It’s 11.30 am, breakfast is long-gone and lunch is far away, but your stomach’s rumbling. What do you have to eat?
It’s normal to find yourself at a loss when looking for snacks around the home. Whether you’re hungry, your children need an after-school snack, or you fancy a treat with your evening movie, your cupboards might feel suddenly empty!
Luckily, there are plenty of easy ways you can stock up on easy-to-eat snacks. Start by making a list of foods you’d like around the home, using our guide for inspiration.
Here are our top pantry snacks to make sure you’re always full!
1. Popping Corn Kernels
If you’re on the hunt for healthy snacks to fulfill a late-night craving or keep your little ones happy, popcorn is a great solution. But, instead of having pre-popped popcorn, why not buy the kernels and do it yourself? It only takes a couple of minutes to cook up a batch of fresh, hot popcorn, and it’s well worth the little effort – it seriously tastes a million times better than pre-popped popcorn!
It’s also much healthier. Popcorn that isn’t covered in artificial flavorings is actually a really healthy, low-calorie snack. You can then add whatever flavor you’re in the mood for, be it a little sprinkle of sugar, a dash of salt, or whatever guilty-pleasure popcorn flavor you like.
2. Roasted Nuts and Seeds
Sometimes, all you need is a light snack. Roasted nuts and seeds are the perfect answer to that dilemma! Healthy, filling, and incredibly tasty, they’re easy to eat when you’re in a hurry and a great snack that won’t ruin your meal.
You can find roasted nuts and seeds in lots of different flavors, too. Spicy, BBQ, or covered in paprika, there are plenty of options to keep your pantry exciting!
3. Meat Jerky
In between your easy meals, sometimes you want something a little substantial to keep you going. Meat jerky is a brilliant pantry snack that’s not perishable and is very tasty! Lean beef jerky is a go-to that’s high in protein and a real crowd-pleaser.
If you’re vegetarian, don’t worry! There are plenty of veggie jerky options hitting the market now, too, that should keep your cravings satisfied. If you’re feeling really brave, why not try making your own jerky from soy protein that should taste pretty close to the original meat version?
4. Custom Made Desserts
It’s definitely a good idea to get specific holiday snacks throughout the year to celebrate different seasons and switch up your pantry. You don’t want to get bored of the treats in your home! From Valentine’s Day to Christmas, holiday snacks are delicious and exciting, and your guests will be delighted with what you have on offer.
To get exactly what you’re looking for, try custom made desserts. You can specify what you’re looking for, and a professional chef or caterer can create your treats for you! From Fourth of July themed cupcakes to festive cookies, whatever you want, they can do.
5. Boiled Eggs
Boiled eggs might not be the most interesting pantry snack, but they are super easy when you’re hungry. You can boil a few at the beginning of the week and keep them stored in a cold pantry, giving you boiled eggs on demand. They’re high in protein, iron, and lots of other vitamins and minerals, and should give you a great energy boost to keep you going throughout the day.
For an extra healthy kick, add a little spinach to your afternoon snack. What better way to get one of your five a day?
6. Vegetable Chips
You’ve all tried potato chips, but what about vegetable chips? These are simply made with vegetables other than potatoes, like carrots, parsnips, and sweet potatoes, which are then lightly salted for extra flavor! They might not be the healthiest treat, but they taste amazing and are easy to chew on while you go about your day.
Veggie chips are always a little more exciting than potato chips. Everybody expects potato chips, but these will make a great and unique addition to your pantry, especially when you have guests over!
7. Plenty of Spreads
Stocking up on spreads for your bread, crackers, and toasts is a brilliant way to add a little variety to your pantry. From salty to sweet, your spreads should give you something for every craving occasion! They’re also great if you have any fussy little ones coming to stay, and you can give them lots of different options to keep them happy.
Peanut butter is a fantastic spread to keep around, especially those that are made naturally and without additives. Peanut butter contains a lot of nutritional value and will keep you full, keeping your stomach rumbles at bay until it’s time for dinner.
Jams and chocolate spreads might be a little less nutritional, but they’re delicious and provide a great kick of sugar when you need it! They’re also real crowd-pleasers for kids, making it easy to find after-school snacks.
Stock Up On Your Favorite Pantry Snacks
Trying new pantry snacks is a brilliant way to keep your cupboards interesting and make sure you don’t always turn to chocolate when you’re feeling a little peckish. Make sure you have a good variety of flavors and healthy/non-healthy snacks to always keep you and your guests satisfied! Remember that custom desserts are great for when you can’t find exactly what you’re looking for in a store, too.
If you enjoyed this article, be sure to check out more on our website! We love to write about food and give you inspiration to always keep your kitchen exciting.
