Five Cinema Style Healthy Snacks For Movie Nights
Friday night at the Movies… with loads of tasty munchies!
What could be more fun than a relaxed afternoon or evening out with friends while you sit back and be entertained.
Or maybe you prefer to shut the curtains, put on your onesie, and invite your besties over for a laughter filled evening reminiscent of your early teens.
The movie-snack combo
Neither are the same without some tasty goodies in bowls to share. Bowls, tubs and platters work well because you can graze on them and pass them around, fueling (in more ways than one) the bonding experience.
Except that I’ve yet to see a cinema snack that isn’t a combination of refined and processed carbohydrate, sugar, and cheap unhealthy fats.
So whilst every once in a while these treats won’t do much harm, what if we could make our own, equally fun and tasty shareable treats that were much better for our health?
Here are 5 homemade cinema style snacks to try yourself (dodgy rom-com optional)
Many of the ingredients can be found on buywholefoodsonline here, use code POLLY-IMZB to get 5% off all orders!
1. Roasted Rosemary & Cayenne Nuts
These make a good savoury snack and alternative to salty crisps. You can skip the cayenne if you’re not a fan of spicy food.
Ingredients
– 550g assorted raw nuts
– 1 tsp. brown sugar
– 2 tbsp. chopped rosemary (dried will do)
– 1 tsp. fine salt
– 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
– 1 tbsp. olive oil
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180°c.
2. Place all the nuts on a baking tray lined with baking paper, and roast for about 10 minutes or until the nuts begin to turn golden.
3. In the meantime place the chopped rosemary, sugar, salt and cayenne into a large bowl.
4. Mix the toasted nuts with the herbs, then pour over the olive oil.
5. Give the mix a really good stir so that the nuts are evenly coated in the oil, then allow to cool to room temperature before serving.
Makes 15 servings.
2. Peanut Butter Popcorn
Sugary popcorn is pure quick digesting carbohydrate – great if you’re running a marathon, not so hot if you’re sitting down watching a movie! Add some peanut butter for healthy fats and protein to make a more balanced version of this favourite movie snack.
Ingredients
– 75g unpopped popcorn kernels
– 1 tbsp. coconut oil
– 200g peanut butter
– 75g maple syrup or honey
– 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
Method
1. Melt the coconut oil in a saucepan, then add the popcorn kernels and put the lid on.
2. When all the popcorn has popped (the popping noise should have died down) pour the popped corn into a large bowl and set aside.
3. Using the same saucepan melt the peanut butter with the maple and vanilla.
4. Pour the warm mix over the popcorn and toss until it is evenly distributed.
5. Eat straight away warm, or it will keep fresh for a good two weeks in an airtight container.
Makes 8 servings.
3. Creamy Raspberry Protein Sweeties
Sweets may be tasty for some, but pure sugar plays havoc with your blood sugar levels and rots your teeth. Gelatine is a great protein source already but if you want to up it even more include the protein powder.
(Tip: if you use extra liquid this can be turned into a jelly-pudding too, and goes brilliantly topped with berries and yoghurt)
Ingredients
– 600g raspberries
– 60ml of lemon juice
– 8 tbsp. unsweetened gelatine (1 tbsp =4 sheets leaf dr oetker)
– 4 scoops (100g) protein powder, ideally berry or vanilla flavour
Method
1. Puree the raspberries in a blender or food processor then put through a sieve to remove any pips.
2. Put half the puree in a saucepan and warm it (don’t boil it)
3. Put the remaining puree in a bowl with the gelatine and stir until it dissolves, then pour the warm mix into the cool mix and add the lemon juice, whisk well.
4. Finally mix in the protein powder.
5. Pour the mix into a dish or silicone moulds and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes until firm, before removing from the moulds or cutting into pieces.
6. Store in the fridge until needed.
Makes 8 servings.
I have a free healthy baking cheat sheet that helps you recreate your own favourite baked treats using nutritious ingredients, you can grab it here!
4. Chocolate Fudge
Not particularly low calorie but definitely more nutritious and satisfying and equally, if not more, tasty than the sugar filled traditional type. Let a piece melt on your tongue and savour every second!
Ingredients
– 250g coconut butter
– 60g coconut oil
– 80g maple syrup
– 60g tbsp. tahini
– 25g cocoa powder
Method
1. Cream all the ingredients together, in a food processor is easiest if you have one.
2. Pour the mix into a dish and place in the freezer for 30 minutes before turning out and slicing.
3. Store in the fridge.
Makes 25 pieces.
5. Homemade Lemonade
Make a batch of this then fill up your sports bottle to take with you, or serve from a pitcher with ice and garnished with lemon slices.
Ingredients
– 500ml fresh squeezed lemon juice
– 2 litres sparkling water
– 2 teaspoons liquid stevia (or to taste)
– Ice cubes and lemon slices to serve at home
Method
1. Combine all of the ingredients in a large jug and stir until well combined, add more stevia to taste if needed and chill until needed.
2. Pour into ice-filled glasses, garnish with lemon slices, and serve.
Makes 8 servings.
So there you have it, 5 tasty sweet and savoury options perfectly shareable and perfectly healthy. Why not share the work and ask each friend to make one recipe to bring with them?
Let me know what you think about this healthy snacks in the comments below. Enjoy!