Snacking often gets a bad rap — but not all snacks are created equal. 

Most of us know that eating too many ultra-processed snacks like potato chips and cookies isn’t good for us. But it’s important to note how pervasive ultra-processed foods are in the supermarket. Many packaged foods contain preservatives, additives, and sweeteners that may go unnoticed because they’re not always advertised. Preparing snacks at home, on the other hand, allows us to know exactly what is going into our food, and how much of it.

Tess Bredesen, Thrive’s Cognitive Nutrition Director, has crafted four delicious recipes to keep you energized — without the hard-to-pronounce ingredients that can contribute to inflammation and other health issues. Try them for a nourishing boost when your energy dips, or set aside time on a Sunday evening to prep some for your busy week ahead. And for more healthy recipes, check out the Thrive Global Cookbook, available to download for free. Happy snacking!

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Crispy Seed Crackers

What you’ll need:

• 1 cup of sesame seeds
• 1 tsp sea salt, plus extra for topping 
• ½ cup filtered water
• 1 ½ cups of ground flax seeds, plus ¼ cup for rolling out the dough 

Directions: 

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Place the sesame seeds, salt and water into a blender or food processor and process until a dough begins to form. 
3. Add the ground flax seeds to the processor and mix until you reach a uniform consistency. 
4. Place two sheets of parchment paper (the size of a sheet pan) on the counter where you will roll out your dough.
5. Sprinkle one sheet of parchment paper with ground flax (about 2 tbsp.)
6. Remove about one half of the dough and lightly sprinkle with ground flax for easier handling (approximately 2 tbsp.)
7. Work the dough into a rectangular shape, gently pressing the edges to help the dough stick together.
8. Place the dough onto the flax sprinkled parchment paper. Place a second sheet of parchment paper on the dough. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to approximately 1/8” thickness. 
9. Remove the top sheet of parchment paper. 
10. Sprinkle sea salt on the top of the dough and gently roll it in. 
11. Cut the dough into 2-inch squares with a knife or pizza cutter. You may have some odd shaped crackers around the edges, but they taste just as good!
12. Place the parchment paper onto the sheet pan and bake for 20 minutes. 
13. Turn the crackers over and bake for another 8-10 minutes. Watch closely as the crackers on the outside perimeter will cook faster as they tend to be thinner. 
14. Repeat the process with the remaining dough. 
15. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

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4-Ingredient Muffins

Servings: 24 mini muffins 

What you’ll need:

• ½ cup cashew butter or peanut butter 
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• Optional: blueberries, coconut flakes, chopped walnuts, or chocolate chips 

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Combine the nut butter, eggs, honey, and baking powder in a large bowl and whisk until smooth.
3. Add in any optional toppings like blueberries, coconut flakes, chopped walnuts, or chocolate chips.
4. Divide batter evenly in a greased mini muffin tin. Optionally, sprinkle any of your add-ins on top.
5. Bake for 14-16 minutes, until they begin to turn golden. 

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Roasted Chickpeas

Servings: 2

What you’ll need:

• 2 (30-ounce) cans chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans,) rinsed and drained
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425ºF.
2. Spread the rinsed garbanzo beans on a clean kitchen towel or a layer of paper towels and pat them dry as much as possible. 
3. Add all ingredients to a large bowl and toss well.
4. Spread out in a single layer on a baking sheet.
5. Bake for 20 minutes, taking out a few times to stir, until crisp.
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Chocolate Coconut Bars

What you’ll need:

Cookie:

• 1/3 cup coconut oil
• 2 ½  tbsp honey 
• 1 cup almond flour
• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
   

Coconut Layer:

• 2 cups shredded coconut 
• 1/2 cup nut butter of choice
• 1 cup dates (pits removed)
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper. 
3. Mix together all ingredients for the cookie.
4. Press the dough into the bottom of the loaf pan, spreading evenly.
5. Bake for 13-15 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool.
6. Combine the pitted dates, almond butter, vanilla, and salt in a food processor. Process slowly, adding water bit by bit until it’s reached a smooth but thick consistency.
7. Add the coconut and pulse a few more times.
8. Spread mixture on top of the cookie base in the loaf pan. 
9. Refrigerate or freeze until it’s firm and cool.
10. Slice the bars into 8-12 squares (more or less depending on how big or small you want your cookies to be.)
11. Melt the chocolate chips in a bowl.
12. Line a plate, tray, or cookie sheet with parchment paper.
13. Dip the bottom of one of the cookies into the bowl of melted chocolate, then set aside onto the parchment paper covered surface.
14. Allow chocolate to solidify either in a cool room or in the fridge.
15. Enjoy! Keep any leftovers in the fridge.

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