Your Healthy Midnight Snack Fix
When cravings kick in during the wee hours, it may seem hard to resist racing to the fridge. However, rather than reaching for a tub of ice cream or cup of coffee, be responsible with your choice. Select a snack that provides a boost of nutrition and simultaneously leaves you satiated, not one that makes you feel too full, therefore unable to fall back to sleep. See below for smart snack picks that are A-okay for early AM hours.
Peanut Butter Granola Bars
Concocted by Britt Berlin, recipe creator and founder of The Banana Diaries, this recipe features both antioxidant-rich peanut butter and fiber-filled granola, forming an ideal healthy treat.
Ingredients (yields 12 bars):
2 cups gluten-free rolled oats
⅓ cup peanut butter
1 cup Medjool dates, pitted
⅓ cup peanuts
½ cup chocolate chips
2 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp sea salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions:
Make sure that dates are soaked for 4-6 hours prior to making granola bars. If you need to soften dates faster, you can boil them in 1 cup of water for 10 minutes, then remove from heat and let cool.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with tin foil or parchment paper and an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper.
Sprinkle oats onto baking sheet along with peanuts, cinnamon, and sea salt.
Toss oats and peanuts together. Place baking sheet into oven to toast for 7-10 minutes or until aromatic.
Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes.
In a large food processor, blend dates until smooth.
Add in peanut butter and vanilla and puree until smooth.
Once oats are cooled, place them in a large bowl. Add in dates and peanut butter mixture.
Use your hands to mix oats into date/peanut butter mixture.
Once granola bar batter is cool, add in chocolate chips and mix until well-combined. This ensures that they don’t melt.
Press the granola bar batter into the 8×8 parchment-lined pan and place in freezer for 1-2 hours.
Remove from freezer and slice into 16-20 bars.
Store in fridge for 7 days or in freezer for up to a month.
Protein Powder Fig Bites
Figs, which contain a significant amount of fiber, help you feel full longer and promote effective digestion; Neko Masi, a contestant from MasterChef Junior Season 7, boasts a recipe with the aforementioned benefits as well as extra protein to encourage bone and muscle strength.
Ingredients (yields 18 bites):
2 cups dried figs
¼ cup dried dates or raisins
1 tsp vanilla
1-2 tsp honey or agave, to taste
1 scoop protein powder, chocolate or vanilla
½ cup oats
Pinch of salt
½ cup almonds, or a different nut of your choice
Dark chocolate chips, to taste (optional)
Directions:
In a food processor, combine figs, dates or raisins, sweetener, and vanilla until well-mixed and pasty.
Add almonds until they are chopped finely in the paste.
Mix in protein powder and salt (you can also add in dark chocolate chips here if you wish), and form small balls with the mixture by rolling in your hands. If the mixture is too sticky, you can dust your hands with a touch of protein powder. If it isn’t sticky enough, you can wet your palms a little for easier rolling.
Store in the fridge for up to a week as long as they are sealed.
Chocolate Oat Bites
Fulfill your sugar craving smartly as you binge on these high-fiber bites, curated by Chopped Junior Season 8, Episode 4 contestant Owen Osborne.
Ingredients (yields 12-15 bites):
3-4 tbsp milk (i.e. Silk Vanilla Soy Milk)
2 tbsp butter
¼ cup maple syrup
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1 ½ cup whole grain oats
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup chocolate chips (i.e. Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet, Dairy-Free, Vegan Chocolate Chips)
Pinch of salt
Powdered sugar, to taste
Directions:
In a large bowl, combine oats and chocolate chips. Set aside.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine cocoa powder, milk, maple syrup, and butter. Stir and heat until boiling.
Pour mixture over oats and chocolate chips. Add vanilla extract, and combine until well mixed.
Use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to scoop cookies onto a lined baking sheet. Chill in the freezer or refrigerator to set.
Toss bites in powdered sugar before serving.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Balls
Get a late-night boost of protein with these bites by health coach and recipe developer Sarah Malouf.
Ingredients (yields 15-20 bites):
2 scoops chocolate protein powder
¼ cup honey
1 ½ cup old-fashioned oats
1 cup clean ingredient peanut butter
Few dashes of cinnamon
1 tbsp almond milk
Small handful of Trader Joe's Organic Toasted Coconut Granola (optional)
Directions:
In a bowl, combine all dry ingredients.
Add honey, peanut butter, and granola (optional) in with dry ingredients. Fold in almond milk while mixing.
Roll mixture into balls and align in tupperware or on a serving dish.
Let sit in fridge for at least 30 minutes prior to consumption.
Vegan Mexican Chocolate Truffles
Juni Cuevas, a contestant on MasterChef Season 9, caters to a chocolate craving with these mini treats, complete with powerful antioxidants.
Ingredients (yields 12 truffles):
¾ cup dark chocolate chips
½ tsp coconut oil
Pinch of salt
½ very ripe avocado
½ tsp instant coffee
¼ tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tbsp powdered sugar
¼ tsp cayenne powder
Directions:
In a large, microwave-safe bowl, combine chocolate chips, coconut oil, and salt. Microwave in increments of 30 seconds, stirring every time, until all chocolate is melted and smooth.
In a separate bowl, mash ripe avocado until smooth.
Combine chocolate, instant coffee, cinnamon, and avocado. Whisk until everything is well-incorporated and smooth. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
In a small bowl, combine cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and cayenne.
Using a small cookie scoop, spoon out chocolate truffles. Gently roll into balls, then toss in cocoa powder mixture.
Note: Truffles are best enjoyed at room temperature but should be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
Pesto Popcorn
Gabriel Lewis, a contestant on MasterChef Season 8, puts a spin on a movie staple with the addition of pesto, filled with heart-healthy fats.
Ingredients (yields 2 servings):
½ oz fresh Italian basil
1 bunch curly parsley
1 cup olive oil
3 tbsp kosher salt
1 ice bath, comprised of 1 cup ice and 2 cups water
2 tbsp garlic powder
3 tbsp kosher salt
2 tbsp cracked black pepper
½ cup Parmesan
¼ cup popcorn kernels
Directions:
Bring a pot of water to a simmer.
Place herbs in water and cook for 15-20 seconds until the bright green color gets a bit darker. Remove and immediately place in an ice bath until cool.
Remove from bath and squeeze as much water as you can out of herbs. Place in blender with oil and blend for 2-3 minutes, 60 seconds at a time so your blender doesn’t overheat.
Once oil looks dark green and has a bit of steam, over a bowl, pour oil in cheesecloth and let set until all oil drains out. You can keep this oil so you don’t have to make a new batch every time. Store in an airtight container, as it can last a few months.
In a pot, add 2-4 tbsp oil and set to a medium/high heat.
Test oil with a few kernels. When they pop, add the rest of the kernels in an even layer and cover with lid.
Shake pan until kernels start to pop and reduce heat to medium. Continue shaking until all kernels are popped and remove from heat.
Toss in 1-2 more tbsp oil, enough to give the popcorn a green tint. Sprinkle with seasoning mix and finish with a few sprinkles of Parmesan.
PB & B Toast
Mitzi Dulan, RD, CSSD, America’s Nutrition Expert®, contains a go-to snack recipe that includes a variety of quality carbs, healthy fats, protein, and fiber.
Ingredients (yields 2 pieces of toast):
2 slices whole wheat bread
2 tbsp peanut butter or almond butter
1 banana
Drizzle of honey
Sprinkle of cinnamon or couple of blueberries (optional)
Directions:
Toast slices of bread and spread nut butter onto each slice.
Slice banana and place the desired number of thin slices on each piece of toast.
Drizzle honey over each piece of toast.
Add any additional toppings, such as cinnamon or blueberries.
Watermelon Shaved Ice
Get in the spirit of summer with a recipe--created by Josh Reisner, a finalist on MasterChef Junior Season 2--dedicated to one of its staple fruits.
Ingredients (yields 4 quarts of syrup):
1 64 oz bottle SunnyD Watermelon
2 limes
½ cup coconut water
Ice (enough to fill blender)
Pinch of sesame seeds (optional)
Directions:
Juice limes. Then, in a sauce pot, combine SunnyD Watermelon, lime juice, and coconut water. Reduce mixture to 75%, taking away 25%.
Place ice in a blender and crush until snow-like.
Once mixture has cooled, pour over shaved ice. Add fresh watermelon and sesame seeds.
Cold Oats and Yogurt
This easy-to-make evening indulgence by Seth Garza—winner of Chopped Junior Season 8, Episode 1—is packed with probiotics as well as healthy carbohydrates and fiber to keep you satiated.
Ingredients (yields 1-2 servings):
1 cup Oikos Triple Zero yogurt
¼ cup frozen blueberries
¼ cup low-sugar granola mix
Honey, to taste
Directions:
In a serving bowl, heat frozen blueberries to unthaw them, making sure they are still cold.
Add yogurt and granola and stir together.
Drizzle however much honey you desire over the top and serve.