The Best Healthy Snacks for Working from Home in Quarantine

March 31, 2020

Cooking, food, health, Lifestyle, Other Posts, Recipes, Wellness

Welcome to the new normal of spending 24/7 at home and needing ENDLESS snacks from the kitchen. Since we’re all working from home now (or, you know, shopping the best retail quarantine sales online), and it’s all too tempting to get up and explore the fridge every ten minutes, I like to make sure I have healthy snacks conveniently accessible at all times so I can (hopefully) avoid the #Quarantine15.

As you guys know by now, my other passion besides traveling is cooking! So when this quarantine started, I have to say, as sad I was not to be traveling, the idea of getting to stay home for a month (after being on the road constantly for the past 3 years) was not the worst sounding thing in the world. You mean I finally get to cook and bake as much as I want!?!

I’ve been having so much fun in Q-tine and sharing more and more of Kenny and my everyday life with you guys on instagram. So I wanted to share some of my go-to favorite easy healthy snacks you can easily make at home or have in your pantry!

Table of Contents

Popcorn

I love making stovetop popcorn with coconut oil – it’s always a go-to afternoon snack or dessert after dinner. Popcorn is super low-calorie and filled with fiber. It does a great job at keeping me full, so I love having it around. I’ll often pack bags of kernels for my months-long stints in Bali since I can’t get popcorn over there! I’ve taught some Indonesians how to make it, and they love it!

3 tablespoons coconut oil (use unrefined coconut oil like this if you like a little nutty, coconut flavor, and refined if you don’t want any coconut flavor)
1/3 cup of high quality popcorn kernels
1 Tbsp or more (to taste) of butter (optional)
Salt to taste

Heat the oil, add in the kernels, and shake the pot every few minutes until the popping slows to several seconds between pops, thats when you know it’s done!

You can also spice up your popcorn with herbs like rosemary and sea salt, or make it spicy with cayenne, ancho chili powder, and smoked paprika!

Image via food and wine

Healthy Almond Butter Cookies

These too-good-to-be-true almond butter cookies are sweetened with raw coconut sugar, which is so much healthier than refined sugar, and are gluten-free, since they use oat flour instead of all-purpose flour. They’re also packed with almond butter which makes them a great snack to keep you full. It’s the perfect sweet treat to keep around the house.

Carrots & Veggie Crudite with Homemade Tzaziki

Making homemade Tzatziki (you know, that greek yogurt sauce that is SO good!) is actually super easy.

And you can use the leftover tzaziki with a greek salad for lunch or dinner with lamb meatballs the next day!

Here is the recipe I use:

Instructions: Grate the cucumber and either squeeze through cheesecloth or drain through a fine mesh strainer overnight in the fridge (If you’re in a rush, you can use your hands to squeeze the liquid out of the cucumber). Combine the yogurt, garlic, oil, vinegar, and salt in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Transfer the grated cucumber and fresh dill to the yogurt mixture and stir to combine. Serve chilled with veggies or crackers (I love these gluten-free seed ones!).

Photo via The Spruce Eats

Or make my homemade mayo-free healthy ranch dressing – recipe here!

Sunflower Seed Bites

I recently first tasted these because they were in the mini bar at one of my favorite luxe California resorts – Calistoga Ranch in Napa Valley. They were seriously divine. Nut-free, crunchy and super well-balanced, they’re the perfect wholesome snack to munch on during the work day. And you can get them on Amazon!! Trust me, you’re going to love them.

Crunchmaster gluten-free seed crackers

These crackers are literally amazing. If you haven’t tried them yet, you are missing out big time. Order them on Amazon and have the healthiest, crunchiest, work snack around at all times. These healthy crackers are only 140 calories per every 14 crackers, and are non-GMO, gluten-free, and come in a ton of amazing flavors.

Almond Butter, Banana, and Honey Bites

I love slicing a banana, adding a spoonful of almond butter and a little honey. This is the BEST snack! My favorite is Artisana’s raw almond butter, with a little organic honey. Yum!!

Pickles

I absolutely love pickles, they’re the perfect healthy snack to dip in your tzaziki or hummus, or just eat plain! Plus they have probiotics from being fermented so they’re good for your gut!

This is my favorite pickle brand, but making your own pickles is SUPER easy!

All you need is: 1 lb cucumbers, 3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed, 2 large sprigs fresh dill,1 c. water, 3/4 c. white vinegar, 1 tbsp. kosher salt

1. Trim ends from cucumbers and slice into spears. Pack into 2 16-oz. glass jar along with garlic and dill.

2. Make brine: in a small saucepan, combine water, vinegar, and salt. Bring to a boil, stir until salt is dissolved, and remove from heat and let cool slightly. Pour over cucumbers, seal jar, and shake. Let cool completely on the counter, then refrigerate until cold.

3. Wait at least 2 hours to eat the pickles, but the longer you wait, the more flavorful they’ll be. If you can, try waiting 24 hours.

Crispy Chickpeas

Chickeas are super low in calorie and packed with fiber and protein, making them an ideal snack! I love crisping them up in the oven (I use the recipe linked below!) Or you can get them from Amazon or Whole Foods (I love this brand).

1 19oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 375. Then spread the chickpeas in a single layer on a baking sheet. It’s ok if they are still a bit wet, they’ll dry out in the oven. Bake 30 minutes, stopping to shake the pan every now and then.

Remove the chickpeas from the oven and carefully add the hot chickpeas to a bowl along with the olive oil, chili powder, thyme, and salt. Toss well to coat the chickpeas evenly.

Spread the seasoned chickpeas back onto the baking sheet and return to the oven for another 10 to 15 minutes until they are golden and crispy. Remove from the oven and let cool a bit before enjoying. You can snack on them still warm, or completely cooled.

Homemade Kale Chips

Making deliciously-salty, crispy kale chips at home is super easy, and a great healthy snack.

All you need is 1 bunch kale, a little sprinkled sea salt and 1 tablespoon olive oil. And sometimes I add a little smoked paprika + lemon or lemon zest at the end!

Wash and dry the kale, massage it with olive oil, sprinkle the sea salt and bake at 375 for about 10 minutes, or until it gets crispy!

Healthy homemade tortilla chips + salsa verde!

Healthy Baked Olive Oil Tortilla Chips

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Baking healthy and crispy olive oil tortilla chips is so easy! This is the recipe I use every time we make Mexican food.

Ingredients

Corn tortillas, cut into quarters
Olive oil

Instructions

Preheat oven to convection 400 (you don't have to use convection, but it helps crisp them up)
Spread about 3 Tablespoons of olive oil across a foiled cookie sheet
Dip each tortilla quarter into the oil, then flip over into the oil, repeat this for every chip
Bake for about 12-15 min, or until golden brown and crispy.
Serve warm with salsa verde and guacamole

Notes

Extra-light tasting olive oil works great for this, but EVOO works great too!

Check on the chips after 10 mins to make sure you don't burn them!

Salsa Verde

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Tangy, sweet, and ultra-healthy, this salsa is my absolute favorite for everything - from tacos and chips, to topping my scrambled eggs in the morning.