It’s easy as one, two, three…

Putting three healthy meals on the table is a challenge, mama. Making sure that everyone is well fed and happy is not the easiest thing in the world. Not to mention that kids and husbands don’t generally keep their hunger on a three meal a day schedule. #realtalk How often have you heard “Mum, I’m hungry!”, (an hour before dinner) or “Is the food ready yet?”.

Read more: 5 Healthy Snacks from 7-Eleven

Snacking can be an important part of a balanced diet, it’s pretty hard to rely on healthy snacks when you do have a snack attack. Luckily, we’ve come up with a few recipes that are healthier alternatives than chowing down on that bag of crisps. Check out these yummy recipes for adults and kids that are extremely easy to make, healthy, delicious and you only need three ingredients! Perfect. In fact, these three ingredients are probably already in your pantry. So, what are you waiting for, mama? Time to get snackin’!

Almond crisp bars recipe – 3 ingredients only (makes 6 bars)

Ingredients

• ½ cup ground almonds
• 1 cup rice crispy cereal
• 3 heaped tablespoons almond butter

Method

1. Line a small baking sheet with wax paper. In a medium mixing bowl mix ground almonds and rice crispy cereal together.
2. Add the almond butter and stir well making sure the rice crispy cereal is covered well.
3. Pour the mixture into the baking tin and compress well to make sure everything sticks together.
4. Refrigerate for at least an hour and cut into bars.

Fruity coconut balls (makes 8-10 balls)

Ingredients

• 2 cups of pitted dried prunes
• 2 digestive biscuits
• ½ cup of coconut

Method

1. In a plastic bag crush the biscuits until fine. Put the biscuit mixture into a medium mixing bowl.
2. Cut the prunes into very small pieces and mix with the biscuits.
3. Add the coconut and stir well.
4. Roll into balls and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Read more: In the Kitchen: Melissa’s No-Blend Mocha Balls 

Peanut butter and jelly cups (Makes 2 snack size cups)

(recipe courtesy of The Domestic Geek)

Ingredients

• 200 ml greek yoghurt
• 3 tablespoons peanut butter
• 60 ml raspberry jam

Method

1. In a mixing bowl, mix 150ml of the yoghurt with the peanut butter.
2. Layer the peanut butter yoghurt with the jam and left over yoghurt in a class or bowl.
3. The mixture can be refrigerated or you can serve it immediately. 

Sun Dried tomato and cheese spirals

Ingredients

• 1 sheet puff pastry
• 60 ml sun dried tomato pesto
• 120g cheddar cheese

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C.
2. Roll out the puff pastry to around 2cm thickness.
3. Spread the pesto over the top surface and sprinkle with cheese.
4. Roll up pastry to make a log and cut into 1cm slices.
5. Lay the spirals flat on a baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden and crisp.

If you don’t have time to put three ingredients together (it happens to everyone, mama!), here are a few ready to eat snacks that nutritious and delicious:

• Popchips
• Peanuts and raisins
• Fruit yoghurts 
• Popcorn sprinkled with a little seasoning or parmesan cheese
• Fruit or fruit juice
• Carrot sticks with hummus

Snacking doesn’t have to be a bad thing and any recipe that uses three ingredients or less is worth a try. So, go on mama, whether it’s the before-meal-munchies or some “paranormal snacktivity”, these bites will not have you feeling guilty!