Say goodbye to being “hangry” with these fast and filling, balanced Mediterranean diet snacks. Everything from ready to eat snacks, suggestions for snacks on the go and or ideas for meal prep.
Healthy Snacks When Hunger Strikes
I think we’ve all been in a similar situation – it’s about 2pm and lunch is long over. Dinner is hours away but you find yourself extremely hungry and getting grumpy. You only have a few minutes before your next call/school pick up/ meeting/errand, so it has to be quick. Often times, we grab the first thing we can (a few chips or a handful of crackers) but then find we are still hungry 15 minutes later.
This is where smart snacks come into play.
Creating a balanced snack helps ensure you are feel full until your next meal and stabilizes blood sugar levels.
The formula for a balanced snack = Fiber + Protein + Healthy Fat
Mediterranean Diet Snacks
So you may think, well that’s great now that I know the formula but how do I apply that to real life?
Well my friend, that’s where we are here to help. In addition to sharing some realistic, simple snack ideas below, we’re also sharing examples for each of the smart snack categories.
Snack Sources of Fiber
Fiber is a great snack component because it not only helps keep things moving regularly, but it makes you feel full and satiated longer. Fiber can help control blood sugar levels and reduce cholesterol.
Sources of fiber that make great snacks include –
- Whole Grains (whole wheat bread, brown rice, whole grain crackers, cereal w/ at least 5 grams fiber per serving)
- Fruits and Vegetables
- Nuts and Seeds
- Beans / Edamame
- Avocado
Snack Sources of Protein
Protein gives your muscles and brain a steady supply of energy. Some excellent suggestions for snacks include –
- Eggs
- Fish like tuna or salmon
- Nuts
- Yogurt
- Turkey or Chicken
- Cottage Cheese
Healthy Fats Perfect for Snacking
Healthy fats contain mono or polyunsaturated fats. These types of fats are nutrient dense but offer heart health benefits and keep you full.
Some perfect Mediterranean diet inspired sources include –
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Peanut / nut butters
- Avocado
- Nuts
- Olives
Ideas for Mediterranean Diet Inspired Snacks
Snacks are great because often they don’t require a recipe or even any cooking. These are some of our go-to Mediterranean diet snacks that can often be pulled together in minutes and follow the smart snacking formula (fiber + protein + healthy fat).
- Apple with Peanut Butter (or nut/seed butter)
- Fresh Fruit with Nuts and Cheese
- Veggies with Hummus
- High fiber cereal with fruit and milk
- Whole wheat crackers with bean dip
- Smoked Salmon with avocado
- Avocado toast on whole wheat bread drizzled with olive oil and topped with pumpkin seeds
- Cottage Cheese topped with Blueberries and Pistachios/Walnuts/Almonds
- Popcorn drizzled with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and a bit of grated parmesan
Smart Snack Recipes
The following are recipes and ideas for when you have a few minutes to prepare a snack or want to meal prep something for the week.
All the recipes use the formula = fiber + protein + healthy fat to create a balanced, filling snack.
Hard Boiled Eggs with Pesto
I make a batch of Hardboiled Eggs in the Instant Pot almost weekly. They are a great grab and go snack or make a great protein addition to salads or sandwiches. I can’t wait to start making this Homemade Basil Pesto once my garden starts going. Or, a great store bought version is the Trader Joe’s Vegan Kale, Cashew & Basil Pesto.
3 Simple Summer Snacks
Lavash with Ricotta & Tomato – One of my favorite summer time snacks…perfect when the garden ripe tomatoes and basil are in full bloom. The fiber filled lavash is the perfect backdrop for creamy ricotta and juicy tomatoes.
Mini Fruit Pizzas are a fun, summertime treat for adults and kids alike. Those summer berries make the perfect, sweet topping.
Banana Sushi is a favorite with my kids but I love it as well. The crunch from the chia and cereal pair well with the soft banana.
Quick and Simple Tortellini Bites
These little beauties are from The Mediterranean Diet Made Easy cookbook. They are quick, delicious and create a balanced bite every time.
Fruit with Cheese and Honey
For those that like a bit sweeter snack, you can’t go wrong with this combination.
These Apricot Goat Cheese Bites are also from The Mediterranean Diet Made Easy cookbook and come together in minutes.
Another great combination – fresh figs, a dab of brie and a drizzle of honey, all topped with some chopped walnuts. So good!
Coffee Shop Style Bistro Box
I don’t know if it’s the cute packaging but I love the little snack boxes they sell at coffee shops. With a little glass container of your own, you can easily make a bistro snack box at home.
I purchased this 3 compartment container on amazon and it works perfect for this. The possibilities are endless when it comes to snack packing but remember to use the formula = fiber + protein + healthy fat.
Greek Yogurt Bowl
Yogurt makes a great snack! Plus some fresh fruit and chopped nuts or drizzled peanut butter on top turns it into a complete. balanced, flavorful dish.
Sharing these 6 Greek Yogurt Bowl recipes and ideas.
Smoked Salmon Roll Ups
I like to think of these as all the same great flavors of a bagel with lox, minus the bagel. It’s quick, easy and filling. The recipe is simple – take a little bit of cream cheese and spread inside a thinly sliced piece of smoked salmon, drizzle with olive oil, and to with sliced red onion, tomato and capers.
Rosemary Parmesan Popcorn
Simple popcorn but elevated with a drizzle of olive oil, grated parmesan and fresh herbs.
An easy, sweet, summer treat that you can make in advance and pop in the freezer.
Mediterranean Diet Snacks to Buy
Sometimes there just isn’t time to make a snack. Life gets busy. Sharing some suggestions on Mediterranean diet inspired snacks you can purchase on the go.
Trail Mix
The makings of a balanced snack all in one bag. Look for trail mix that contains nuts, seeds, dried fruit and a little bit of chocolate never hurt. One of our favorites is this Antioxidant Trail Mix by Archer Farms (we find it at our local Target).
Turkey Jerkey
A protein filled snack that is great when you are out and about. I love pairing it with 1/2 an avocado or a piece of fruit to get a bit more fiber or healthy fat. Be sure to look at the ingredient label and check for a brand that doesn’t have a lot of added sugars.
A favorite is Lorissa’s Kitchen, available online or at many stores.
Aside from grabbing a can/pouch of tuna, there aren’t many grab and go ideas for seafood on the market. That is until Mini Fish came on the scene.
These Spring Water Steelhead Trout pouches are so good! Flavored with fennel, bell pepper, pumpkin seeds and turmeric it’s great straight out the package.
[…] have a great collection of 25 Fast and Filling Mediterranean Diet Snack Ideas that are all examples of how to create a balanced […]
[…] to the formula I shared in this Fast & Filling Mediterranean Diet Snacks post, creating a balanced snack means incorporating some protein + healthy fats + fiber. It’s […]
[…] love utilizing the identical “snack equation” that we shared on this Mediterranean Diet Snack Idea assortment to create a balanced snack = fiber + protein + wholesome […]
[…] out some great ideas in our 25 Fast and Filling Mediterranean Diet Snacks […]
[…] It tried to pack items that would create balanced snacks. Check out more on balanced snacks here – 25 Fast and Filling Mediterranean Diet Snacks Ideas […]
[…] It tried to pack items that would create balanced snacks. Check out more on balanced snacks here – 25 Fast and Filling Mediterranean Diet Snacks Ideas […]
[…] It tried to pack gadgets that may create balanced snacks. Try extra on balanced snacks right here – 25 Quick and Filling Mediterranean Food regimen Snacks Concepts […]
[…] those who prefer savory snacks, Loaded Mediterranean Hummus or Turkey Jerky are great options. They are high in protein and […]