you up and give an easy energy boost.
olives, veggies and hummus: depending on the portion, this snack can actually become an entire meal. hummus is a great source of protein, and i love to dip carrots, cucumbers and tomatoes in it. plus, 1/4 cup of olives or so on the side and this snack is perfect. lately, i’ve been adding trader joe’s gluten-free crispbread crackers that are packed with fiber and protein. they’re delicious with all types of spreads.
i hope you enjoy my list of plant-based healthy snacks. if your’e a grazer like me, then try these items instead of processed foods like oreos and doritos. junk food is cool on occasion, but we have an unspoken policy that we don’t purchase it for the house. instead, i reach for the snacks on this list for a healthy treat.