Why don’t they ever have healthy snacks at the movies? The candy bars are swamped with chocolate, chips, butter-lathered popcorn, soft drinks, sugary snacks and more. It’s no surprise that we reach for the same sorts of snacks when we’re watching a movie at home or enjoying some TV time.

Thanks to our fantastic Facebook community we’ve put together a list of some better healthy snack options when you’re on the couch enjoying some television or a great flick!

• Celery and carrot sticks with some light cream cheese, hummus, tzatziki, tomato salsa or avocado dip. Or for sweet dipping, rice cakes dipped into yoghurt.
• Beetroot chips or vegetable chips made at home in the oven.
• Mini pizzas; whole wheat English muffins or mini pita bread, tomato paste and low-fat mozzarella cheese. Add as many vegetables and herbs as you like!
• Fruit salad with or without a splash of yogurt on top – think summer berries, melon, grapes, bananas, mango, stone fruit and kiwi fruit.
• Air popped popcorn with a teeny tiny sprinkling of icing sugar or cinnamon for a sweet snack, or a little shake of salt or balsamic vinegar, oregano or chilli flakes for a savoury option.
• Frozen fruit: nothing better than frozen blueberries, rockmelon, grapes or banana on a hot summer’s night.
• Strawberries and soda water served in a champagne glass (it’s Gold Class without the calories).
• A mixture of apple slices, low fat natural or vanilla yoghurt and cinnamon.
• Mixed nuts with their shells on – it takes longer to get through them, meaning you eat less.
• Corn or rice thins with a spread of avocado, cranberry sauce and slice of turkey – a healthy taste of Thanksgiving dinner!
• Thin slices of fresh crunchy pear or green apple, topped with a sliver of blue cheese or vintage cheddar – a great flavour combination.
• Diet jelly with low fat ice cream or peaches for a sweet treat.
• Sliced apple, baked in the oven until crisp.
• A cup of herbal tea could be enough to subside your sugar craving and warm you up the cockles of your heart.
• A soft boiled egg with a little bit of mum’s favourite chutney – this protein-rich snack will definitely fill you up.
• A small amount of good quality dark chocolate, the higher the cocoa content the better.
• A mixture of tuna, boiled egg, diced cucumber and a little bit of mayonnaise
• Apple slices and celery sticks with low fat peanut butter (but don’t lather is on too heavily).
• Wholegrain crackers topped with tomato and low fat cheese or red onion
• Mountain bread sprinkled with Cajun seasoning and a little oil spray (or even a thin spread of Vegemite), baked in the oven until crisp and broken up into baked chips.
• Avocado and chicken sandwiches, made with whole meal bread full of seeds and grains.

Thanks to all the great suggestions from our Fernwood community. Like us on Facebook and let us know if you have any other healthy snack ideas!


Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/42962212@N00/2349758304/