If you want proof that Britain is a nation of proud snackers, you need only look at all the extra food breaks we’ve invented in addition to our official meal times.
Elevenses, afternoon tea, midnight fridge raids - if there’s an opportunity for a nibble, you’ll catch us with our hands in the cookie jar.
Needless to say, constant grazing takes its toll, with waistlines being the first place to bear the brunt.
All those extra calories from nutritiously bankrupt fodder rack up, putting your health at risk.
The good news is that you don’t have to completely kick your snack habit - simply make a few swaps to lower calorie snacks or foods with higher protein that’ll tide you over for longer.
We’ve rooted around the Internet’s larder to bring you the best healthier snack ideas to fill your cupboards and your lunchboxes.
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Propercorn Sweet & Salty Popcorn 6 x 14g
Calories: 64
Not just for the cinema, popcorn is an excellent alternative to crisps when you fancy something crunchy. Wholegrain kernels are popped in rapeseed oil before being covered in a sprinkling of salt and Demerara sugar to offer a satisfying crunch. High in fibre and palm oil-free, this vegan snack comes in at 64cals a pack.
Buy now £1.80, Tesco
LioBites Taster Box Freeze Dried Fruit Crisps, 4 Flavours, 15 x 300g
Calories: strawberry - 27 per 8g bag, banana - 50 per 14g.
We all know that fruit and veg are the healthiest possible snack options, but if you don’t have much prep time in the morning to slice up the contents of your fruit bowl or salad drawer, grab a bag of LioBites instead. The freeze-dried high-fibre fruit snacks come as apple, strawberry, orange and banana chips and are the perfect lunchbox addition, eaten at midday or as an afternoon snack.
Buy now £18.45, Amazon
Hippeas THIS Isn’t Smoky Bacon! Multi Pack of 24 Bags, 22g Each
Calories: 87
Healthier than potato chips, Hippeas use chickpeas to make delicious snacks. These have been puffed and flavoured with faux bacon strips for delicious smoky flavour that vegans can enjoy too.
They’re high in plant-based protein and fibre and a crowd-pleasing option for everyone in the family to enjoy.
Buy now £24.10, Amazon
CHEESIES Crunchy Cheese Keto Snack, Variety Pack 6 Bags
Calories: from 115 per 20g
If you’re following a keto diet, snack ideas can feel limited as carbs are off limits. Thankfully Cheesies is here to answer your crunch yearnings. Made from 100 per cent baked cheese in varieties from Red Leicester and Gouda to Emmental and Cheddar, they’re tasty on their own or as a stand-in for salad croutons. And as it’s cheese, the protein should help keep you feeling fuller for longer.
Buy now £8.99, Amazon
Fibre One Birthday Cake Brownie 5x24g
Calories: 84 per portion
Soothe your sweet tooth cravings guilt-free with a bite of a birthday cake-flavoured square. Fibre One’s box contains a pack of five drizzled with sugar, and is the perfect swap to a calorie-laden chocolate bar. There’s enough sweetness to make it feel like a bona fide treat.
Buy now £1.25, ASDA
Nutruit Gourmet Healthy Snack Variety Box (Pack of 20)
Calories: from 100cals per serving
Vegan and free from nasties, this bumper pack of gourmet snacks are on hand to elevate your grazing experience. Harvested from Mediterranean farms, the selection includes Date balls, Fig balls, Roasted Trail Mix, Roasted Lentils, Roasted Chickpeas, Sour Cherry Fruit Strips, Dried Strawberry, Dried Berry Mix, Lightly Fermented Carrot, and Lightly Fermented Celery. The packs are resealable, keeping the contents fresh until the next time you have a snack attack.
Buy now £18.68, Amazon
BEAR Fruit Yoyos Blackcurrant Multipack 5 x 20g
Calories: 56cal per 2 rolls
Counting as one of your five-a-day and made with 100 per cent natural ingredients, BEAR’s fruit rolls are the sort of snack the whole family will be fighting over. Packed with apple, pear and blackcurrant flavour, the high fibre snacks make a great grab-and-go option to stash in your bag when hunger strikes.
Try different flavours with a variety pack available at Amazon (£11).
Buy now £2.60, Amazon
Deliciously Ella Cacao & Almond Oat Bar Multipack 3 x 50g
Calories: 218 per bar
From the kitchen of Deliciously Ella comes this triple pack of high protein oat flapjacks flavoured with cacao and almond. Chewy and moreish, the vegan snack is gluten free and will leave you feeling satisfied until your next meal. Also available in apple and raisin flavour.
Buy now £2.79, Holland & Barrett
Hartleys No Added Sugar Raspberry 6 Pack Jelly 690g
Calories: 6
The next time you crave something sweet, reach for this individual jelly pot from Hartleys. Containing no added sugar, each 115g pot contains just 6 calories and it’s low in carbs too. Other flavours include strawberry, orange, lemon and lime, and blackcurrant.
Buy now £2.00, Tesco
Krumbled Foods Beauty Bites Chocolate Cherry Coconut Flavour 1 x 32g
Calories: 124 per serving
What if your daily snack could also help you on your way to healthier-looking skin? That’s the thought behind Krumbled Foods’ Beauty Bites, a collagen-spiked snack that comes in flavours like White Chocolate Raspberry, Salted Caramel, Apple Cinnamon, Choc Chip Brownie, Lemon Coconut and Choc Cherry Coconut.
Each 32g Beauty Bite holds 3800mg of hydrolyzed collagen peptides along with prebiotics & Vitamins C + E, helping to promote radiant skin from the inside out.
Buy now £27.99, Holland & Barrett
