I need your snack recipes!

[JuSp02]

Since discovering MMM, DH and I have really embraced 100% from-scratch-only cooking. I am loving how much money we are saving and how much healthier it is. However, I like to snack, a lot, as in multiple times a day, particularly while I am at work. While we've been really successful with cooking meals, I am missing my snacks. The only recipe I've been able to find (and master) so far is granola, which is delicious, but I'm starting to get pretty sick of having it as my only snack food.

So, o wise mustachians, please help! What are your favorite convenience, pre-packaged snack substitute recipes? Bonus points if it's only moderately time intensive to make and can be stored for a long time.

[Frankies Girl]

My favorite snack is a whole avocado cut in half, and topped with a little bit of salt. I throw one in my bag (doesn't have to be refrigerated) and I have a knife and spoon and salt packets at my desk. I cut it open and discard the pit, then use the spoon to mash up the avo meat a bit on each half, then eat it directly out of the skin. Easy and VERY satisfying due to the fat content.

I've also taken garlic hummus (but that does have to stay cold) and avocado with that is my fave. I buy my hummus, but the recipes don't look that hard, and you could do some sort of cracker or chips and hummus as a snack as well.

[rocksinmyhead]

I've also taken garlic hummus (but that does have to stay cold) and avocado with that is my fave. I buy my hummus, but the recipes don't look that hard, and you could do some sort of cracker or chips and hummus as a snack as well.

this is my all-time favorite dip: http://www.howsweeteats.com/2011/03/cilantro-lime-white-bean-hummus/
I usually use black beans because I have them around and I love it that way, but white are good too. and you don't even need to buy tahini like with regular hummus!

anyway, that dip + crackers/veggies was going to be my suggestion even before I saw Frankies Girl's post. otherwise just fruit is my usual snack... mostly bananas and clementines because I am a child.

[SweetLife]

I started making mini loaves (banana,zuchini etc) I get my recipies off of one of the recipie sites make the same as a big loaf takes half the time to cook and they are excellent size for snacks no cutting involved! :) They end up being about 3 -4 bites each (ok my husband makes them 2 bites) ... I usually add raisins, dried cranberries and nuts to any of the recipies I find so delicious!!!

The mini loaf pans you can get at used stores (or new are under 6$ each) and make 8 each. I find 2 of these pans are perfect for most recipies (if you don't want to wait for one batch to finish, remove and put another batch in oven).  These mini's are also GREAT to freeze! So you can make enough for a month ...

I am a HUGE fan of Hummus and can't understand anyone with a blender/food processor that buys it ... you can put whatever you want in it and takes under 15 minutes to make ... if I am out of Tahini I use peanut butter ... I love lots of garlic in ours and lots of lemon ... I always bring some when I am out visiting and have had rave reviews for years (ok the only issue with making it ... is washing the darn food processor after ... I hate that lol... but hubby will usually take care of it if I make the food lol) :)

Happy snacking :)

[minimalist]

No recipes needed. My snacks:
-apples
-bananas
-oranges
-cashews
-almonds
-macadamias
-dark chocolate

[swick]

There are lots of great healthy suggestions here:
http://livesimply.me/2013/10/16/nutrient-dense-recipes/

I haven't had a chance to make them yet, but homemade gummy candies are definitely on my list. The commercial ones are so full of crap but I really like that texture to snack on.

[netskyblue]

Roasted chickpeas (garbanzo beans).  Buy them dirt cheap in a bulk bag, soak/cook, and roast in a low heat oven after tossing with some olive oil.  I like cajun seasoning on them, but you could do any flavor profile, really.  Sweetened & with cinnamon would be good, too.

[Cwadda]

My mom makes rice crispy treats with generic rice crispies, marshmallows, and butter. They take about 20 minutes and aren't the most healthy, but they're delicious once and a while. Rice crispies can be replaced by other cereals, too.

Also, a combination of pickles, crackers, and sharp cheese is is one of my favorite snacks ever.

[Elaine]

-I make polenta- pour it into a rectangular casserole dish and let it set (put in fridge for a couple hours). Then it can easily be cut into squares for a snack, you can pick it up and eat it cold. I add in chesse, sun dried tomatoes, or whatever is on hand (bacon would be good too).

-Avocado- I eat them plain or with olive oil/hot sauce on them.

- Nuts! Trail mix style. Not the cheapest thing, but delicious.

- Fruit- no brainer.

- Crunchy seasoned chickpeas- Take chickpeas, rinse, and coat in oil and spices (cajun spices are my favorite for this). Put on a pan covered in parchment paper- bake in the oven on 350. They will get super crunchy and delicious. Good for a snack or on top of salads.

-Pepper & carrot slices and dip. I use red or orange bell peppers- any dip you want to make is good with them.

-Hard boiled Eggs, or single serving fritattas. Just whip up a batch of fritatta and pour into muffin tins & bake. Easy to take with you.

-Dark Chocolate

- Kale Chips- make a big batch in the oven- they keep a long time.

-Seeds! I love sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds. And just like with the chickpeas you can season the hell out of them if you want to.

-Dried fruit

-Homemade sweet potato chips- so delicious

-Marinated mushrooms, olives & Roasted garlic. This is more of an antipasto thing, but I love it as a snack. I put pickles in too.

[MicroRN]

Homemade larabars - grind up dates, nuts, other dried fruit, and spices, form into balls or bars.  They make great energy dense snacks.
http://leitesculinaria.com/88638/recipes-homemade-larabars.html

Pumpkin/Zucchini/Banana bread - http://allrecipes.com/recipe/moms-zucchini-bread/
I'll sub equal quantities of pumpkin puree or mashed banana for the zucchini, and change up the spices.  It's very high in sugar, so definitely a sometimes food, but everyone loves it.  You can make loaves, mini-loaves, or muffins of any size, and they freeze beautifully.  I like doing mini-muffins for the kids. 

Egg muffins - beat eggs with vegetables, cheese, cooked crumbled bacon or sausage, and pour into muffin tins.  Bake at 350, I think 10 min for mini tins, and 15-20 min for bigger ones.  They freeze, fridge, transport, and reheat well.  Some varieties we like are: shredded zucchini + cheddar + bacon, salsa + taco meat + cheese + olives, diced pepperoni + pizza sauce + mozzarella + pizza vegetables, broccoli + cheddar.

Most of the snacks don't need a recipe:
Vegetables with hummus, guacamole, or other dips
Fresh fruit - I love Bosc pears with a little goat cheese, or apple slices with almond butter
Nuts - plain, salted, or cajun seasoned - look online for suggestions on how to roast nuts at home.  Rosemary almonds are amazing. 
Hard boiled eggs
Cheese
Dark chocolate
Jerky (we have a dehydrator)
Yogurt with fresh fruit

[anastrophe]

Popcorn. I buy it in 25lb bags and eat a different flavor every day.

[the fixer]

Muffins. They're easy to make and transport relatively well.
I second/third simple fruits and veggies: carrots, bananas, pickles, olives, ...
One of my favorites is yogurt (homemade of course) mixed with some frozen berries.
Baked sweet potatoes cooked in the microwave then slathered with butter.
I used to make lots of granola bars, my recipes are floating around the forum in a few places. Search for "sourdough" or "orange flavored cranberries"

I'm on a rather restricted diet at the moment as an experiment, so most of my other snacks aren't exactly cheap.
Jerky (homemade with grass-fed steak, marinated in Thai fish sauce, balsamic vinegar, mustard, and a few other things).
Chorizo (or bratwurst) & sauerkraut, possibly with mustard depending on how spicy the sausage is.
Salad with various veggies, sprouts, some kind of meat (either canned salmon or sauteed sliced chicken) with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

[AllChoptUp]

I avoid breads/grains when I can (sorta kinda paleo) so it limits snacky type items.  Mostly I munch on sliced carrots, cheese and apples.  Sometimes oranges.  Boring but easy and cheap to prepare/transport/eat while at a computer/cleanup.

and I love slashies

[kolorado]

I try to avoid processed carbs as snacks since they just tend to make me feel sluggish and even hungrier not long after. My faves:

2 spoons of natural peanut butter
hot tea, no caffeine(you may be surprised how satisfying this is instead of food)
hard cheese(like romano or good cheddar)and berries
hard boiled egg
celery or cucumber with cream cheese
unsweetened yogurt with a spoon of fruit only jam and a couple tablespoons of ground flax seed
handful of pistachios or pumpkin seeds

Always drink a big glass of water with your snacks and eat slowly. Often, the urge to snack is more about habit or dehydration than actual hunger.

[GuitarStv]

No recipes needed. My snacks:
-apples
-bananas
-oranges
-cashews
-almonds
-macadamias
-dark chocolate

Yeah, I'm with this post.



Snack recipe:
- Buy fruit/nuts
- Take fruit/nuts to work
- Eat fruit/nuts

[swick]

Popcorn. I buy it in 25lb bags and eat a different flavor every day.

Any chance you can share some of your ideas? I tend to go to the default of homemade taco seasoning or a little grated parm and black pepper...ohh and kettle corn...but trying not to do that so much.

I make my own crackers, really easy if you happen to ave a manual pasta roller.  Also i make a big batch of Chia seed pudding that stays in the fridge and is portioned out throughout the week whenever we want something quick.

[anastrophe]

Popcorn. I buy it in 25lb bags and eat a different flavor every day.

Any chance you can share some of your ideas? I tend to go to the default of homemade taco seasoning or a little grated parm and black pepper...ohh and kettle corn...but trying not to do that so much.

Oh the kettle corn, I am trying to avoid that too but it's soooo hard.

I am one of those people who has a "well-stocked" spice drawer so YMMV, but a few of my favorites:

Buttermilk powder or nutritional yeast. I know it sounds weird, but if you like Smartfood cheesy popcorn they will both make you happy, trust me.

Hot sauce and butter = buffalo popcorn.

Garlic powder and olive oil.

Smoked paprika and sea salt.

[swick]

Popcorn. I buy it in 25lb bags and eat a different flavor every day.

Any chance you can share some of your ideas? I tend to go to the default of homemade taco seasoning or a little grated parm and black pepper...ohh and kettle corn...but trying not to do that so much.

Oh the kettle corn, I am trying to avoid that too but it's soooo hard.

I am one of those people who has a "well-stocked" spice drawer so YMMV, but a few of my favorites:

Buttermilk powder or nutritional yeast. I know it sounds weird, but if you like Smartfood cheesy popcorn they will both make you happy, trust me.

Hot sauce and butter = buffalo popcorn.

Garlic powder and olive oil.

Smoked paprika and sea salt.

I love smoked paprika on popcorn! I am definitely going to have to try the buttermilk powder, that is totally new to me! Buffalo popcorn sounds good to...hmm might skip dinner tonight and have a popcorn tasting instead.

Side note - our dog LOVES popcorn. To the point where we have to make a separate little bowl for her without any seasoning on it otherwise she won't leave us alone...but she is very very good if she knows we have a bowl for her.  Have also used as training treats since she loves it so much. A good snack for pups if in moderation.

[horsepoor]

Popcorn. I buy it in 25lb bags and eat a different flavor every day.

Any chance you can share some of your ideas? I tend to go to the default of homemade taco seasoning or a little grated parm and black pepper...ohh and kettle corn...but trying not to do that so much.

I make my own crackers, really easy if you happen to ave a manual pasta roller.  Also i make a big batch of Chia seed pudding that stays in the fridge and is portioned out throughout the week whenever we want something quick.

Nutritional yeast on popcorn.  It's kind of cheesy/buttery and packs some bonus B vitamins.  I like it with some chili oil, but if you're spice-averse, just enough butter to help it stick to the popcorn.

For something dessert-y,  Hot Tamale candies mixed in with popcorn with it's nice and hot (makes the candies kind of soft and gooey).  OK, not the healthiest or most mustachian snack, but I had to mention it.

[ichangedmyname]

Edamame :D

[rocklebock]

In a drawer at work, I have a bag of almonds and a bag of dried apricots, and once or twice a day I eat a few of both. It's important to eat both in one mouthful for maximum deliciousness. Like those fancy KIND bars but cheaper and less sugar.

[Zikoris]

My favourite snacks are:

-nuts
-fruit
-muffins (usually bran or oatmeal cranberry)
-cookies
-banana bread, brownies, or some other dense loaf-like-object
-peanut butter sandwich

My boyfriend likes to snack on entree leftovers. It's very common in our household to open a tupperware and find a few spoonfuls missing.

[Embers]

I purchase bags of kale at Costco and toss on some Nutritional yeast and throw in the oven for 30 minutes. Kale chips are expensive if you buy them at the store, but so easy to make and you can save a lot of $$$

[rocksinmyhead]

My boyfriend likes to snack on entree leftovers. It's very common in our household to open a tupperware and find a few spoonfuls missing.

haha, mine does this too! he also will eat pretty much any leftover food cold. I actually wish I could enjoy this as much as he does.