Healthy and Easy to Make Brunch Snacks

Vegetarian

Cut cubes of watermelon and scoop out a bit from the top. Put some feta cheese topped with a mint leaf and voila! A delicious and healthy brunch snack. Make it extra fancy and drizzle some balsamic over top.

Dip is one of the easiest things to make and to eat, so it is always a hit at a brunch. Make your own delicious Greek-inspired yogurt dip to really impress everyone and throw a twist on an old favorite. Mix together some Greek yogurt, minced garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper, finely chopped cucumber, and extra virgin olive oil. Make homemade pita chips by cutting pita bread into wedges, sprinkling with olive oil and salt, and baking at 350 degrees for about 8 minutes.

Eggs

Save yourself from standing over the stove constantly monitoring fried eggs. Instead, bake them. Whisk eggs with skim milk and salt and pepper. Throw some chopped veggies (red peppers are my favorite) into a baking dish and pour the eggs over top. Sprinkle with a small amount of shredded cheese and bake for about 20-30 minutes at 350 degrees. Serve in slices for an easy finger food.

Eggs don’t always have to be served warm! Combining two brunch favorites, eggs and sandwiches, into one dish will always be a hit. Keep it healthy by serving homemade egg salad on unbuttered slices of wheat bread. Garnish with fresh chives.

Chicken

Everyone loves chicken fingers, but no one I know loves the calories and fat that go along with it. Make a healthier version by coating in a mixture of crushed whole grain cereal. Forgo the frying pan and bake the strips in the oven for about 15 minutes at 375 degrees.

Grilled chicken wraps scream healthy, but there are often hundreds of hidden calories. A super low-fat alternative is to create grilled chicken lettuce wraps. Make a sauce with peanut butter, soy sauce, fish sauce and minced garlic. Place small strips of grilled chicken on a large lettuce leaf (iceberg is a great one to use) along with some shredded carrots, and then drizzle on some sauce. Wrap up and seal with a toothpick for a nutritional Asian-inspired chicken wrap.

Beef

Mini meatballs on toothpicks are the cutest way to eat this well-liked dish. Season ground beef with garlic and fresh herbs and parmesan cheese, throw in a few eggs for moisture, and roll tablespoon-sized scoops into balls. Frying in oil packs on unwanted calories, so stick them in the oven for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Allow guests to dip in a ramekin of pasta sauce.

The best thing about making chili is that the ingredients themselves do all the work. For a no-fuss and no-mess chili, brown some ground beef and onions, and then throw in canned beans, tomato paste, tomato sauce, chicken broth, paprika, cayenne pepper, cumin, salt and pepper. Then, you’re done! Let it simmer on the stove top all morning or overnight until your guests arrive. It’s a never fail heart healthy comfort food.

Pork

I can’t think of any successful brunch that doesn’t have bacon. That should be a crime! For a healthy and impressive snack, line muffin tins with the healthier alternative of turkey bacon. Crack an egg in the middle and bake at 350 degrees until cooked.

Give ham and cheese sandwiches a healthy twist! Use whole wheat wraps, substitute cheese for a thin layer of low-fat cream cheese, and add cucumbers and tomato. Grill on a panini press, or stick to the skillet if you haven’t gotten that appliance in your kitchen arsenal!

Seafood

You can’t go wrong when it comes to serving shrimp cocktail. This brunch snack is pretty much as easy to make as it comes. Go the extra mile when it comes to presentation. Serving the shrimp on the rim of an oversized martini glass filled with cocktail sauce is a unique and beautiful way for guests to chow down on this all-time favorite.

Mouths water at the sound of crab cake. Everyone has their own secret recipe, and it is easy to put in large amounts of unhealthy ingredients like mayonnaise. Create your own healthy version by mixing together the crab meat with just a smidge of Greek yogurt, an egg or two, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper and some whole wheat bread crumbs. Bake at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes.

Drinks

All this delicious food and nothing to wash it down!? I don’t think so. Here are a few, low-cal beverages to wow your brunch guests.

For something hot, make fresh ginger tea. It’s simple to do and the health benefits are practically infinite. Simply boil water, throw in a few ginger root slices and add lemon juice and honey to taste.

A great mimosa is always one of the first things I look for at a brunch. To take it up a notch, add some grapefruit juice to your alcoholic brunch favorite and garnish with a bit of lime juice and wedge.

Sweets

The best part of any meal is when it comes time to satisfy your sweet tooth. Instead of chocolate covered pretzels, make something just as sweet but better for you. Melt some chocolate and dip in fresh fruit. To make them look extra special, dust with sprinkles before the chocolate hardens.

Make bite-sized cottage cheese truffles. Mix together cottage cheese with a tablespoon or two of Greek yogurt and honey. Roll into balls and stick in the fridge. When chilled enough to maintain their shape, roll the balls in coconut, chopped nuts, chopped dried fruit, or any other sort of garnish you could think of. No sugar and no unhealthy fats!

Hopefully these ideas have inspired you to create your own versions of healthy and easy brunch snacks. What are some of your favorites?