Have you ever noticed that you can find all sorts of foods in the supermarket that have the word "snack" in their name or are otherwise labeled as snacks? But what are snacks, and what is snacking? Are snacks healthy? Can you make your own healthy snack?
Table of contents
1. Advantages and disadvantages of different diets when snacking
If you want to impress all your friends and family with your homemade snack ideas, you should definitely consider some food intolerances and other dietary restrictions. This way, everyone can enjoy the delicious snack you've prepared for the group.
In times when vegetarianism and veganism are on the rise, you should consider avoiding meat in snacks for large groups. One issue that quickly arises is how to still consume sufficient protein. Vitamin B12, which accumulates in muscle tissue and can therefore only be absorbed through meat, must now be obtained from other sources. But there are also advantages to a vegetarian or vegan diet. Aside from the environmental benefits, those who do not consume meat consume fewer unhealthy fats and thus reduce their risk of high blood pressure. In addition, cheap meat from factory farming is often full of antibiotic residues, which can hinder the effectiveness of antibiotics when we really need them [1].
In addition, there are intolerances such as lactose intolerance or gluten intolerance – which, by the way, are not allergies, but rather intolerances. In lactose intolerance, for example, lactose (milk sugar) cannot be absorbed. This has very unpleasant consequences for those suffering from it, such as bloating or diarrhea [2]. Gluten intolerance behaves similarly, but can have far more severe effects on the body. Those affected cannot break down gluten, a wheat protein [3].
To provide a tasty, digestible, and healthy snack for those who are lactose or gluten intolerant, you should consider avoiding wheat and dairy products. Gluten has come under increasing criticism in recent years, even beyond intolerances and medical conditions. For this reason, some people avoid gluten even though they don't suffer from any intolerance [3]. We will take this into account in our following snack ideas.
Take-Home Message #1: Avoiding animal products like meat, milk, and eggs is becoming more and more common in our society. Added to this are intolerances and sensitivities, such as lactose intolerance or gluten intolerance—the most well-known of which. But even without wheat and animal products, all sorts of delicious things can be conjured up, because vegetarian or vegan snacks can also be quite tasty.
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2. Snack recipes
So let's take a look at some quick, healthy snacks we can make ourselves without using animal products or wheat products.
1. Gluten-free, vegan protein wraps made from buckwheat flour
Individually fillable with fresh ingredients, easy to take with you, and incredibly tasty – these gluten-free, vegan, lactose-free, and protein-rich wraps offer everything you need for a complete evening snack. While the dough for these wraps can now also be found in vegan and gluten-free versions at the supermarket, if you have more time, you can also easily make them yourself [4]. For the dough for this savory snack, you'll need:
100g buckwheat flour
1 tsp cream of tartar baking powder
80g hemp protein (optional)
1 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp sweet paprika powder
rock salt
Water
Preparation :
Simply combine the ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix until a smooth batter forms. Then let it rest for 10 minutes. Time to prepare the filling and dressing.
The following combination of fresh ingredients is ideal for filling the wraps:
tomatoes
arugula
lamb's lettuce
Radicchio
paprika
Broccoli sprouts
Herbs as desired (e.g. oregano or basil)
Preparation:
The ingredients simply need to be washed and, in some cases, chopped. Your creativity is endless! Walnuts, low-fat mozzarella with beetroot, a little cress, and a sweeter ingredient, such as a pear, would also taste great in this wrap!
To keep all the ingredients in place later in the wrap and to give the snack that final kick, we'll add a delicious dressing. You'll need:
150g chickpeas (cooked)
2 tbsp mustard
some rock salt
some water for the desired consistency
Preparation:
Simply mix together and refine to your liking. Just make sure the dressing isn't too runny, or it'll be difficult to transport the snacks without making a mess.
By now, 10 minutes should have passed, and the dough is ready for further processing. Simply fry the dough in a non-stick pan without oil. This makes the wraps a delicious, low-fat snack. You can decide how thin you like your wraps to be, depending on your taste. Then, spread the wraps with the dressing and then fill them. Rolling the wraps takes a bit of practice, but after a few tries, you'll surely get the hang of it!
Further tips:
To make the wraps easy to take with you, find a reusable lunch box and cut the wraps in half so they fit perfectly vertically. This way, the wraps stay together and can be easily transported to a picnic in the park. This also turns the wraps into small, handy bite-sized portions.
2. Hummus
A vegan, lactose-free, and gluten-free hummus is prepared in a snap. It's not only delicious, but also a source of important nutrients and minerals. With bread or vegetables for dipping, it makes a simple, healthy snack for on the go [5]. All you need for this savory snack is:
1 can of chickpeas
2 cloves of garlic
½ to 1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tsp sweet paprika
1/2 tsp hot paprika
1 bunch of flat-leaf parsley
4 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp tahini (sesame paste)
Juice of 2 lemons
Salt
The ingredients only require a brief prep. The chickpeas need to be removed from the can and drained, and the garlic is best minced using a garlic press. After rinsing the parsley, chop it as finely as possible before blending it with the squeezed lemon juice and the other ingredients in a blender until the mixture forms a creamy puree. If there's too little liquid, you can add a little more of the liquid from the can of chickpeas. This way, the hummus retains its flavor.
The olive oil is primarily intended for preservation, and if you prefer, you can omit it in the preparation. However, if covered with a layer of olive oil, the hummus will keep much longer in the refrigerator [5].
3. Oat/buckwheat cookies with dates and peanut butter
Time for dessert! Cookies are easy to take on the go and always a favorite. We've picked out a simple recipe for you that lets you make your own vegan and gluten-free oatmeal cookies in 15 minutes with just three ingredients and no added sugar: For lovers of sweet snacks [6].
For this you need:
150 g (gluten-free) oat or buckwheat flakes
150 g peanut butter
250 g pitted, soft dates
Optionally, we recommend adding a pinch of salt and a pinch of vanilla.
Preparation:
Before you begin, you should preheat your oven to 180°C. Next, chop all the ingredients, especially the dates, and place them in a bowl. Now knead until a firm dough forms. Ideally, you have a food processor handy. If not, you can also use a mixer with a dough hook.
Form about 12 cookies on a baking sheet (using a baking mat or parchment paper) and lightly press them down with a fork. Bake for 10 minutes until golden brown. Done!
Further tips:
Before you toss the cookies into your picnic basket, you should give them time to harden. You can, however, taste them in between meals – they taste great warm and soft, but they're harder to transport.
Take-Home Message #2: Whether on the go or at home, there's a wide range of easy-to-make snack ideas that are perfect as part of a vegan, gluten-free, and lactose-free diet. The wraps, hummus, and peanut butter date cookies provide you with the nutrients you need without relying on animal products or wheat.
Conclusion
Whether at a barbecue in the garden, a picnic in the park, or on the go between meetings – we humans also like to eat outside of the three main meals of the day. We already know that this doesn't necessarily have to be unhealthy (learn more here) . However, there are certain diets that can make snacking more difficult, especially in a group. For this reason, we've put together three simple recipes that you can also enjoy with your vegan, gluten-free, and lactose-free friends. What's more, these snacks are healthy and provide you with important minerals and nutrients.
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INDIVIDUAL REFERENCES
[1] Englert, H.; Siebert, S. (2016) UTB. Vegan Nutrition. [ https://books.google.de/books?hl=de&lr=&id=yVsrDQAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA3&dq=veganismus+entwicklung&ots=SbPe5rBVmV&sig=P7erIIivzDAZ45-GhDBpOyaTkdw#v=onepage&q&f=false ]
[2] Terjung, B.; Lammert, F. (2007) University Hospital Bonn, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelmsuniversität Bonn. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart. Deutsche Medizinische Wochenschrift 2007, Vol. 132, Issue 6, pp. 271-275. Lactose intolerance: New aspects of an old problem. [ https://www.thieme-connect.com/products/ejournals/html/10.1055/s-2007-959320 ]
[3] Rüffer, A.; Eckert, M.; Krause, D. (2011) Karl F. Haug Verlag MVS Medizinverlage Stuttgart GmbH & Co. KG. Empirical Medicine 2011, Vol. 60, Issue 5, pp. 262-268. Food intolerances. [ https://www.thieme-connect.com/products/ejournals/html/10.1055/s-0030-1257679 ]
[4] Gramilch, A. (2018) Kräuterkeller. Gluten-free and vegan wraps with a high protein content. [ https://mein-kraeuterkeller.de/glutenfreie-vegane-wraps ]
[5] Marquardt, T. (2019) Trudel's Gluten-Free Cookbook. Hummus. [ https://glutenfrei-kochen.de/html/de/rezepte/rezept.php?rezept=955 ]
[6] Reinicke, S. (2018) Plantiful Skies. Quick and Healthy Peanut Butter and Date Cookies [ https://www.plantifulskies.com/schnelle-gesunde-erdnussbutter-dattel-kekse/ ]
