Here in Edinburgh the Festival has started and many people are visiting our beautiful city to enjoy all the interesting and exciting events that will be taking place all around the city.
With long days of walking, talking and enjoyment keeping your energy levels up is a must and sometimes a balanced meal can be hard to come by.
Snacks can sabotage your diet if you choose high-calorie foods without many nutrients, but the right snacks can help you to stick to a healthy eating plan even while you are out and about and away from home.
Along with providing the nutrients you need, healthy snacks can keep you from being so hungry that you overeat later.
Choose healthy snacks that are convenient. While you are out and about you may be tempted to eat junk food but here at Real Foods we have some really delicious options that carry no guilt!
If you are looking for snacks that will fit into a gluten or wheat free diet we have some great suggestions for you too.
Fruit
Most kinds of fresh and dried fruit are healthy snacks because they provide dietary fibre and vitamins.
Fresh, whole fruit, such as apples, oranges, bananas and pears, are good to take with you when you are out for the day.
Dried fruit, such as raisins or dried apples, cherries, figs, papayas or cranberries, are convenient to take almost anywhere. Dried fruit is higher in calories than fresh, so be sure to take smaller portions when you are eating dried fruit - Real Foods can offer most dried fruits in handy 100g sizes.
Try a delicious mixed dried fruit combination, or try just one fruit on its own - both are fantastic!
Very Cherry Berry Raisins (100g) Pearls Of Samarkand
A mix of 12 different fruits! A succulent, giant selection of various cherries, berries and raisins. A mixture of flavours and textures; sweet, sour, chewy and juicy. Completely natural; no preservatives, no sweeteners, no colourings. A good natural source of vitamin C & vitamin A
Wild Blueberries (100g) Pearls Of Samarkand ORGANIC
The blueberry has always been one of Europe's most popular fruits, and not without good reason! The intensely fresh and fruity taste is unmatched, even when dried - you are bound to agree! Enjoy the unique aroma pure and mixed with other fruits at breakfast or when baking. Blueberries are phytonutrient superstars. These fruits contain significant amounts of anthocyanadins, antioxidant compounds that give blue, purple and red colours to fruits and vegetables. In addition, blueberries also contain ellagic acid, another phytochemical that has been shown to prevent cell damage
Nuts
Nuts and peanuts make healthy and convenient snacks.
They have heart-healthy unsaturated fats, vitamin E, potassium, fibre, protein and magnesium.
Try mixed nuts, or choose your favourite from possibilities including walnuts, almonds,pecans, macadamia nuts and Brazil nuts.
Mixed Nuts Five Nuts Whole Real Foods
This mix of 5 nuts is high in protein, vitamin E and Essential Fatty Acids. Sprinkle over cereal, natural yoghurt or add to salads to help obtain your vitamins and minerals requirements. Or simply snack!
Fruit and Nut Mixes
Mixed together fruit and nuts make a wonderful snacking combination with sweetness and quick energy from the fruit and a more sustained, slow release energy coming from the protein in the nuts.
Here are two of our favourites.
Better Days Mix Raw Living
We can all do with some Better Days - here are yours, conveniently packaged for your delight. Raw Living have gathered their favourite 100% raw nuts and fruits and joyfully present them to you in this handy little pouch. The King of nuts, MACADAMIAS are the crowning glory, hand-cracked CASHEWS from Indonesia are creamier and tastier than you ever imagined. To get your RDA of selenium, you need to eat at least four BRAZILS a day. The Iranian dried MULBERRIES are as sweet as honey and as chewy as toffee. RAISINS somehow just never go out of style. Everyone's favourite superfruit, we couldn't make a trail mix without GOJI BERRIES
Trail Mix Real Foods
A popular mix of Banana Chips and Coconut, sweetened with Raisins and added crunch from Almonds and Cashew Nuts. Ideal for people on the go who need a quick snack, perfect for hikers and walkers needing sustenance and frankly just as nice when you're curled up in front of the telly. Available in a range of sizes, so you can share or keep them all for yourself!
Protein Snacks
Protein is a filling nutrient, so low-fat, high-protein snacks can help you control your weight. Yoghurt makes a healthy snack with protein, calcium and potassium so choosing a yoghurt coated dried fruit is an ideal snack.
Yoghurt Coated Raisins Real Foods
Bursting with flavour and nutrition. Raisins are one of the richest sources of the mineral boron and provide concentrated amounts of polyphenolic phytonutrients
Snack Bars
Quick and easy to grab off the shelf look for bars which contain all natural products.
A great choice are raw snack bars such as the 'Nakd range:
Cocoa Orange Snackbar (35g) Nakd dairy free, gluten free, wheat free
95% raw 35g bars, supremely simple, all natural, no added sugar, gluten, wheat, dairy & GM free.
Just raw fruit & nuts cheerfully smooshed together in Wales, if you LOVE CHOCOLATE, try these tasty nibbles!
Nakd bars contain no artificial ingredients of any kind, no-added sugar and are made raw, never cooked. In fact if they were any more natural you'd have to peel 'em. Nakd bars are a combination of natural superfoods with nothing artificial, so they are good for you in lots of ways.
Rich in phytonutrients from raw plant foods to promote a healthy immune system and body function. Natural source of essential vitamins and minerals like B-vitamins, vitamin C, potassium, calcium, magnesium and iron to help provide energy, support a strong immune system, strengthen bones, and combat stress and ageing. High fibre to help balance blood sugar levels, control appetite and aid digestion. Plant-source protein to help maintain muscle, support metabolism, balance blood sugar, and control appetite.