It is mid-afternoon, dinner is still a few hours away, and you are looking through the kitchen for something to eat. On a busy November day, a snack you can put together without much thought can be very welcome.
A satisfying snack can be simple: try pairing a food that provides fibre with a protein food, then choose an amount that suits your hunger. You do not need a special bar, a supplement or a complicated recipe.
What makes a snack more satisfying?
HealthLink BC’s guidance on snacks for adults recommends including fibre and protein to help make snacks more filling. Fruit, vegetables and whole grains provide fibre; beans, nuts and seeds offer both fibre and protein. Snack needs vary with your routine, activity and preferences.
Think of this as an idea to experiment with, rather than a rule for every bite. An apple is still a useful snack on its own. If it does not feel like enough, adding something alongside it is an option.
Canada’s Food Guide includes eggs, yogurt, nuts, seeds, beans and soy foods among protein choices, and encourages choosing plant-based protein foods more often. There is plenty of room for both sweet and savoury snacks.
7 easy afternoon snack ideas
These flexible combinations build on snack ideas from Canada’s Food Guide and HealthLink BC. Swap ingredients to suit allergies, preferences and what you already have.
- Apple wedges with peanut butter. Keep the apple whole until you are ready to eat, or spread the peanut butter on whole grain toast and add thin apple slices.
- Plain yogurt with pear and pumpkin seeds. Use a soft ripe pear and a pinch of cinnamon for an easy autumn bowl. No fresh pear? Try canned fruit packed in water.
- Hummus, carrots and whole grain crackers. Put everything on a small plate. Bought hummus and ready-cut vegetables work well when preparation time is limited.
- A hard-boiled egg with crackers and tomatoes. A savoury option that is easy to assemble from the fridge. Add more crackers or vegetables if you want something more substantial.
- Warm oats with milk and nut butter. Cook the oats according to the package, using milk or an unsweetened fortified soy beverage, then stir in nut butter. Breakfast foods are welcome in the afternoon, too.
- Edamame with a mandarin. Prepare frozen edamame according to the package instructions. Enjoy the beans warm if a cold snack does not appeal.
- Whole grain crackers with cottage cheese and fruit. Spoon the cottage cheese into a bowl and serve with peach slices or chopped apple. Keep the crackers separate until eating so they stay crisp.
Make the easy choice easy to find
Choose two combinations you would actually look forward to this week. There is no need to buy ingredients for all seven. If apples and peanut butter are already in your kitchen, you have a starting point.
Try keeping one option at home and one available during your workday. Canada’s Food Guide suggests planning snacks with your groceries and keeping perishable foods such as yogurt and cheese in a refrigerator or a cooler bag with an ice pack.
For packaged foods, compare similar products and look for options lower in sodium, sugars and saturated fat, as Health Canada’s healthy eating recommendations advise. A snack can be convenient and still fit into a varied eating pattern.
Let the snack fit your day
You do not have to eat at a particular time just because it is called “snack time.” Equally, being hungry before dinner does not mean you have done something wrong. Start with what sounds appealing, notice how it feels, and adjust next time.
If a snack repeatedly feels too small, make it bigger or bring your next meal forward when your schedule allows. The aim is to make eating easier, not to turn an afternoon break into another task to get right.
For more everyday ideas, explore simple ways to eat more fibre and ways to make meals more satisfying.