Nutrition – Top 3 Snack Recipes


You don't always have to eat less to eat well.

Our clinical nutritionist Sinead O’Donovan shares some recipe ideas for healthy, tasty snacks.

"Snacks can certainly be incorporated into a balanced diet. Healthy choices are important but they don't have to be boring."

Energy Balls

Recipe yields 20 energy balls. 

Ingredients

  • 100g porridge oats  
  • 125g peanut butter 
  • 65g mixed seeds 
  • 21g honey 
  • 50g good quality dark chocolate

Variations: dried fruit, linseed/flaxseed  

1 ball (18g) contains 92kcal

Method  

  1. Break up the chocolate into small pieces  
  2. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl  
  3. Using the palm of your hands, roll the mixture into golf-ball size  4. Place in the fridge to set  

2 Ingredient Cookies  

Ingredients  

  • 1 banana  
  • 100g porridge oats  
  • Squeeze of honey  
  • Optional: berries, chocolate chips, nuts and dried fruit  

Method  

  1. Preheat the oven to 170 C.  
  2. Mash the banana in a bowl and add in the porridge oats and honey. Mix together.  3. If using, add in chocolate chips, berries, dried fruit or nuts.  
  3. Take mixture in your hand, roll into a ball and flatten into a cookies shape.  5. Place on a baking tray.  
  4. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes.  

Brown Soda Bread

Ingredients

  • 450g wholemeal flour  
  • 100g plain flour  
  • 50g porridge oats  
  • 2 tbsp sesame seeds (optional)  
  • 1 tsp bread soda  
  • 1 egg  
  • 350ml buttermilk
  • Pinch of salt

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. 
  2. In a bowl, mix the flour, bread soda and salt together.  
  3. Stir in the egg and buttermilk.  
  4. Grease a bread tin using oil or butter.  
  5. Place the mixture into the tin and spread evenly.  
  6. Top with sesame seeds  
  7. Bake in the oven for 50 minutes. Tap the bottom of the tin. If it is hallow the bread is  cooked.  

Nutrition per serving:

Energy 115kcal | Fat 1g | Carbohydrates 20g | Protein 4.4g