10 Quick and Healthy Vegetarian Snacks

 10 Quick and Healthy Vegetarian Snacks

Selecting nutritious snacks to enjoy throughout the day is a key component of any healthy diet — including vegetarian diets.

Unfortunately, many quick and convenient snack foods offer little in terms of nutrition apart from extra calories, sodium, and added sugar.

Still, finding vegetarian snack options that are easy, portable, and nutritious doesn’t have to be a challenge.

Here are 10 quick and healthy vegetarian snack ideas.

1. Nut butter with fruit

Pairing your favorite fruit with nut butter makes for an easy, filling, and quick plant-based snack that you can enjoy anywhere.

Fruits like apples, bananas, and strawberries are loaded with antioxidants and high in fiber that helps keep you feeling full between your main meals (1Trusted Source).

Meanwhile, nut butters — like almond, peanut, or cashew butters — deliver a hearty dose of satisfying protein and healthy fats.

2. Cheese sticks

Cheese sticks are a portable and convenient snack perfect to help curb cravings on the go.

Though the exact nutrient profile varies based on the brand and type of cheese, cheese sticks typically supply 5–7 grams of protein in a 1-ounce (28-gram) serving.

Protein is the most filling macronutrient, making cheese an excellent choice for a satisfying vegetarian snack (2Trusted Source).

This snack is also a good source of calcium, a key mineral that helps strengthen your bones and teeth (3Trusted Source).

3. Bell peppers with hummus

Bell peppers with hummus are a healthy, plant-based alternative to traditional chips and dip.

Bell peppers not only provide the same satisfying crunch as chips or crackers but are also lower in calories and contain more fiber, vitamin C, and vitamin A.

Plus, dipping them in hummus can help boost your intake of protein and fiber while keeping your calorie intake low.

4. Roasted chickpeas

Chickpeas are loaded with protein, fiber, and vitamins and minerals like manganese and folate.

Best of all, roasted chickpeas are easy to make at home by tossing cooked chickpeas with olive oil and your choice of spices or seasonings prior to baking them at 400°F (200°C) for 20–30 minutes.

Cayenne pepper, garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, and nutmeg are all tasty options to help spice up your chickpeas.

5. Popcorn

Popcorn is a nutritious, low-calorie snack that is a great source of the minerals phosphorus, magnesium, and zinc.

It’s also high in manganese — a mineral involved in digestion, immune function, energy production, and brain health (4Trusted Source).

Be sure to select air-popped popcorn rather than pre-packaged or microwave varieties, which are usually packed with extra calories, fat, and sodium.

For extra flavor, try seasoning your air-popped popcorn with paprika, onion powder, vegetarian Parmesan, or parsley.

6. Nuts

Nuts — like almonds, walnuts, cashews, and pistachios — provide a wealth of important nutrients, including heart-healthy fats, fiber, protein, magnesium, iron, and calcium.

In addition to being incredibly nutrient-dense, research shows that adding nuts to your diet may reduce your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and certain types of cancer like colorectal cancer (5Trusted Source).

However, keep in mind that nuts are high in calories, so enjoy them in moderation and stick to about 1 ounce (28 grams) at a time as part of a healthy diet.

7. Yogurt with fruit

Rich in protein, calcium, vitamin B12, and potassium, yogurt is an excellent vegetarian snack option.

Combining yogurt with apples, berries, bananas, grapes, or your favorite type of fruit can also help bump up your intake of fiber, vitamin C, and disease-fighting antioxidants (6Trusted Source).

Look for plain, unsweetened varieties to minimize your intake of added sugars and use a little cinnamon, honey, or maple syrup to naturally enhance the flavor.

8. Kale chips

Kale chips are an easy and delicious way to squeeze a serving of leafy greens into your daily diet.

Kale is an especially good source of vitamins C and A — important nutrients involved in immune function and disease prevention (7Trusted Source, 8Trusted Source).

Try making kale chips at home by tossing kale with olive oil and sea salt, then baking at 275°F (135°C) for 15–20 minutes until crisp. Watch them closely, as they can easily burn.

9. Cottage cheese

Made from the curds of cow’s milk — which are coagulated milk solids made by adding an acid to milk — cottage cheese is a high-protein dairy product rich in phosphorus, selenium, and vitamin B12.

It’s also a great source of calcium, an essential nutrient that plays a central role in bone formation, muscle function, and hormone secretion (9Trusted Source).

Cottage cheese has a mild flavor that can be enjoyed on its own or paired with fruits like bananas, melon, berries, and pineapple.

Alternatively, you can pair cottage cheese with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and black pepper for a vegetarian-friendly savory snack.

10. Green smoothies

Green smoothies can be a quick and convenient way to fit a few extra servings of veggies into your diet while ramping up your intake of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

Though green smoothies are usually made with leafy greens like kale or spinach, other fruits, veggies, and ingredients can be added as well. For example, try carrots, celery, beets, berries, bananas, chia seeds, or flax meal.

You can also mix in vegetarian protein powders like whey, pea, hemp, or brown rice protein. These can keep you feeling full for longer and support muscle growth and blood sugar control (10Trusted Source, 11Trusted Source, 12Trusted Source).