17 Easy 5-Ingredient Snacks to Help Manage Blood Sugar
Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD
You only need five ingredients or less to make these easy snack recipes (not counting common pantry items like salt, pepper and oil). They're a simple and healthy option for a bite between meals or a quick boost of energy. Plus, each recipe is also made low in calories and saturated fat and with sodium-conscious ingredients to align them with a diabetes-appropriate eating pattern. Try our Chocolate-Hazelnut Energy Balls and Mini Frozen Yogurt Parfaits for a filling, delicious and nutritious snack.
Chocolate-Hazelnut Energy Balls
These energy balls marry the flavors of nutty hazelnuts with rich chocolate. They're chewy with a slight crunch and have just enough sweetness to curb a midday or post-dinner sweet tooth.
Everything-Seasoned Almonds
Grinding up the everything bagel seasoning in a spice grinder will help it adhere to the almonds.
Creamy Strawberry Smoothie
It's hard to beat this recipe for quick and easy strawberry smoothies. All you need is five ingredients and five minutes. It's versatile too: you can use any unsweetened milk for creaminess, your preferred yogurt, and the maple syrup or honey is optional. The vanilla extract acts as a great flavor backdrop that will work with most fruits. Get blending!
Mini Frozen Yogurt Parfaits
These mini yogurt parfaits are the perfect sweet treat. You can use raspberries, blueberries or strawberries in these bite-size parfaits.
Roasted Butternut Squash Seeds
Don't throw away your butternut squash seeds; roast them instead! Roasted butternut squash seeds make a great snack or salad topper. Enjoy them plain or jazzed up with one of the variations below.
Sous Vide Eggs
A sous vide cooker gives these slow-cooked eggs a jammy, creamy center that resembles the perfect poached egg. Eat these eggs alone for a filling breakfast or snack, or serve them on toast or an English muffin for a simple eggs Benedict.
Rosemary-Garlic Pecans
These savory spiced nuts are perfect for snacking, adding to a cheese board or serving as a mini appetizer.
Candied Hazelnuts
Use these nuts in both sweet and savory dishes. Top a tart for a cinnamony sweet and crunchy finish, or crack them and sprinkle over chicken salad. They're good on their own, and you can change the flavor to suit many tastes. In place of cinnamon, try a little garam masala for an Indian-inspired flavor or pumpkin pie spice to play up the autumn season. You can also add a tiny bit of ground red pepper to any of these flavor combos to add a spicy kick. The nuts make a great hostess gift or the perfect treat to include in a care package sent during college final exam season.
Air Fryer Potato Chips
Crispy and crunchy, air fryer potato chips have 60 percent less fat than their store-bought counterparts. Yes, making potato chips in your air fryer requires a little bit of effort—but the result is a salty snack that's actually pretty healthy. Does it get much better than that?
Peanut Butter Stuffed Energy Balls
Peanuts do double duty in this easy snack recipe: peanut butter makes a creamy center while chopped roasted peanuts add a welcome crunch to the exterior. We prefer to use natural peanut butter, which is a little oilier and looser, to help create the gooey center. Dates add a natural sweetness to this healthy snack. Use any leftover date mixture to patch any holes in the energy balls. Pack these bites in your lunchbox for a tasty morning or afternoon snack.
4-Ingredient Homemade Cheese Crackers
These cheese crackers are a super simple kitchen project the whole family can take part in—kids will love rolling out the dough and crafting fun cracker shapes. Make one batch with cheddar, one with white cheddar, and one with garlic powder and cayenne for a kick of spice.
Spice-Roasted Chickpeas
Learn how to roast chickpeas with this easy recipe. The paprika- and cumin-coated chickpeas get crispy on the outside with a creamy inside. Enjoy these chickpeas as a snack or add them to a salad for some plant-based protein.
Pizza Pistachios
Nutritional yeast mimics the flavor of cheese, lending a pizza-like flavor to these playful spiced pistachios.
Almond Butter & Roasted Grape Toast
A slice of almond butter toast gets topped with roasted grapes for a sweet, nutty bite. This three-ingredient twist on a classic PB & J makes for a quick and tasty breakfast or snack.
Homemade Oven-Dried Strawberries
These homemade oven-dried strawberries have a deeply fruity, sweet-tart flavor you can savor just by turning on your oven. Enjoy them on their own, add them to trail mix or use them as a topping to yogurt or ice cream.
Peanut Butter-Date Energy Balls
This easy snack recipe doubles down on the toasty flavor of the ancient grain amaranth by combining it with peanut butter and flaxseeds. Pitted dates hold it all together while adding extra fiber. Eat these as a snack, grab for a quick breakfast or serve as a healthier dessert.
Cinnamon Apple Chips With Almond Yogurt Dip
On the hunt for a treat that satisfies your sweet tooth without busting your diet? Pack these cinnamon-laced apple chips in your lunch bag. Apples deliver natural sweetness and a handsome amount of fiber, making them a smart choice for any diet, and the air fryer transforms them into something altogether more delicious, thanks to its signature move—adding fat-free crunch. Cutting almond butter with low-fat Greek yogurt adds protein to the dipping sauce, as well as extra creaminess.
Read the original article on Eating Well.
