10 Afternoon healthy snack ideas to boost your energy

It’s natural to feel tired around 2 or 3pm when motivation and energy levels drop, it happens to even the healthiest athletes.  In Spain and Brazil they take a siesta to reboot.  In Italy they have a two hour lunch.  

But, for those of us who can’t take a break and that 4th cup of coffee just isn’t cutting it, it’s time for an afternoon snack!

So get up, stretch your legs, do some jumping jacks and have a snack to get your brain back to bouncing for the rest of the day.

Try one of these 10 simple and delicious snack suggestions.

1. A handful of nuts  – Protein filled, easy to store in your desk or divide into small containers, for a prepackaged, no hassle, quick and easy energy solution.

2. Full-fat yoghurt with a drizzle of honey – You’re saying ‘full-fat yoghurt?’  How is that healthier than fat-free? First, full-fat doesn’t have those pesky stabilizers and the truth is full-fat, according to our banting expert Tim Noakes, produces sustained energy without the highs and lows, when you are choosing a healthy lifestyle.  So, check out this super simple recipe for Greek yoghurt, honey and nuts for your afternoon pleasure.

3. Cucumber and cottage cheese – Sliced cucumber is an excellent alternative to eating chips or carbohydrate packed crackers.  Add a dollop of cottage cheese, a sprinkling of paprika and munch guilt-free.

4. Peanut butter and carrots – This is a fabulous snack for adults and kids.  Just a spoonful of peanut butter will keep you full for longer because it is high in protein.  And, carrots are rich in antioxidants for a brain boost, plus carrots are bonus for dental health by naturally killing germs. #twofor1!

5. Hard boiled eggs – A brilliant and self packaged, high protein, low calorie, snack that you can make on the weekend to bring to work daily. Here are our instructions for hard boiling eggs.

6. Hummus and crackers –  You can easily make this fresh and healthy recipe for chickpea hummus at home, pack it into small containers for the week and add 2 or 3 provita crackers (not too many) to your lunchbox.

7. Scrambled eggs & cheese in the microwave – Cheese and eggs will not only curb your afternoon hunger but will keep you full for longer and they are seriously delicious.  Take 1 egg, beat it with a fork, toss in 1/8th cup of cheese, or just a sprinkling and pop into the microwave for 1 minute, mix with fork and cook again for 20-30 seconds until fully cooked.
 
8. Apples and bananas – Nature got it right with its’ gorgeously designed, one serving, naturally packaged fruit.  Apples have a low GI which means you’ll breakdown the sugar at a much slower rate giving you sustained energy for longer.  And, bananas are chock full of potassium which is good for your blood pressure and heart functions, but will also keep your blood sugar levels stable so you don’t suffer a crash in energy.

9. A small bowl of oatmeal – If you have plain oats sitting at your desk, you can take 3-4 tablespoons in a bowl, cover with boiling water and place a plate on top for 3-5 minutes.  Add a bit of honey, grated apple and nuts if you want to go big.

10. Dates or prunes instead of pastries – If you’ve got a sweet tooth, replacing your afternoon cupcake with a carrot isn’t going to be a smooth transition.  Instead, try 1/4 cup of chopped naturally sweet dates or try making these simple date and nut energy bars.