We all get cravings from time to time and they come in a range of disguises; salty, sweet, crunchy and savoury. If you are starting to watch what you are putting into your body to live a healthier lifestyle, this post today is for you! I give you my favourite snacks for each craving you could get. It is so easy to make this change if you haven’t thought about it before as well. Make a change today and notice the difference in your appearance, how you feel and how you sleep. What you put into your body influences how you feel daily!

Fresh Food: Cucumber

Vegetables are always your best option. Fresh, wholesome foods will fill you up and don’t have any nasty side affects, mainly because of their high water content.

Opt for cucumber or carrot slices that will make for a perfectly refreshing and crunchy snack. You can even consider adding chilli flakes or some sea salt on these slices.

Chocolate is a favourite snack for many of us and it really is hard not to love! But with so much sugar and saturated fat, it really isn’t a good option. Try making your own version with almond milk and melt chocolate made of raw cacao. My favourite brand is Pana chocolate, which is easy to source within NZ. This will provide you with more calcium than you can find in cow’s milk, with a couple grams of carbohydrates.

Kale Chips

A packet of chips is easy to pick up on the run. What’s even better? Making your own kale chips is the perfect healthy alternative! Lay them in a single layer on a tray and coat lightly in olive oil and season with sale. Bake at 180c for 5-10 minutes and keep a close eye as they burn quickly. Once golden, let them cool and snack away.

These snacks will help overcome your salty craving with fewer calories and loads of nutrients, including calcium and magnesium, than any chips.

To many popcorn is something you overeat in the movies and is covered in butter making it a fatty and salty snack. But making it yourself from kernels takes our all the preservatives and additives in the pre-made packages and offers you a healthy snack from a few minutes of effort.

Homemade popcorn is perfect for children as well! You can really taste the difference when you make it yourself

Sweetness: Freeze Dried Apples

Snacking on freeze dried apples will help overcome any sweet cravings you might have and can even help relieve stress, due to the presence of magnesium.

The sweetness of the apple will help conquer any sugar cravings and you will feel so much better for opting for it.

Do you always crave for something sweet and fizzy? So many people are quite addicted to soft drinks but with so much added sugar, it’s time to try an alternative. I prefer drinking herbal teas and lots of water every day but if you still crave something fizzy, this is your best option.

Kombucha is readily available at plenty of stores and provides your body with healthy bacteria that soothe your stomach and improve digestion.

These are among the healthiest snacks and as an added bonus, are easy to pack and mess-proof. I love the sweetness and taste as well as the refreshment they provide. They are also very healthy thanks to their zinc, vitamin c, lycopene, and a variety of antioxidants.

So have I inspired you today to opt for a healthier version? Would you like to see some tips on preparing meals? Let me know in the comments on Facebook, I would love to hear from you!