Hello, my name is Diana, and I am a snacker. My boyfriend calls me snack shack. I am the squirrel that I yell at in my garden. I don’t know if it’s that I’m hungry all the time or if I just enjoy the frequent walks to the kitchen then snacking at my desk. (I really like my office.)
What’s worse, I’m also a mindless snacker. You know, the kind that reaches into the bag for another cracker only to realize they’ve eaten the entire bag without noticing? So needless to say we can no longer keep unhealthy snacks in the house. And since I’m not giving up snacking anytime soon, I had to start making my own healthy snack alternatives. Hence these super easy and filling chia seed nut clusters.
So why did I decide to make my own instead of buying healthy snacks at the store?
Frankly, most store bought snacks are useless. They’re rarely (almost never) warming, filling, or nutritious. Plus most snacks these days, with the false promise of plant protein and less sugar, are stupid expensive. I just can’t wrap my head around a $4.00 snack bar. And I will straight up kick your milkshake “healthy pre-made smoothie” out of your hand if you try and tell me it’s a healthy snack. Here’s one tip to remember: big snack companies get you to keep buying because they know you’re going to be left hungry. Don’t give in to their propaganda, make your own.
I’ve tried MANY snack recipes, yes from Pinterest. The dreaded “protein balls”. (Only made one I EVER liked.) I would eat maybe one of those sad brown squishy balls and forget the rest until they molded on the counter. Homemade chips are a joke because lets be honest, they’ll never taste as good as the bad fried ones. Cheese chunks turn against me personally because I’ll slowly eat the entire block and be keeled over with stomach cramps. So in an attempt to finally find a snack I liked, filled me and felt good about I went for my favorite easily grabbable food group: NUTS & SEEDS.
Yes, they’re high in fat and you should eat them in moderation but maybe just don’t eat like 6 of these at a time you savage. Sorry, I was talking to my snacking zero sense of self-control. But nuts and seeds are the perfect snacks because 1.they give you energy from high good fat 2. high protein and fiber content and 3. they contain vitamins like potassium and magnesium and Vitamin E. An important thing to remember too is you need to use raw nuts. Most roasted nuts have lost some nutrition and contain added salt and oils.
In an effort to stop mindless snacking I’ve portioned these chia seed nut clusters into little cookie sizes rather than something like a dry mix you can keep grabbing handfuls of. Grab one, close the container, and move on with your day. You’ll feel good about what you ate and feel full longer. Try them out and let me know what you think!
P.S. you can easily save this recipe from my Instagram post too!
Chia Seed Nut Clusters
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups raw coconut flakes (make sure there is no added sugar)
- 3/4 cup sliced almonds
- 1/4 cup hemp seeds
- 1/4 cup pepitas
- 1/4 cup organic chia seeds
- 1/4 cup PLUS 2 tablespoons Agave
Instructions
- pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
- line a baking sheet with parchment paper
- mix all ingredients in a bowl
- using two teaspoons, scoop and drop clusters onto the baking sheet
- bake for 12 to 15 minutes – until the coconut just begins to turn golden
- remove the baked clusters from the oven. Note: if liquid from sweetener spreads out onto baking sheet gently push it back toward the cluster using a spatula – this is what holds the cluster together once they have cooled.
- let clusters cool and enjoy!
