12 Superfood Paleo Snacks
If you’ve recently transitioned to a Paleo diet, you may feel that finding suitable snack foods is one of the biggest challenges about this way of eating.
And while conventional snack like chips, crackers and trail mix are certainly “off the menu,” it would seem that many widely-available foods (like nut mixes or dried fruit) would fit the Paleo template. Unfortunately, many of these contain unwanted ingredients like added sugars, vegetable oil and soy.
But today I’m going to share with you a dozen healthy Paleo snacks that you can make ahead and take along. Not only will these great snacks satisfy cravings between meals – they’ll also provide your body with a powerful source of age-defying, muscle-building nutrients, and are kid-friendly to boot.
Power Up Your Nutrition with Superfood Paleo Snacks
Meatballs & Sliders:
Packed with protein and freezer-friendly, meatballs and sliders made with ground grass-fed beef, bison or turkey are a great way to satisfy a craving fast and keep you full until meal time. You can make them plain, add your toppings of choice later, or even include some ethnic seasonings for more interest. For Thai-style, add coconut aminos, lemongrass and ginger. For Mediterranean, try thyme, oregano and basil.
Paleo Muffins:
Great for breakfast, after a workout or as an afternoon snack with a smear of Kerrygold butter, paleo muffins made with coconut flour and almond flour are a great way to scratch the itch for bread… without derailing your diet on grains. Add organic pumpkin, chia and blueberries for more nutrients and great flavor (try my favorite Paleo Pumpkin Muffins here).
Rumaki:
Looking for a great way to sneak more superfood liver in your diet? The mock-Polynesian recipe of rumaki – chicken livers and water chestnuts wrapped in bacon is a great way. Opt for coconut aminos in place of the soy sauce.
Boiled or Deviled Eggs:
Keeping your fridge stocked with soft or hard boiled eggs is a great way to have quick nutrient-rich Paleo snacks on hand. For a more culinary-inspired treat, mix the yolks with mashed avocado or Paleo mayo for tasty and satiating Paleo Deviled Eggs.
Wild Shrimp Cocktail:
Three ounces of shrimp provides 18 grams of thermogenic protein plus 48% of the daily value for the antioxidant micronutrient selenium (which many of us are deficient). Dip in homemade cocktail sauce spiked with cayenne or smoked paprika for a light snack that will fill you up.
Baked Egg Cups:
Not just for breakfast, muffin-tin egg cups make a great protein-packed snack any time of day. Simply add 8 organic pastured eggs to a large bowl and whisk in your cooked meat and toppings of choice. Pour the mixture into a well-greased muffin tin (liners may work even better) and bake about 20 minutes at 350 F. Some of my favorite mix-ins include: spicy bison chorizo or pork sausage, salsa, grilled veggies and raw cheddar cheese. Try my fancy Prosciutto Egg Cups here.
Pastured Chicken Drumsticks:
Filling, portable and protein rich, marinate drumsticks in your favorite seasonings and grill or bake for a delicious between-meal snack.
Multi-Mineral Snack Mix:
Make your own shelf-stable Paleo trail mix in batches and keep on hand for quick grab and go snacks. Add selenium-rich Brazil nuts, zinc-rich pumpkin seeds, almonds, walnuts, cashews (all soaked and dehydrated, preferably), and some organic mulberries, goji berries or raisins.
Jerky & Pemmican:
Loved by athletes for a power-packed source of fuel, grass-fed beef and bison jerky and pemmican make great Paleo snacks that are mess-free and easy to take along.
Beef jerky can be a great, healthy snack—just be sure to choose one that’s grass-fed and free of added preservatives or chemicals. I personally love Paleo Valley’s naturally fermented Beef Sticks. They’re not only Paleo and Keto-friendly but also addictively delicious too!
Pork Rinds:
Pastured pork rinds are a great way to get a carb-free crunch fix while providing your body with zero glycemic impact cell-building protein. In fact, a 1-ounce serving of pork rinds contains zero carbohydrates, 17 grams of protein and 9 grams fat. That’s nine times the protein and less fat than you’ll find in a serving of carb-rich potato chips.
Canned Sardines, Mackerel & Salmon:
Power-packed sources of essential omega 3 fats, enjoying a serving of canned wild fish as a snack is a great way to optimize your intake of these vital fats. Enjoy them straight out of the can or mix with Paleo mayo and spread on grain-free crackers for a tasty, healthy treat.
Superfood Smoothies:
Made with organic, non-denatured whey protein, organic berries and greens (try kale, spinach and parsley), a protein-packed smoothie is a great way to get more nutrition into your day and can be especially helpful for picky eaters.
Sticking With It: How Paleo Snacks Keep You on Track
Having plenty of healthy snacks on hand doesn’t just make for more convenience. It can also help you stay on track and avoid temptations that can derail your healthy progress while ensuring that you get the most nutrient bang per bite.
What are some of your favorite Paleo snacks? We want to hear from you!
Great ideas for snacks, Kelly. Here are some we like: (All ingredients should be organic, if possible. BTW, Kelly, please comment on any ingredients in these recipes that you think could be improved, either taste-wise or health-wise. Thanks.)
1. Using your pancake recipes, make small pancakes either savory (with sale and plenty of garlic and herbs) or sweet (cinammon, stevia, different flavors like almond extract, vanilla, Enlgiish Toffee etc. Dehydrate till crisp and eat plain or fill them like an oreo cookie!
FILLING FOR SAVORY CRISPS: 1/2 Coconut oil & 1/2 Butter with dill, or other herbs. 1/2 Creamed Cheese & 1/2 dripped Yogurt with crushed Garlic & touch of Vinegar. Hummus. Soft goat cheese.
FILLING FOR SWEET CRISPS: 1/2 /Coconut oil & 1/2 Butter, Cacoa powder to taste (I go by the color — maybe 2T. cacoa to 1 c. oil/butter mix, 1 T. palm sugar, stevia to taste. Almond butter with stevia & finely shredded steamed beets.
2. Sweet Smoothies made in my VitaMix. Recipe for 2:
Handful of washed and trimmed kale. (I remove the largest part of the thick stem.) 1 orange, peeled (or 1 apple, seeds and all, or frozen fruit – I especially like organic, black frozen cherries from CostCo.). 1/4 – 1/2 c. Coconut Milk, full fat. 2 T. tahini or other nut butter, or 4 brazil Nuts. 2 farm fresh eggs (from our own chickens!(. 2 T. freshly squeezed Lemon or Limes. Stevia to taste. 4-6 icecubes if you want it thick and cold. If we each haven’t had our 2T. coconut oil a day, I’ll melt 4T. (1/4 c.) and dribble it into the VitaMix as it is blending the smoothie.
3. Savory Smoothies in the Vita Mix.
Handful of washed and trimmed Kale or Spinach or Arugula.
1 ripe Avocado. 1/4 c. Yogurt, 1-2 T. Vinegar (I usually use apple cider vinegar), 2 T.Salsa (or Tomatoes plus 1/4 tsp. cayenne or Cholula hot sauce). 1/4 – 1/2 tsp. turmeric.
Hi Janelle,
Wow, can I come to your house for snacks? These ideas all look delicious – and so creative! Thank you for sharing.
Your savory smoothie looks really yummy – almost like a drinkable gazpacho. I am adding that one to my list.
And dehydrating pancakes – who knew? I might try a mini chocolate pancake (crisp) filled with a mixture of pureed organic cherries, coconut cream and coconut butter for a Black Forest Faux-Re-Ohhh 🙂
Great having you here. Please keep the wonderful healthy ideas coming!
Be Well,
Kelley
Return greetings to Ms Kelley, who is not only creative in the kitchen, but also in the wordsmithing department:
Black Forest Faux-Re-Ohhh? That is creative wordsmithing if I ever heard it!
First, my apologies for misspelling your name above. Hopefully, I’ll remember the “e!!”
I LOVE your suggestions to my snacks. I am already eyeing the salsa in my refrig so I can create
a drinkable gazpacho.
I made your silver dollar pancake recipe tonight, adding /4 c. tart cherry concentrate (“Fruit Fast,” no sugar added) and a little extra stevia to the batter. I made two fillings: 1. Cacoa powder + butter & coc. oil, palm sugar & stevia and 2. Almond butter, mostly stgevia for sweetening but I sneaked in 1 T. blueberry fruit spread, and that small amount cost my recipe for filling 10 gm sugar and 40 calories! Oh my! (I used Kroger’s “Just Fruit”)
I have yet to use coconut cream, but it sounds dreamy.
I couldn’t get any recipes off this post. I do love all the recipes and ideas you have shared.
I appreciate your passion for healthy eating and love finding healthy Paleo recipes but would greatly appreciate it if you could at least offer alternatives to coconut oil and coconut flour in some of the recipes. Many of us can’t tolerate coconut!
Thanks!