We all love to say that we’re being healthy but how often do we make healthy choices? While choosing healthy snacks is not the only way to maintain good well-being, it is a great place to start. For some, the idea of eating healthy food means eating uncooked brussel sprouts for every meal (don’t hate on brussel sprouts! They’re delicious!) but there are so many options that are considered healthy.
The hardest thing to find are alternative snack foods. With oreos, cheese wiz, and pop readily available in the US, it can be easy to choose snacks that won’t do anything positive for your body. Netflix has a few food documentaries such as Food Inc. and What the Health that have totally freaked everyone out in regards to the American food system. For healthy snack inspiration, looking to other countries for recipes is a great idea. Every country has different snacks that will boost energy, mood, and relieve hunger throughout the day. Here are the best healthy snacks from around the world.
Vegetarian Stuffed Grape Leaves – Lebanon
This Mediterranean favorite is high in protein and will keep you full between meals. The vegetarian version gives you a plant fueled kick. The best grape leaves are stuffed with rice, pine nuts, tomatoes, and a bunch of herbs and spices.
Hummus – Egypt
Hummus is a staple of many cultural cuisines, but it was first found in Egypt. This chickpea dip is delicious and has become an obsession over the past few years. For a filling snack that is good for you, dip cucumber, celery, or carrots in hummus and enjoy!
Fresh Vegetable Spring Rolls – Vietnam
Think of spring rolls as a healthy alternative to a burrito. Fresh vegetables, mint, cilantro and shrimp are wrapped in rice paper and served with a tangy peanut sauce. You can munch on these bad boys all day without feeling any guilt.
Bruschetta – Italy
Italians know how to do food, and bruschetta is a staple of Italian cuisine. This dish is created simply out of toasted bread topped with chopped tomatoes, fresh basil, olive oil, salt and pepper. Bruschetta feels like a decadent treat, but it’s actually healthy!
Veggie Sushi – Japan
For those who are sushi obsessed, but don’t love how expensive it is, you can easily make sushi at home! Since we live in the midwest, we don’t have great access to sushi grade seafood, but fresh veggies are just as delicious and make for the perfect vegan/gluten free snack! You can even make sushi without a mat by laying plastic wrap on a dish towel. Slice up fresh carrots, bell peppers, cucumbers and avocado, wrap in sticky rice and dried seaweed sheets for a perfect roll.
Maggie Morgan is a junior majoring in Professional Writing with a concentration in Creative Writing. Hobbies include: spending all of her money on concert tickets, trying to convince Green Day to let her be their friend, geeking out about music history, dreaming of writing for Rolling Stone. You can follow her on instagram at @swaggie_.maggie.