17 Quick and Healthy Vegetarian Snacks

Selecting alimentary snacks to enjoy throughout the day is a keystone part of any healthy diet — including vegetarian diets. unfortunately, many quick and convenient bite foods offer little in terms of nutrition apart from extra calories, sodium, and added boodle.

still, finding vegetarian nosh options that are easy, portable, and alimentary doesn ’ triiodothyronine have to be a challenge. here are 17 agile and healthy vegetarian nosh ideas.

1. Nut butter with fruit

share on PinterestMarie delle Donne/Offset Images Pairing your favored fruit with nut butter makes for an easy, satiate, and immediate plant-based bite that you can enjoy anywhere. Fruits like apples, bananas, and strawberries are loaded with antioxidants and gamey in fiber that helps keep you feeling full between your main meals ( 1 ). meanwhile, nut butters — like almond, peanut, or cashew butters — deliver a hearty acid of satisfying protein and goodly fats.

2. Cheese sticks

cheese sticks are a portable and convenient nosh perfective to help curb cravings on the become. Though the exact alimentary visibility varies based on the brand and type of cheese, tall mallow sticks typically supply 5–7 grams of protein in a 1-ounce ( 28-gram ) serve. Protein is the most woof macronutrient, making cheese an excellent choice for a hearty vegetarian bite ( 2 ). This bite is besides a good source of calcium, a key mineral that helps strengthen your bones and teeth ( 3 ).

3. Bell peppers with hummus

Bell peppers with hummus are a healthy, plant-based option to traditional chips and dip. Bell peppers not only provide the same meet crunch as chips or crackers but are besides lower in calories and contain more fiber, vitamin C, and vitamin A. Plus, dipping them in hummus can help boost your inhalation of protein and fiber while keeping your calorie intake depleted .

4. Roasted chickpeas

Chickpeas are loaded with protein, fiber, and vitamins and minerals like manganese and vitamin bc. Best of all, roasted chickpeas are easy to make at dwelling by tossing cooked chickpeas with olive oil and your option of spices or seasonings prior to baking them at 400°F ( 200°C ) for 20–30 minutes. Cayenne pepper, garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, and nutmeg are all tasty options to help spice up your chickpeas .

5. Popcorn

share on Pinterest Popcorn is a alimentary, low-calorie bite that is a bang-up generator of the minerals morning star, magnesium, and zinc. It ’ sulfur besides high in manganese — a mineral involved in digestion, immune routine, energy production, and brain health ( 4 ). Be sure to select air-popped popcorn rather than pre-packaged or microwave varieties, which are normally packed with extra calories, fat, and sodium. For extra season, try seasoning your air-popped popcorn with paprika, onion powder, vegetarian Parmesan, or parsley.

6. Nuts

Nuts — like almonds, walnuts, cashews, and pistachios — provide a wealth of crucial nutrients, including heart-healthy fats, fiber, protein, magnesium, iron, and calcium. In summation to being fabulously nutrient-dense, research shows that adding nuts to your diet may reduce your risk of heart disease, high blood blackmail, diabetes, and sealed types of cancer like colorectal cancer ( 5 ). however, keep in mind that nuts are high gear in calories, so enjoy them in easing and stick to about 1 ounce ( 28 grams ) at a time as part of a healthy diet .

7. Yogurt with fruit

Rich in protein, calcium, vitamin B12, and potassium, yogurt is an excellent vegetarian nosh choice. Combining yogurt with apples, berries, bananas, grapes, or your darling type of fruit can besides help bump up your consumption of fiber, vitamin C, and disease-fighting antioxidants ( 6 ). look for knit, unsweetened varieties to minimize your intake of lend sugars and use a little cinnamon, honey, or maple syrup to naturally enhance the flavor.

8. Kale chips

Kale chips are an comfortable and delectable way to squeeze a serve of leafy greens into your daily diet. Kale is an specially good beginning of vitamins C and A — authoritative nutrients involved in immune function and disease prevention ( 7, 8 ). Try making kale chips at home plate by tossing boodle with olive anoint and sea salt, then baking at 275°F ( 135°C ) for 15–20 minutes until wrinkle. Watch them closely, as they can easily burn.

9. Cottage cheese

Made from the curds of overawe ’ s milk — which are coagulated milk solids made by adding an acid to milk — bungalow cheese is a high-protein dairy product full-bodied in phosphorus, selenium, and vitamin B12. It ’ sulfur besides a great source of calcium, an essential nutrient that plays a cardinal function in bone formation, muscle serve, and hormone secretion ( 9 ). bungalow cheese has a meek spirit that can be enjoyed on its own or paired with fruits like bananas, melon, berries, and pineapple. alternatively, you can pair cottage cheese with olive oil and a scatter of strategic arms limitation talks and black pepper for a vegetarian-friendly mouth-watering nosh.

10. Green smoothies

green smoothies can be a quick and convenient way to fit a few extra servings of veggies into your diet while ramping up your intake of character, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Though k smoothies are normally made with leafy greens like kale or spinach, other fruits, veggies, and ingredients can be added ampere good. For exemplar, try carrots, celery, beets, berries, bananas, chia seeds, or flax meal. You can besides mix in vegetarian protein powders like whey, pea, cannabis, or brown rice protein. These can keep you feeling entire for longer and support muscle emergence and rake carbohydrate command ( 10, 11, 12 ) .

11. Roasted edamame

share on Pinterest Edamame are soybeans that are harvested before they ’ re in full advanced. They can be boiled, steamed, or roasted to create a tasty and alimentary on-the-go nosh. In fact, cooked edamame packs a sock 8 grams of roughage and 18 grams of plant-based protein into a 1-cup ( 155-gram ) service and contains a good amount of magnesium, iron, and vitamin C. Edamame is highly versatile and can be purchased in commodious, ready-to-eat packages or roasted at 400°F ( 200°C ) for 30–40 minutes with vegetarian Parmesan, garlic, pepper, or paprika for a hearty piquant nosh at family.

12. Trail mix

Trail mix is a simple, vegetarian bite typically made with nuts, seeds, and dried fruit. It ’ s portable, delectable, goodly, and versatile, and you can tailor it to fit your personal preferences. Nuts, seeds, dried fruit, coconut, and whole grains like puff rice or popcorn are a few examples of alimentary ingredients that you can use to craft and customize your perfective trail mix .

13. Pumpkin seeds

Pumpkin seeds are a capital generator of many significant nutrients, including protein and fiber. They ’ ra besides rich people in magnesium, a micronutrient necessary for muscle contraction, blood pressure regulation, boldness routine, and DNA synthesis ( 13 ). You can easily roast pumpkin seeds at home by tossing them with olive oil, salt, and spices, then baking at 350°F ( 175°C ) for 20–30 minutes or until golden brown.

14. Oatmeal

Although it ’ randomness often classified as a breakfast food, oatmeal can be enjoyed any time of day as a filling and alimentary nosh. Oats contain a type of roughage called beta-glucan, which is thought to promote weight loss and improve cholesterol levels, blood boodle control, and blood atmospheric pressure ( 14 ). Bump up the spirit of your oatmeal with toppings like nuts, seeds, dried fruit, berries, cinnamon, or crackpot butter .

15. Hard-boiled eggs

case-hardened eggs can be a wholesome and alimentary vegetarian-friendly bite to help keep you feeling broad between meals. In addition to being a capital informant of protein, hard-boiled eggs are besides high in selenium, vitamin A, and B vitamins. Studies besides suggest that eating eggs may decrease hunger to support weight loss and increase blood levels of HDL ( well ) cholesterol and antioxidants ( 15, 16, 17 ).

16. Guacamole and plantain chips

Pairing plantain chips with guacamole is an easy way to ramp up your consumption of goodly fats while satisfying your cravings for a salty nosh. The avocado in guacamole are high in monounsaturated fatty acids, which have been shown to increase HDL ( effective ) cholesterol and reduce triglyceride levels. They ’ re besides a great source of potassium, vitamin C, and vitamin B6 ( 18 ). Plus, plantain chips are easy to make at home and can be baked rather of fried for a goodly alternative to boughten potato chips. Simply toss thinly slice plantains with olive vegetable oil and seasonings and bake at 400°F ( 200°C ) for 15–20 minutes — or until plantains are browned and crisp .

17. Homemade energy balls

share on Pinterest Energy balls are a simple nosh option that you can make at home and customize with your choice of alimentary ingredients. Try adding nuts and seeds to your energy balls to help boost your inhalation of protein, fiber, and heart-healthy fats ( 5, 19 ). Dried fruits, cacao nib, and honey are excellent choices to amp up the season and antioxidant subject of your bite ( 20, 21, 22 ). To get started, add ingredients to a food processor and pulse until the concoction is smooth. then roll into balls and space in the refrigerator to set for 10–15 minutes before enjoying.

The bottom line

Including a assortment of healthy snacks in your diet can help keep you going between meals while squeezing in a few excess nutrients.

fortunately, there are enough of vegetarian snacks to choose from — all of which are alimentary, easy to prepare, and delicious. To get started, simply pick a few of your favorites and enjoy as partially of a healthy, all-around vegetarian diet. All nutrition information for the foods listed in this article is from the USDA Foods Database .