I wanted to make a thread in which others could post their favorite snacks that are also healthy and cheap. I am always on the look out for new snacks to try and ways to save money. I find myself spending way too much at the grocery store lately. I like to try to eat a diversity of things or else I get bored with what I am eating. I eat dry cereals such as honey nut cheerios because they are healthy and pretty filling. Simple Truth organic animal crackers are very good and pretty cheap compared to other organic brands. Back To Nature brand cookies taste a lot like Oreos. I also make fruit smoothies as a meal replacement. You can get a 3lb bag of fruit at a bulk retailer for around nine dollars which makes smoothies for about two weeks. All I add to it is just some almond milk and sometimes a banana to add more sweetness. I am open to ideas for new snacks to try. I can also put up some ideas for more snacks, if people are interested.
I never really buy any packaged and heavily processed snacks. I like to shop at the organic bulk store where I can buy nuts, various types of chocolates, such as almonds, peanuts, dried fruit or coffee beans covered in chocolate. I also like their soy chips, quinoa crackers and so much more. The best thing is that I can mix and match whichever way I like, as everything comes directly out of the bulk containers.
What kind of organic bulk stores are there? I have never heard of that. I'd love to shop at one. I don't really mix my own. I probably end up paying a lot more for my food because of that. Packs of premixed foods are usually around five to seven dollars which is pretty high for such small amounts. Have you heard of Graze? It is this new service where you can order organic snacks for a decent price. They also do bulk orders. You can get your first box free from them. You just use the code grazebox, I believe. You can find it online.
Roasted chickpeas are a healthy cheap snack. Incredibly cheap if you're the one roasting & seasoning them. It's a pretty easy thing to do for a any amount you want to store.
Making your own hummus is relatively cheap, once you pick up a jar of Tahini, which is expensive at first, but it will last you many batches of hummus and gives it that distinct creamy nutty taste. It's silly paying like $5 a tub for it in the store when you can make it fresh for under a $1. Some people even like to make their own pita breads, but I can never get mine to come out nice, and I end up wasting a lot of ingredients. Another favorite thing I like to make are roasted Hungarian hot peppers in oil, with garlic and oregano. These are delicious over some warm crusty bread, and extra delicious with a little crumbled Gorgonzola sprinkled on top. These are rather expensive if you buy them already prepared in a jar, usually over $8 a jar. But if you hit up your local farmers market, you can get a large bag of these peppers and make them at home. I just cut the tops off, de-seed them, and cut them into 1/2" rings, then place them in a bread pan or comparable container, cover with foil and bake them at 350 degrees for about a half hour to 45 min or so. You're just trying to get them to sweat off some moisture and wilt a bit. Then I pat them dry on paper towel, and mix them in a container with plenty of Canola oil, fresh chopped garlic, some dried oregano and sea salt to taste. I don't use Olive oil because it gets too thick and heavy when chilled. Let them marinate in the fridge for at least a few hours, but even better overnight. The salt will soften them a bit further as they marinate which is why you don't need to bake them until they are falling apart soft, otherwise they will be total mush the next day.
I have never heard of the bulk organic shops. Can you name a few. I definitely think it is worth trying but I do not know where I can actually fund them.
I have never heard of these before. Can you describe what they taste like? They sound really interesting, and I am always on the look out for new and cheap things to eat. I just recently discovered that pretzel sticks are really cheap and filling. You can always use a little mustard or peanut butter with them. You can make watergate salad relatively cheaply, and it is an amazing snack. There aren't too many carbs which is nice.
Figs and raisins are great and contain plenty of fiber. I believe you could save some money by buying individual bags of unmixed nuts and dried fruits, and mixing them yourself to create your own trail mix.
If you whip them up in bulk, you'll be surprised that making garden salads is not that expensive. Another cheap yet healthy snack I like to indulge in is a bowl of fresh fruits sometimes mixed with jelly bens or coconut jelly. I so love kimchee too. It's easy to make too and the ingredients won't cost you much.
This is my preferred recipe because I love them spicy. Though it really depends on your tastes & what herb/spice combo you prefer. It works with pretty much anything. 2 cans (3 cups) chickpeas (or garbanzo beans depending on what you call them) drained and rinsed2 tablespoons olive oil1 teaspoon ground cumin1 teaspoon chili powder1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper1/2 teaspoon sea salt1/2 teaspoon chipotle powderHeat the oven to 400°F and arrange a rack in the middle.Place the chickpeas in a large bowl and toss with the remaining ingredients until evenly coated. Spread the chickpeas in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until crisp, about 30 to 40 minutes.
I like dried fruits as a snack. Prunes are a favorite because they are really healthy and have lots of fiber. I also like dried apples and mulberries, mangoes, papaya spears. They are all very good snacks, especially when pared with a few nuts.
Healthy and cheap snacks which are my favorites would be banana chips if I am buying it outside and if I am making snacks at home, I usually have some vegetable salad with ingredients like carrots, cucumber and other colorful vegetables which are affordable. Sometimes I also make a mixed fruit salad with some coconut, watermelon and papayas. I am fortunate that we have a vegetable garden in our backyard and also the fruits in stores are cheap, so whenever I want some healthy snacks they are easily accessible and also do not cost too much.
Cereals are generally cheap, but I don't like them because they contain a high amount of carbohydrates. So what I go for especially that I work out a lot are peanuts. They are packed with protein and they don't come with a high price. They are very affordable, and not only that they have a lot of proteins, they also contain a lot of antioxidants.
Do you dry your own fruits? I would be interested in learning how. It sounds like they would taste amazing, but I am not sure where to find them that would be cheap. Thank you for the recipe for the chickpeas. I will have to give it a try. I will let you know how it goes. As for the peanuts, do you just buy normal peanuts in bulk, or is there a specific type that you eat? I have recently started working out and would like a healthy snack to take for after the work out.
