Whether you’re at home, or out, there is always that ever-present danger facing us between our major meal times – snacking. Our suggestion: If you must snack, then forage like a squirrel and nibble on nuts, dried fruit and seeds. These itsy-bitsy bites can be easily portioned out so you can control the amount, fill you up fast so you eat less, convenient to pop into your mouth, and best of all, are more nutrients-filled than your regular pack of potato chips or choco bar bought off the supermarket shelf. Also, equally tasty or even more so are these 6 flavourful ones featured here from healthy snack specialists, Garden Picks and Renew.
(Note: Since these products are nuts or contain nuts, they are not recommended for those who have a nut allergy. Also, do please eat them in moderation and not in excess, as you ought to with all kinds of foods.)
Thai sweet chilli cashews (from $3.80 and up)
The tree nuts of the tropical cashew tree are a good source of minerals such as copper and magnesium, and are also rich in fibre, heart-healthy fats and plant protein. They are wholesome and tasty enough to eat baked, unsalted or natural (they offer enough bite and substance on their own), but why have them plain, when you can have them with a bit more kick? These fiery ones are best-sellers because they are coated with an SG fave flavor, Thai sweet chilli. Sold in packs of 80 grams at 3 for $10 (there are also 500 gram bulk packs available if you really love lots of hot, hot, heat), these cashews are also good for making sure you get your daily hydration, with accompanying glasses of water to douse a possible tongue on fire.
Peanut Butter & Jelly Mix (from $3.80 and up)
Love a traditional PB&J sandwich but fear the undesirable carbs? Then this is your perfect alternative. This creation named after the well-known sandwich offers a similar taste for the sweet-toothed ones whose one eye is kept firmly on health and the other eye on dietary guilty pleasures. What makes up this “dessert-ish” delight: baked cashews, roasted peanuts, a cranberry and raspberry fusion, and dried blueberries. Sold in a 110-gram pack (3 packs for $10).
Salted caramel peanuts (from $3.80 and up)
Get the best of both worlds in one flavour: salted caramel. And, even luckier, we have it coating one of the most popular and beloved legumes, the humble peanut. Chock-full with protein and unsaturated fats, these peanuts are further elevated with fragrant salted caramel; make sure to keep away the 170-gram packs (3 packs for $10) from the young ones (or your weaker self) because they are oh-so-moreish.
The Thai sweet chilli cashews, Peanut Butter & Jelly Mix and salted caramel peanuts are all available from Garden Picks, https://gardenpicks.com.sg; www.facebook.com/gardenpicks; www.instagram.com/GARDENPICKS
BONUS: SAFRA members get to enjoy 10% off storewide at Garden Picks. Click here for more information.
Lavender Pistachio N.B., 180 grams, $20.90
Since we are on the topic of nutty snacks, let’s expand the scope to include nut butters since they contain nuts, can be had for meal-, tea- or anytime, and are absolutely fabulously delish. Since nut butters are essentially spreadable foodstuff made through roasting, blanching and grinding nuts into paste, they are great additions to your snack pantry, to put onto your breads, toasts or biscuits especially for those who find nuts, seeds and dried fruits too crunchy, tough or chewy to munch on. This nut butter’s a store recommendation, one that’s made with sugarless pistachio nut butters, fragrant lavender and Himalayan pink salt.
Earl Grey cashews, 100 grams, $7.90
There are so many flavours in this artisanal mix that it should get those with adventurous palates drooling. Nutty (because, cashews), tea-like (thanks to the matcha Earl Grey), citrusy and floral (again, the matcha Earl Grey tea component), and sweet (due to the low GI gula melaka inside). Not to mention, the tea flavouring is already an intriguing vegetal matcha and aromatic bergamot Earl Grey hybrid in itself.
Chipmonds, 80 grams, $5
This creatively-named snack mix is composed of baked almonds tossed with honey mustard soy chips. High in healthy monounsaturated fats, fibre and protein tree nuts with low in carbs, fat and sugar, yet they make savoury, crisps? We like (for taste) and approve (for health).
The Lavender Pistachio N.B., Earl Grey cashews and Chipmonds are all available at Renew Deli, 1A Tampines Street 92, SAFRA Tampines, #01-17, 528882; https://renew.sg; https://www.facebook.com/renew.sg; www.instagram.com/renew.sg
BONUS: SAFRA members get to enjoy 10% discount at Renew Deli. Click here for more information.
Featured image: Shutterstock
