When thinking about food and meal preparation, most people tend to think about breakfast, lunch and dinner. What almost everyone tends to forget about is the snacking that occurs in between these main meals. Spending some time on a Sunday evening, making these snacks can help to keep you from impulse buying chocolate or crisps from vending machines.

Waking up in the morning, knowing that you’ve got some delicious treats ready for the busy day ahead of you is a great feeling. This will feel even better when you know your snack is full of nutritious goodies to keep you operating at your peak.

The Point Campus team have put together some of our favourite home-made snack ideas, for you to try making yourself:

Chocolate and Nut Squares
(8-10 portions)

Ingredients
150g dark chocolate
100g mixed nuts
Honey/syrup

We are going to begin, with this simple and easy to make recipe for Chocolate and Nut Squares. All you need is dark chocolate, a bag of mixed nuts and some honey or syrup. We recommend using a 70% bar but if this is too bitter for your taste buds, choose something around 40% instead.

• Add the mixed nuts and chocolate to a blender or food processor.
• Blend and pulse until the natural oils from the nuts release (this will help them to bind) which should take around 1 minute.
• Add a tablespoon of honey or enough to ensure the mixture sticks and give it one last blast in the blender.
• Empty the mixture and shape into small squares, before placing them in the fridge.
• Package each square in a small piece of tinfoil/clingfilm for convenience the next time you’re in a hurry.
  
  If you don’t have a blender or food processor, no doubt one of your fellow residents at Point Campus will. Why not invite them over and make a fun activity out of the meal prep?

Granola Bars
(10-12 portions)

200g oats
100g mixed nuts
50g mixed seeds
30g desiccated coconut
50g raisins or dried cranberries
2 tbsp coconut oil
2 tbsp honey

The great thing about homemade Granola Bars is that you can customise them to suit your preference. While the base of any good granola bar is oats, nuts and seeds, you can pretty much add anything else that tickles your taste buds.

• Preheat an oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
• Add all the dry ingredients to a large bowl and mix. (Chop the nuts into smaller pieces beforehand if you’d prefer)
• Melt the coconut oil and honey in a saucepan on a low heat before adding to your mix.
• Use a wooden spoon or clean hands to work the mixture until it’s slightly sticky, then transfer to a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
• Place in the oven for 20-25 mins or until golden brown before removing.
• Allow the granola mix to cool down before cutting into bars.

Banana Bread
(1 medium-sized loaf)

200g oats
200g plain flour
4 ripe bananas
50g chopped walnuts
1tsp baking powder
3 eggs
1 tsp cinnamon (optional)

A slice of banana bread will go down a treat during your coffee breaks at college. This is another easy recipe to follow and measurements won’t be exact (we hear that sigh of relief!).

• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
• Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl making sure the baking powder doesn’t clump.
• Blend or mash the bananas and eggs together in a bowl - you may need to add a drop of water or milk if the consistency is too dry.
• Fold the wet mixture into the dry ingredients until fully combined.
• Pour into a parchment-lined baking tray and bake for 40-50 mins or until golden brown.
• Remove the bread and allow to cool down before cutting.

Bircher Muesli
(4-6 portions)

300g oats
100g mixed nuts (chopped)
50g seeds
1 apple (grated or chopped)
1tsp cinnamon
200ml dairy or non-dairy milk
100g yoghurt
Handful of chopped grapes

Bircher Muesli (or Overnight Oats) is a great snack to have when you are running late in the morning or for when you might need something to keep you going through lectures. If you make a big batch, it will last 2-3 days which is handy! If you are an athlete or like to exercise a lot, it also makes for a hearty pre-workout meal. Simply mix all of the ingredients in your bowl and store in the fridge overnight. Spoon a portion into a lunch box or bowl as needed and enjoy!