Those little bits and bites between meals that need to be watched and controlled |05 August 2022

By now you must have found your way around a decent plant-based breakfast, and are probably on your way to have lunch under control, because let’s face it, we haven’t heard back from you.

But before we jump to dinner, we’re going to pause for this week and take a look at this constant munching throughout the day.

The fridge keeps calling you; that naughty biscuit packet keeps whispering to you, and the brain yearns for that extra cookie in the middle of the morning, or even a piece of cassava rusk (‘Galet’) and a banana at teatime.

For starters, a good filling breakfast can fix some of this problem, and stop you from feeling empty later in the day.

It is said that if your brain tells you you’re hungry, you should ask yourself if you would like to eat an apple, and if the answer is No, then your body doesn’t really need it.

But let’s face it, snacking and grazing (one of the new trendy terms) are strong animal urges, so let’s make it healthy, and better still let’s keep it plant-based.

Selection of nuts

Nuts are healthy fats so keep a selection around the house so occasionally you can pinch a small handful. In order to keep salt to a minimum try to choose unsalted ones.

You can also grind them in a glass of plant-based milk and throw in a couple of spoonfuls of oats to keep you satisfied longer.

A handful of seeds

A handful of seeds such as pumpkin and sunflower is also very nutritious and will also contribute to your overall health.

You can take it further by creating your own trail mix at home using a variety of seeds, nuts and a small amount of dried fruits at a much lower cost than ready-made, store-bought ones.

Keep it local and exotic

Slices of fresh coconuts make for a great snack, and some people like to chow them down with a small banana. Just be mindful of your portion size.

Snack cups on the go

All you'll need are small plastic cups, snack-sized bags, or some food containers. Designate a healthy snack section in your pantry and fridge where you will know to reach for those pre-portioned snacks in a pinch!

These can combine chopped salads, cucumber, tomatoes, strips of carrots with your vinaigrette of choice and sprinkled with chia seeds or ground flaxseeds.

Ohh….. so creamy hummus

Or how about something that takes a little more time to prepare but is fast becoming a healthy eater’s favourite – hummus. With a bowl of hummus in the fridge, all you need are small vegetable sticks like carrots, zucchini, cucumber, and even apple, to dip in it.

If you’re not familiar with hummus, get familiar now, for it’s one of the wonderful combinations of chickpeas and garlic and lemon and olive oil that you’ll ever find on this earth.

By all means first try a store-bought one if you don’t know it, just to understand what it’s about, but if there’s one reason you need to buy a small food processor for your kitchen, it’s hummus.

Ready-to-heat-up plant burgers

For something more substantial if you’re really feeling a little gap in the stomach, then why not make a batch of small vegetable burgers and keep them in the freezer, so that when you feel the hunger pang you can just pop one in the microwave, and voila.

Vegetable sandwich

There’s nothing easier than packing a wrap or a sheet of rice paper roll with some sliced or grated vegetables and dip them in a home-made peanut butter dip or a little chilli.

The inspiration for this dip comes from the inimitable Indonesian sauce with chopped vegetables known as GadoGado and will keep you satisfied for quite a while.

The humble fruit

Last but not least, let’s not forget the humble often forgotten fruit when it comes to snacking.

Just grab an apple or a pear or a piece of melon or a small banana, and you’re good to go until the next main meal.

We trust that at this stage of your journey in plant-based eating, the above choices will make sure you don’t succumb to the temptation of opening up a packet of crisps.

Stay healthy and stay in touch

It’s been a pleasure snacking with you and we look forward to hosting you to a healthy plant-based dinner next week.

Thank you for joining us this week on our Eat for Our Health page. Look us up on Social Media - Eat for our health Seychelles on Facebook and @eat4ourhealth on Instagram.

And don’t forget to drop us a little email to myhealthyplatesc@gmail.com and let us know how you’re doing with these ideas, or better still, share your favourite dishes or tips.

Yours in health

The E4OH Team