Healthy Snack Combos You Might Not Have Thought Of

Hello friends! Today’s post is brought to you by the lovely Andi Singer, who contacted me after reading my weekend recap with my California girl outfit. We bonded over both being girls who genetically store lots of weight and muscle in our legs and she kindly offered to write up a fun guest post for Apple of My Eye! Enjoy!

Andi Singer writes about dieting and nutrition for IHM Online, a company providingat home HMR resources. At age 7 her cousin taught her the joys of peanut butter and pickle sandwiches, she has since become fearless in experimenting with odd food combinations.

As a competitive athlete and fitness coach, I pride myself in eating whole foods with purpose. If you’ve run out of snack ideas and need a bit more variety, try some of these ideas for a unique spin on foods you probably already have in your fridge and pantry!

Cottage Cheese and Jam… or Hot Sauce

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Cottage cheese is one of my favorites because it is so healthy, and so versatile. It provides a natural source of casein protein, which is slower to be used by your body than other sources, and therefore is good to consume before you sleep or fast for several hours. It is also versatile in that it can be enjoyed sweet or savory.

If you add a tsp of jam or jelly to your cottage cheese, you have a quick sweet snack that combines flavors similar to cheesecake (I am NOT claiming that it tastes just like cheesecake, okay, I know it’s a far cry, but you have the similar creamy, cheese, and fruity flavors combined.)

Another of my favorite cottage cheese combos? Cottage cheese and hot sauce! It might sound weird, but the hot sauce (I use sriracha) cuts perfectly through the cool, creamy cottage cheese for a uniquely flavorful low carb, low calorie, high protein snack.

Veggies and Salsa… or Nut Butter

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If I’m looking for a crunchy, low calorie, low carb snack I’ll often reach for veggies and salsa. Hummus is a great dipping option as well, but is slightly higher in calories and contains legumes, which are excluded from certain diet types. This is also a great substitution for chips if you want to mindlessly snack on something crunchy and flavorful while you watch TV or read.

If you are not concerned with calories or are looking for extra healthy fats and proteins, veggies and nut butters are a great combo. For diets that exclude legumes, you can use almond or sunflower butter, while those without restrictions can opt for a natural peanut butter. It will be a different experience than your standard apple-and-peanut butter, but nuts often are used in savory dishes with vegetables such as salads and curries so it is not a completely foreign concept.

My favorite veggies to use with either salsa or nut butter are carrot sticks, sliced green bell peppers, broccoli, and cauliflower.

Oatmeal and Protein Powder… or Scrambled Eggs

If you’re looking for a quick breakfast or post-workout snack with protein and carbohydrates, oatmeal and protein powder is a great go-to. I typically use a chocolate or vanilla whey protein, but you can use flavored soy or pea protein for vegan options.

For the best results I microwave ½ cup 1-minute oats with water, and add in the protein powder after it’s cooked to ensure that the protein isn’t denatured or curdled by the heat.

Similar to our other snack combos, oatmeal can be used either sweet or savory! If you want to use whole foods instead of protein powder, you can cook your oats and top them with a few scrambled (or fried) eggs. I use the same process mixing water and oats and then microwaving, but I also add a dash of salt, paprika, garlic powder, and lemon juice or lemon pepper for a more flavorful dish.

Whether you just eat what feels good to your body, or you follow a low calorie or other type of diet, you don’t have to eat the same few snacks every day. Breaking out of your routine and finding new snack combinations makes enjoying healthy foods a whole lot easier!