Healthy Quick And Easy Gluten Free Snack Ideas

Whether you’re a busy mum-boss like myself, work full time, juggling kids, are studying, living an active lifestyle or any other commitments that fill your plate, life can sure be busy! Fuelling your body with good nutrition is a must and will give you the energy you need for your busy days. I hope these tips for healthy quick and easy gluten free snack ideas help. 

To make sure your energy levels keep up here are few simple nutrition tips that will help.

• Ensure you’re eating nutritionally balanced meals. Your body needs a balance of the key macronutrients; protein, healthy fats and real food carbohydrates, to thrive with energy. As I teach in my Online Nutrition Program, create balanced meals by incorporating a serve of each of these (protein, healthy fats and whole food carbs) will help keep your energy levels up, your blood sugar levels steady, reduce cravings and ensure your body is well nourished.
• Make sure your breakfast has adequate protein and good fats. These nutrients will keep you fuller for longer and won’t leave you hungry an hour later.
• Snack right. If you need the extra energy snacking well can help keep your energy levels soaring and prevent dips in your blood sugar levels where your energy can drop, can loose focus, concentration and feel foggy in the head.

What Are The Best Snacks to Eat

When you’re snacking you want to make sure you are providing your body with fuel that sustains you rather than a quick spike in blood sugars, only to leave them plummet again. Enter cravings and energy highs and lows. Snacks that spike blood sugars too rapidly are typically those high in sugars and refined carbohydrates.

When you choose snacks to nourish your body you want to look for:

• Nutrient density. What ingredients does this snack contain? Will it nourish me and provide nutrition?
• Choose snacks that contain protein and healthy fats. This will keep you sustained longer and are kinder on your blood sugar levels.
• Pair snacks that are higher in carbohydrates with a source of protein or healthy fat. For example pair fruit (carb) with some nuts (healthy fats & protein), slices of apple (carb) with nut butter (healthy fats & protein), rice cakes/corn thins (carbs) topped with avocado (healthy fats) or hummus. (healthy fats & protein).
• Have some snacks that are simple and easy to take with you on-the-go. Having healthy snack options with you will help you to snack well with quality food vs waiting until your are super hungry only to reach for junk food or a quick and not so healthy option on the run.

Some of My Favourite Snacks

Being a busy mum, who is constantly on-the-go and trying to keep up with both my active kids and a business I’m all for quick and easy snacks! Here are a few of my favourite simple and quick snacks that both myself and my little one enjoy:

• Apple slices topped with almond butter
• Homemade trail mix (nuts, seeds, organic coconut and chopped high protein energy bar instead of dried fruit)
• An apple and handful of nuts
• Half a banana, sliced with peanut butter
• Veggie sticks with hummus (or served with corn thins/ rice cakes)
• Boiled egg with a corn thin topped with avocado
• Coconut yoghurt topped with fresh fruit (you can also mix in a touch of vanilla protein powder and cacao to make a quick chocolate mousse with added protein)
• Faba beans. These a fun high protein, high fibre snack and great for nut free lunch boxes too. Watch this cute little video here to find out more about Human Bean Co Faba Beans. They’re one of my favourite hand bag snacks.

What are Faba Beans You Ask?

You might also know faba beans as broad beans. They are an ancient “superbean” and have been around for a very long time. In fact, they are one of the first farming crops. Fast forward to today where life is super busy, the lovely family owned business Human Bean Co harvest them on their family farm, shell them, split them and air puff them to make the perfect, high protein, high fibre crunchy snack. With nothing artificial added, grown with GMO free seeds using sustainable practices, they are a great snack for on-the-go, in school lunch boxes, after school snacks, to enjoy on weekend family activities or for when the 3pm snack attack hits! Keep them in your handbag, in your work draw or on hand in your snack cupboard (yep I have an entire shelf dedicated to snacks haha #mumlife).

Why I love Faba Beans

Faba beans are not only a convenient snack, they are packed with protein and fibre. Being naturally gluten free and nut free they are perfect for those with food allergies, sensitives and nut free school lunches. Both myself and my little one enjoy them.

One of my food values is to support Aussie and local farmers as much as possible and that is another reason why I love The Human Bean Co Faba Beans. They are 100% Aussie grown on a  family farm in Goondiwindi, Queensland.

I also value their sustainable farming processes which nurture the land by using GMO free seeds and crop rotation = better quality food and helping our sensitive eco-system.

Snacking With Food Allergies 

With gluten sensitivity, nut allergies and food intolerances throughout my family I know so well the challenge of finding healthy snacks that are also allergy friendly.  I always keep a variety of fresh food snacks such as whole fruit and hummus on hand as well as snacks from brands that I can trust that are allergy friendly. This is another reason why I love the Human Bean Co Faba Beans. They are naturally gluten free, nut free, dairy free and being vegan and plant based they fit so many dietary requirements. These are a great allergy friendly snack for kids too. We even put little bags of these in my little one’s party bags for her birthday party and they went down a treat, even those with food allergies.

Where can you find Human Bean Co Faba Beans?

Visit the Human Bean Co website to order or to find a stockist near you. They come in cute little snack packets for on-the-go, lunches or little hands or in larger packets for family activities, parties and platters.

Did you check out our recipe for gluten free, nut free healthy muesli bars using faba beans for added protein and fibre? Check out the recipe here.

Let me know your favourite quick and easy snacks for on-the-go in the comments below.