We all get it, whether it's at 3:00 in the afternoon or 11:00 at night. Hunger strikes and you get hit with the "snack attacks."Snacking actually has a lot of benefits, like, sustaining energy levels, recovery from exercise, increases nutrient intake, and increases concentration. Also snacking helps with mood swings during the day, because let’s face it no one is fun when they are hangry.

Below I have come up with 6 super easy and delicious snack recipes to satisfy whatever you might be craving. Whether it be something savory, sweet, creamy, crunchy, or indulgent!

1) Trail Mix:

This is a quick and delicious snack to throw together on the weekends. Mix and match your favorite nuts, dried fruit, seeds, and sweets, together to satisfy whatever you are craving!

Ingredients:

1) Nuts: pecans, walnuts, cashews, almonds, pistachios, peanuts, brazil nuts, hazelnuts

2) Dried Fruit: cranberries, raisins, banana chips, apple chips, dried mango, dried apricots

3) Seeds: pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, benne seeds

4) Sweets: dark chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, dark chocolate espresso beans, chocolate covered raisins

Directions:

1) Pick one or two items from each category

2) Mix all the ingredients in a bowl

3) Separate into bags or small containers

4) Enjoy!

2) Hummus & Veggies & Chips:

This is the best snack whenever you want something savory, salty, or crunchy! Hummus is chickpeas blended with olive oil, tahini, and lemon juice, and is simply delicious.

Ingredients:

1) 2 tablespoons of Hummus (I recommend the brands, Sabra, Hope, or Lantana)

2) Veggies: carrots, cucumber, celery, red pepper

3) Chips: pita chips, late July chips, pretzel chips

Directions:

1) Scoop your favorite hummus in a bowl

2) Serve with your favorite veggies and chips

3) Apple, Peanut-Butter & Granola:

This is a fun twist on your classic peanut-butter and apple. Apples are sweet and taste delicious paired with creamy peanut-butter, and the granola adds a nice little crunch!

Ingredients:

1) 1 Apple

2) 2 tablespoons of peanut-butter

3) 2 tablespoons of granola

Directions:

1) Slice apple

2) Spread on peanut-butter

3) Sprinkle granola on top

4) Popcorn:

Popcorn is crunchy, salty, and better for you than a traditional potato chip. Although it can be boring on its own, so add some spices or throw something else in to give your popcorn a twist!

Ingredients:

1) 3 cups of Popcorn or 1 1/2 tablespoons of kernels

2) Spices: cinnamon, salt, paprika, chili

3) Optional throw in’s: dark chocolate or m&m’s

I recommend choosing between the spices or the thrown in’s.

Directions:

1) Prepare popcorn (may vary depending on what type of popcorn you are using)

2) Add spices or optional throw in’s

3) Enjoy!

5) Yogurt:

Many people think of yogurt as just being a breakfast food, but really it is the perfect snack! It is sweet, creamy, and decadent!

Ingredients:

1) 1 cup of yogurt

2) Fruit: strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, bananas

3) Toppings: granola or any trail mix

4) Additional Toppings: almond butter, cinnamon, honey

Directions:

1) Scoop the yogurt into a bowl

2) Add your favorite kind of fruit

3) Sprinkle on top some granola and trail mix

4) Top off, with cinnamon, honey, or almond butter (or all three)

5) Enjoy!

6) Dried Fruit:

Sometimes fruit can go bad too quickly, so dried fruit is a great alternative. It has a much longer shelf life and is the easiest and quickest snack to munch on throughout your day!

Ingredients:

1) Dried Fruit: apple chips, banana chips, dried apricots, dried mango, dried figs

Directions:

1) Pick out your favorite dried fruit and mix them all up in bowl!

2) Enjoy!

Well there you have it, 6 easy & delicious snack recipes, that I recommend making whenever hunger strikes. Instead of fighting your snack cravings, embrace them by planning out a few different snacks to have each week.