Easy, Scrumptious, Healthy Snack Recipes

Craving a yummy snack but don't want to eat something unhealthy? Don't worry! These 3 sweet treats are absolutely delicious and healthy and will satisfy any craving for a snack.

Let's get straight to business. Here is an overview of the recipes that are included in this post.

• Delicious Banana Slices

• NO-BAKE Chewy Chia Seed Cookie

• Homemade Banana Pancakes

These recipes are

• Time Convenient. All three snack recipes take less than 10 minutes to make

• Tasty. These recipes are very delicious and you will love them especially if you have a sweet tooth.

• Easy to make. These recipes do not include any fancy kitchen appliances.

• Nutritious. I've made sure to make these recipes as healthy as possible. None include sugar, I've replaced the sweetness factor with banana or maple syrup.

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Delicious Banana Slices

These mouthwatering banana slices are ambrosial and have a nice satisfying crunch on top.

There are so many variations you can try out for this recipe, so to keep things simple here are the essential layers.

1st Layer: Banana, of course. This soft but solid base acts as a foundation for this recipe.

2nd Layer: The topping. This can be anything ranging from raisins to chocolate syrup. This is what you put on top of the banana. I strongly recommend using syrup, as solid toppings tend to make the banana slice dry.

I tried out maple syrup, cinnamon, raisins, walnut, honey, Nutella, chocolate chip, peanut butter, and chocolate syrup.

Highly recommend ✅: Nutella, chocolate syrup, peanut butter, and maple syrup.

I do not recommend ❌: chocolate chips and raisins.

3rd Layer: Extra crunchy garnish. This layer is essential because the banana and topping are soft, so just adding a nice little crunch makes a difference. I recommend using old crushed-up cereal, like the crushed-up pieces in the bottom of a cereal bag, but if you want to go more healthy I would suggest crushed-up nuts, like walnuts.

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Chocolate & Maple Syrup Banana Slices

This recipe will create 2 of my favorite variations; maple syrup and chocolate syrup. However, you can do this recipe using whatever topping you like, the sky's the limit!

Appliances you will need: kitchen knife and cutting board.

Prep Time: 1-2 minutes Cook time: 0 minutes

Yield: Depends on the size of the banana and how you cut it.

Ingredients

1 banana

Chocolate syrup (I used Hershey's)

Maple Syrup

Crushed-up cereal (I used Honey Bunches of Oats)

Directions

1. Cut up the banana into thin slices using your kitchen knife

2. Add the syrups to the banana slices

3. Add the crushed-up cereal on top of the slices and enjoy!

Notes

You can substitute honey instead of maple syrup or skip the sweetener completely.

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NO-BAKE Chewy Chia Seed Cookie

How could I not add a chia seed recipe to this post? :)

This chewy scrumptious treat has a soft, sticky, but not too sticky consistency. With the occasional small crunch of chia seeds, this snack is an absolute delight to consume!

You can also get a good amount of protein from this snack because of the milk, chia seeds, and peanut butter.

This recipe is based on the cookie dough recipe from this video

(All photos are taken by me)

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Chewy Chia Seed Cookie

Appliances you will need: bowl, spoon, & microwave

Prep Time: 2 minutes Cook time: 0 minutes

Yield: 2 relatively small cookies

Ingredients

5 tbsp all-purpose flour

1 tbsp maple syrup

1 tbsp peanut butter

2 tbsp milk

1/4 tbsp chia seeds

Directions

1. Add the flour to a microwavable bowl and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds, stirring every 15 seconds. This will heat-treat the flour.

2. Add the maple syrup, peanut butter, chia seeds, and milk. (It should be easy to mix with your hands without the dough being too sticky)

3. Shape the dough into 2 cookie-like shapes.

4. Drizzle maple syrup and top with fruit on top, or add a flavorful topping of your choice (Do not skip this step, if you do the cookie will be too bland.)

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Homemade Banana Pancakes

These banana pancakes have a soft fluffy texture inside and pair nicely with maple syrup on top. It's easy to make, and I guarantee you, there won't be any leftover pancakes.

I love these pancakes because it's time convenient, delicious, and nutritious.

It takes no more than 10 minutes to make, including the cooking part, which makes it very time convenient compared to other pancake recipes.

No more using sugary pancake mixes to make pancakes. These pancakes are healthy because it includes no sugar except for maple syrup, and almost all of the sweetness comes from the banana.

Enjoy as a snack or as breakfast, these scrumptious banana pancakes will make you crave more and more!

To make these banana pancakes you need:

Banana, I mean of course, without any bananas, this pancake would be tasteless and bland. Also, when picking what banana you should use for this recipe pick a very ripe banana. I can't believe I'm saying this but the more brown spots the better because it will be easier to mash.

Flour is the base of this pancake recipe.

Baking powder makes the pancakes rise.

Milk and Vanilla. Milk adds protein and makes the pancake more moist, and vanilla enhances the flavor of milk.

Egg adds flavor and binds all the ingredients together.

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Banana Pancakes

Appliances you will need: frying pan, bowl, spoon

Prep Time: 7 minutes Cook time: 1-2 minutes

Yield: 4-5 mini pancakes

Ingredients

5 tbsp flour

A pinch of baking powder

A pinch of salt

A sprinkle of cinnamon

1 small ripe banana (or half of a big banana)

1 tbsp maple syrup

1 tbsp milk

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

1. In a bowl mash a banana (make sure to mash very well, you don't want clumps of banana while eating your pancake!)

2. Next add the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Mix all dry ingredients together.

3. Crack an egg in, and add the maple syrup, milk, and vanilla. Mix everything together (don't overmix!)

4. Turn on the stove to medium heat and lightly coat the pan with butter non-stick spray or oil.

5. Add 2 large spoons of pancake batter to the pan. After 40 seconds or so, flip the pancake, you should see brown spots on the pancake. After another minute the mini pancake should be ready.

6. Repeat the same process 3 more times. (Note that the cooking time will progressively get faster, sometimes the pancake will be ready in 20 seconds.) The end result should be 4 neatly cooked mini pancakes.

7. If you have extra batter repeat the process and make another one.

8. Drizzle the pancake with maple syrup and add fruit if desired. Enjoy!

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Honorary Mentions

While researching for this blog post, I came across 3 very delectable recipes.

This AMAZING strawberry smoothie recipe is the best I've ever had.

I love this cookie dough recipe I found, it takes mere seconds to make and is very scrumptious.

These easy no-bake protein balls recipe are absolutely delicious!

Feeling down? Here are some simple mood boosters!

Have you ever found yourself feeling really low, and you want to feel happy?

I do too sometimes, in this blog post I've compiled a list of activities that are scientifically proven to make you happier.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: If you are feeling really upset and whatever situation you are facing is occupying your mind, make sure to be patient with yourself and journal your thoughts before trying to boost your mood. You need to really comprehend and understand why you are feeling down. If you try these mood boosters before you do this, you will bury your emotions even further and it can intensify them in the long run.

Another thing I wanted to add is if your sadness continues longer than a few weeks, you might have depression, please seek help if so.

First off, I want to go over how these boosters really work.

The cause of your bad mood is always negative thoughts.

So, if we divert our flow of thoughts to a more positive place, our mood will instantly change too.

These boosters that I have listed at the bottom all have one thing in common, they shift your negative outlook to a more positive outlook.

There are also 4 chemicals that are released in your body whenever you shift your focus. These chemicals are often nicknamed "happiness chemicals," they are Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin, and Endorphin.

Releasing just one of these chemicals is enough to make you happy.

Below, I will be going through each chemical/hormone and listing ways you can release them.

Remember the last time you checked off a box in your to-do list? Did you feel a sense of satisfaction and fulfillment, like a little burst of happiness? That is dopamine, the "feel good" hormone. Here are some healthy ways you can release dopamine.

(Andrea Piacquadio, Pexels)

• Listening to your favorite songs. Spend a few minutes listening to some of your favorite songs. This can be done while doing chores, not only does it boost your mood it will also make doing chores a fun part of your day. This action boosts your mood because you're spending time with yourself and giving yourself the attention it deserves, which will automatically make you feel a blend of both dopamine and oxytocin.

(Lisa Fotios, Pexels)

• Eating your favorite food can have all the difference. Food is something that I feel like we take for granted at times. We usually just turn on the TV and stuff ourselves with food, and by doing so we don't appreciate food as much. So the next time you're about to take a bite of the food in front of you, try to focus on being present and fully experiencing the art of eating.

• Create a vision board. This is a fun and creative way to boost your mood and get excited about the future. One of the main ways to release dopamine is by getting motivated about something, and that is exactly what a vision board does. In your vision board, cut out pictures of places you want to visit, things you want to buy, experiences you want to try out, really anything!

Oxytocin is often referred to as the "bonding" hormone. When you release this hormone it means you feel cared for, nurtured, and loved.

(Josh Willink, Pexels)

• Hugging someone. This simple gesture can make you feel a huge burst of oxytocin. Next time you see a close family member or friend, just come up to them and hug them fiercely. They will be confused at first, but I promise you they won't mind :)

• Talking and Spending time with loved ones. I wouldn't recommend doing this if you yourself are in a negative place mentally, but if you are open and positive, this will really make you feel so much more happier and fulfilled. We as humans need social interaction! So go ahead and call that friend that you've been meaning to call, create a conversation with your dad or mom, or facetime your grandparents.

(RODNAE Productions, Pexels)

• Helping someone out or being kind to someone. As I mentioned before, the cause of your bad mood is always negative thoughts. So right now your mind is probably going in a spiral of negative thoughts, but when you help someone out or exchange some kind words with someone, your thoughts will take a sharp turn and you will start thinking thoughts such as "you are such a kind person :)" and you will naturally become happier!

• Being kind to yourself. The simple act of being kind to yourself is often overlooked, but it can seriously improve your mood, especially if you were mean to yourself before. I recommend just going through whatever simple mini-actions you took today, and just being like "I'm proud of myself for waking up today, I'm proud of myself for brushing my teeth, etc, etc."

As the famous saying goes "laughter is the best medicine." Turns out that is actually true, laughter relaxes the whole body and makes life more carefree and happier by releasing endorphins, the "pain killer."

(Aleksandr Balandin, Pexels)

• Laughing. Think back to a hilarious situation you experienced, and laugh it off. Hang out with your friends and play "Can you make me laugh?" that will surely end with a laugh! Spend time with an individual that makes you laugh easily, and watch a funny sitcom or funny memes on youtube. Find ways to laugh today!

(Andrea Piacquadio, Pexels)

• Exercising. Whenever your body is exercising it releases endorphins instantly making you feel more positive and upbeat. Exercising also has the added bonus of making you feel more confident about your appearance which boosts your self-esteem.

Finally, Serotonin is the "mood stabilizer." When you release this hormone you feel more focused, emotionally stable, and calmer.

(Min An, Pexels)

• Being in nature. I remember one day in quarantine I was feeling groggy and tired from staring at screens almost the whole day, but as soon as I stepped outside I felt rejuvenated and free! Being in nature will help you feel more connected to Mother Nature and feel more present and aware of your surroundings. Stepping outside can additionally help with your concentration, so it's especially useful before studying.

(Oluremi Adebayo, Pexels)

• Meditating. Throughout the day we are so occupied with our thoughts and experiences so taking time to be more aware of the flow of your thoughts will stabilize and ground you. Meditation has also been proven to help reduce stress in day-to-day life and has helped people become more positive and carefree.

• Getting enough sleep. There's no other feeling like getting the right amount of sleep, it can really impact the rest of your day! Good sleep improves your brain performance, mood, and health.

I hope you enjoyed reading this blog post and hopefully gained beneficial information. And please note that you won't stay sad forever, your mind will eventually move on. Happy holidays! See you in the next post :)

(All graphics were created in CANVA and all pictures are from Pexels)

Sources:

https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/our-work/research/nature-how-connecting-nature-benefits-our-mental-health#:~:text=Nature%20can%20generate%20many%20positive,particularly%20lower%20depression%20and%20anxiety.

https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/how-exercise-makes-you-happy

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22572-serotonin

https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2021/04/good-sleep-good-health#:~:text=Good%20sleep%20improves%20your%20brain,stroke%20to%20obesity%20and%20dementia.

https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/hiding-feelings#:~:text=Pretending%20you%20don't%20have,down%20anger%20than%20express%20it.