10 Healthy Snacks to Grab Instead of a Biscuit

According to an article in the Mirror, us Brits eat more biscuits than anywhere else in the world with the average household here in the UK buying 96 packets of biscuits a year and let’s be honest, we’re tucking into most of them with a good old fashioned cup of tea.

The odd biscuit is a perfectly acceptable treat, even if you’re dieting, but there are plenty of other healthy snacks you could be enjoying with your afternoon brew that are better for you and lower in calories, sugar and fat.

We’re going to share with you 10 treats, some sweet and some savoury that are perfect to curb your mid-afternoon hunger that won’t steal as many calories as your average biccy.

Pecan Nuts

A small portion of pecan nuts is a filling and sweet treat that although is high in fat, the natural fats in nuts aren’t deemed too bad for your health when enjoyed in moderation.

A 20g portion of pecan halves will set you back about 140 calories out of your daily allowance but contains less than 1g of sugar and no salt.

When you compare this to having 2 of the leading brand milk chocolate digestives, that would be 166 calories, and nearly 10g of sugar, so the nuts are definitely your better option.

Salt & Vinegar Rice Cakes

If you fancy something savoury with your cuppa for a change, a couple of the large salt and vinegar rice cakes are a low calorie and filling option.

The average salt and vinegar rice cake contains about 34 calories, 0.2g of fat and 0.3g of sugar, so they’re a pretty healthy snack all around.

Opting to pick on 3 rice cakes would be a total of just 102 calories with 0.9g of sugar which compared to two chocolate hobnobs which would be 184 calories with 12.4g of sugar, the rice cakes will fit into your healthy eating plan much better.

Apple and Peanut Butter

An apple isn’t the most exciting snack but when you add a dollop of smooth or crunchy peanut butter on the side, it gets a little more interesting.

A super filling snack that is sweet and salty, the combination of apple and peanut butter is packed with natural fats and sugars that although still present, are better for you than treats with sugar and fat added.

Your average pink lady apple contains around 71 calories, pair with a tablespoon of supermarket own brand smooth peanut butter, averaging at about 95 calories, you’ve got a tasty 166 calorie snack.

The slow releasing energy in healthy snacks like this is bound to keep you fuller for longer than two bourbon biscuits would, which although lower in calories at 136, don’t have the same natural vitamins and goodness.

Fibre One Chocolate Fudge Brownies

Fibre One have taken over the low calorie snacking market recently with their 90 calorie brownies and selection of other sweet treats which taste great but are lower in calories than your biscuits!

The brownies and lemon drizzle bars both contain 87 calories per bar whilst other snacks in their range such as the popcorn bars, contain 90 calories.

Seeing as the average shortbread finger has 93 calories, we know which snack we’d be choosing.

Dried Fruit

If you get a sweet tooth when it comes to your afternoon brew then dried fruit is a great way to curb that sugary craving without breaking into the biscuit tin.

30g of mixed dried fruit contains just 100 calories and 0.5g of fat. Although this snack is high in sugar, they’re natural sugars and therefore better for you than refined sugar added to snacks such as biscuits.

Soft Figs

Fan of fig rolls? Why not ditch the cakey outside and just snack on some soft figs, available to buy ready to eat from pretty much all supermarkets.

30g of soft figs contains about 61 calories which when compared to the big brand fig rolls where each biscuit contains 65 calories, ditching the rolls and just sticking to the fig is a much better option for your healthy eating.

Popcorn

Whether you’re a sweet or a savoury lover, popcorn is a perfect snack because the flavour options are endless.

A snack that is just naturally healthier than many others, a 14g pack of supermarket own brand sweet and salted popcorn contains 68 calories which is a far better choice than tucking into 4 chocolate fingers which contain 108 calories and nearly double the sugar.

Vegetable Crisps

Crisps are generally the savoury version of biscuits, that naughty treat that those with a taste for salty flavours will opt for, so if that sounds like you mid-afternoon, why not try vegetable crisps instead?

You could think ahead and make your own for the healthiest option but if you’re buying on the go, one of the leading brand packs of mixed vegetable crisps is around 127 calories for 25g which is going to fit far better into your healthy eating than tucking into 2 jammy dodgers which would set you back 156 calories.

Mini Breadsticks

A low calorie and low sugar savoury snack to keep you going until dinner time, individual packs of mini breadsticks available to buy in most supermarkets are super handy for throwing in your bag.

The average 20g pack of supermarket own brand plain mini breadsticks contains about 84 calories, 1.8g of fat and 0.6g of sugar which is a far better option than a standard two finger milk chocolate Kit Kat which contains 104 calories, 5.1g of fat and 10.6g of sugar!

Alpen Light Bars

If you really need something sweet and biscuit-like to get you through the afternoon, an Alpen Light bar might just satisfy that craving.

Known as a bit of a hero product in the weight loss world, many of these cereal-style bars are just 70 calories and they come in a whole host of flavours such as a Jaffa cake, chocolate, fudge and cherry Bakewell.

With their sweet taste and crunchy texture, the Alpen Light bars feel like a perfect substitute for a biscuit!

So, hopefully, with these 10 healthy snack ideas in mind, you won’t feel the need to raid the biscuit tin and ruin your healthy eating anytime soon.