Slimming Friendly Summer Snack Ideas
During the summer months, we like to switch up our snack game with recipes that draw on fresh flavours, crunchy veggies and juicy fruits, to create light and refreshing nibbles. Whether you need something to cool you down, perk you up, or tide you over until dinnertime, having a few tasty snacks up your sleeve is key when you’re on a slimming journey.
From picky bits to something more substantial, we’ve got you covered with this list of our favourite slimming-friendly summer snacks!
Fresh and fruity snack ideas
Even if the sun’s not shining, you can rely on a fresh, fruit-based snack. As well as being juicy and refreshing, snacking on fruit is a great way to curb any sugar cravings. If you struggle to sneak in your 5-a-day during busy weeks, nibbling on an apple or banana in-between meals can make all the difference.
We love to get creative with our fruity ingredients, turning them into delicious, homemade snacks that we can turn to every time we feel tempted to crack open the biscuits. These Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries are always right at the top of our list of snack recommendations. They’re beautifully simple, quick to make and you can have lots of fun playing around with flavours.
Try using different kinds of biscuits to make the crumbly topping – it’ll change the cheesecake-y flavour so that you never get bored! Just remember to adjust the calories (if you’re counting).
Picture this; the sunshine has (finally) made an appearance and you’re feeling just a bit peckish in the middle of the afternoon. Now imagine how excited you’d be to have one of these Pimms Lolly Ice tucked away in the freezer!
Packed with fruit, and just the right amount of minty freshness, they’re a boozy little treat that feels so much more decadent than they really are. At 43 calories each, these lollies are guaranteed to keep your taste buds happy until it’s time to start making dinner.
While we’re on the theme of snacks with a boozy twist, we can’t forget to mention these Strawberry Mojito Jellies. You could serve them as a pudding, but we think jelly makes a great snack too! Whether you enjoy it out in the garden or as a snack later in the evening, the mint, lime and rum flavours are sure to give you a boost.
This recipe works just as well when you leave the rum out, so you can easily make a non-alcoholic version. Grab a spoon and dig into that wobbly, strawberry-infused yumminess!
Vegetable snack ideas
The thought of snacking on vegetables might not sound all that appealing, but just wait until you see how easy it is to give your veggies a snack-time makeover. Bringing you closer to your 5-a-day, these versatile nibbles can be enjoyed on their own as a healthy snack or served as a side dish for your main meal.
If you’re a savoury snacker, it can be tough to resist reaching for a grab bag of crisps when you start getting peckish. What about grabbing a slice of pizza instead? We don’t mean the doughy kind that’s full of calories; we’re talking about our Squash Pizza Slices.
Perfect for summer snacking, we’ve taken triangles of butternut squash and loaded them up with all our favourite pizza toppings. They get baked in the oven until the cheese melts and turns golden brown – these are so satisfying!
If it’s savoury, cheesy flavours that you’re craving, look no further than these Air Fryer Green Beans. They’ll give you just as much crunch as a bag of crisps, for a fraction of the calories.
Coated with salty Parmesan cheese, these taste like such a treat. We’ll take any opportunity to make a batch – we serve them on the side of our Sunday roast, use them instead of chips or fries, and sometimes we just make a bowlful to snack on in front of the TV. You need to try them!
As vegetable snacks go, they don’t come much more flavourful than our Mexican Corn on the Cob recipe. With layer upon layer of flavour, this one will keep your taste buds guessing – it’s sweet, salty and citrusy, with just a hint of spice too.
This is exactly the kind of snack you want on a sunny summer day. Quick to rustle up, you can take it out into the garden and chomp your way through it while you plan what to make for dinner later in the day.
Sharing snack ideas
Any kind of finger food makes for an ideal snack, especially if you plan on sharing it with friends and family. If you’re planning a barbecue later in the day, you might fancy popping out a few picky bits to snack on, just to tide you over until the main event.
This zingy Pineapple Salsa is always a crowd-pleaser. It’s like summer in a bowl, combining juicy fresh pineapple with chillies, peppers, cucumber, radishes and spring onions.
The end result is a fiery fiesta of flavour in the form of a fruity salsa that you can scoop onto tortilla chips. It’s best to make this recipe a little in advance and leave it to chill in the fridge so that all those lovely flavours can have time to mingle together.
Everyone loves a dip, and this vibrant green Spinach and Pesto Dip was made for summer snacking. Whether you go for veggie sticks, pitta bread or tortilla chips, the herby, tangy flavour is so moreish!
If that’s not enough to tempt you, this homemade dip will save you so many calories compared to the ones you can pick up at the supermarket. It only takes a handful of ingredients to bring it together, and it’s ready to eat in just 5 minutes.
Nachos are always a good idea, and we’re obsessed with the punchy, zesty flavour of our Honey and Lime Pork Nachos. When it comes to sharing snacks, it doesn’t get better than this.
The crunchy tortilla chips are topped with our seasoned pork mixture, sprinkled with cheese and baked until it’s all melted and delicious. Serve with a dollop of the creamy garlic yoghurt and enjoy!
Filling snack ideas
We all have those times when we’re especially hungry in-between meals. If you need to curb the hunger with a snack that’ll fill you up without spoiling dinner, you’ll want a hearty dish that strikes the perfect balance.
Although you can serve these Cheesy Avocado Salsa Wedges as a side dish for a Mexican-inspired fakeaway night, we love rustling them up to snack on too. A side dish-sized portion comes in at 361 calories, but you could serve a smaller portion if you only need a little bite to eat.
The crispy potatoes are cooked with plenty of fiery spices and topped with melted cheese and fresh avocado salsa to tame down the chilli heat. The end result is an irresistible, flavour-packed snack that’s delicious all summer long.
Somewhere between a snack and a light lunch, this French Bread Pizza is beautifully simple and so quick to make. It’s 289 calories of easy, cheesy goodness, and it’ll satisfy your pizza cravings, while keeping you full until later in the day.
We love to get creative with this recipe! You can keep it classic with the cheese and tomato Margherita flavour or add any other tasty toppings that take your fancy. Ham and pineapple anyone?
These Tomato and Basil Tarts are little bites of pastry heaven! While you could serve a couple with some salad or chips for lunch, we love snacking on one or two of them when we get peckish.
The delicate filo pastry gives them such a moreish crunch, and you’re going to love the light, creamy filling. For just 53 calories per tart, these are super slimming friendly! They’re best eaten within 4 hours of them coming out of the oven, while that pastry is still lovely and crispy.
Tell us your go-to summer snack ideas!
What do you turn to when you need something to nibble on? Share your recipes over in our Facebook group – it’s the place to be for a friendly chat, recipe ideas and slimming motivation.
Plus, don’t forget you can always scroll through the Pinch of Nom Gallery if you’re looking for ideas of what to make next! You’ll find loads of amazing photos shared by our lovely community, so you can see what everyone else has been making lately!