The Best Quick, Easy Snacks for the School Year

A new academic year has begun, and that means your days will be busy with classes, study sessions and on-campus activities. To maintain your energy levels and health, you’ll need one crucial thing on hand: snacks! While many of us have a meal plan or load cash onto our YU-cards to easily buy food at one of York U’s 40+ food service locations, the #YUBlog has the following tasty, healthy snack ideas. Take a look at our list of easy-to-make food options to suit every type of foodie and dietary restriction. Let’s get cooking, Lions!

Snack Options for Every York U Foodie

Gluten-free Options

Rice crackers and hummus

• Hummus is a delicious chickpea spread that is a healthy source of plant-based protein, fiber and iron. To make approximately 2 cups of hummus at home, simply add 1 can of chickpeas, 3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1 small clove of crushed garlic and a pinch of salt and pepper to a blender. Mix it up and serve with crackers, veggies or pita.

Peanut butter and apples

• Peanut butter and apples are the perfect option for days when you’re running out the door and don’t have much time to pack lunch. Peanuts are a great source of protein and apples are full of vitamin C that can help you avoid cold season. If you do have extra time, you can make your own peanut butter by following these steps: add 1 cup of unsalted shelled peanuts, a quarter teaspoon of kosher salt, 1 to 2 teaspoons of honey and 1 to 3 teaspoons of peanut or vegetable oil to a blender. Mix it up until it’s as smooth or crunchy as you like and serve!

Vegan or Vegetarian

Celery 

• Celery, aside from being pleasantly crunchy, is a great source of antioxidants and beneficial enzymes as well as vitamin K, vitamin C, potassium, folate and vitamin B6. To make fancy celery sticks, add almond or peanut butter and your choice of berries (blueberries, raspberries, strawberries etc.).

Smoothies

• Arguably the best breakfast for when you’re on the go, smoothies can be an excellent source of vitamins, antioxidants from fruit and calcium if you use milk or yogurt. To make a refreshing morning smoothie, mix your favorite fruits (mango, pineapple, orange etc.) and/or vegetables (kale, spinach, ginger etc.) with 1 cup of ice cubes and 1/2 cup each of vanilla yogurt and milk in your blender. You can also substitute dairy with juice or almond milk if you’re vegan or lactose intolerant.

Protein-packed Lunches

Chicken and/or Veggie Wraps

• If you’re looking for a filling lunch option, make a chicken or veggie wrap! To make a wrap that will take you from lunch to dinner, add lettuce, chicken, tofu or veggie strips, tomatoes, onions, green peppers and cheese to a tortilla. You can also add a little dressing, hummus or hot sauce to your wrap for extra flavour.

Trail-mix

• Trail-mix is one of the easiest, tastiest snacks out there. To make your own special mix, visit a bulk foods store and add dried fruit, your choice of nuts (peanut, almond, cashew etc.), seeds and/or chocolate to a container and mix it up. Depending on the ingredients you use, trail mix can be a great source of healthy fats, protein and fiber.

Nut Free

Fruit Salad

• Fruit salad is one of the easiest snacks to make on our list, and it’s full of vitamins and antioxidants! To make fruit salad, just slice up your favorite fruits and mix it up in a container. To keep your fruit from browning throughout the day, squeeze a little lemon juice on top.

Yogurt Parfait

• There’s a reason this snack is called “parfait”: it’s the perfect school snack! To make a parfait, add 1 cup of your favorite yogurt, 1 cup of fresh fruit (strawberries, raspberries and blueberries work well) and 1 cup of nut-free granola to a container. You can layer the ingredients to make sure that you get some granola in the middle.

If you have any healthy food ideas to share, feel free to comment below or tweet us on Twitter @YorkUStudents! Bon appetit!