HONG KONG — If you are working from home due to the coronavirus pandemic, have you noticed you are snacking more often than you would if you were working in the office? With easy and frequent access to the pantry and fridge, your clothes may feel a lot more snug before the lockdown is over.

The good news is you can keep the weight off by snacking in moderation. In fact, snacking can still be a part of a healthy meal pattern by choosing foods with higher nutritional qualities. Making healthier snacks from scratch with wholesome ingredients, for example, is one option to stay healthier.

Read on to learn how to create healthier snacks of various flavours and textures.

• Sweet snack – frozen Greek yogurt

A slice of cake or brownie, or even a scoop of ice cream will certainly satisfy your sweet tooth, but why not go for something that is healthier and has more protein, such as a home-made frozen Greek yogurt?

All you need is three ingredients: Plain Greek yogurt, pure vanilla extract and a sweetener such as honey.

Greek yogurt is thicker and creamier than the Swiss-style, also commonly known as stirred yogurt. Depending on the manufacturer, Greek yogurt is thickened by extracting the milk whey, adding milk solids and stabilisers or using a higher fat milk or cream.

Generally speaking, all yogurts make an excellent snack for their calcium, B vitamins and protein. However, Greek yogurt has a slight advantage over other yogurt types for its higher protein content, with the amount ranging from 7 grams to 21 grams for every ¾ cup portion.

To create a creamy and fuller texture of frozen yogurt, use full fat Greek yogurt over reduced fat options. If you have a blender, you can also add fresh or frozen fruit, such as mangoes and mixed berries, to create an array of flavours.

• Salty snack – baked kale chips

Getting tired of munching on potato crisps and popcorn, yet craving the crunch? Try making your own vegetable chips, such as baked kale chips, for a healthier twist. Kale is a low-calorie food that contains essential vitamins A, C and K, calcium and dietary fibre.

Simply cut the leaves into bite-size pieces and sprinkle them with oil, lemon juice, grated cheese of your choice and salt and pepper for taste. Place the leaves on the baking sheet and bake it in the oven until they turn brown and crispy. The possibilities for baked vegetable chips are endless.

You can also make baked chips from root vegetables such as carrots, turnips, sweet potatoes and more.

• Gooey snack – granola with nuts, seeds and dried fruit

To fight off your mid-afternoon slump, you may opt for chewy and gooey snacks such as granola bars, but store-bought granola bars are generally a fancier version of a candy bar that is loaded with added sugars.

You can make a spin-off version at home by using whole grains such as rolled oats; silvered nuts such as almonds and walnuts; seeds such as chia seeds and ground flax and dried fruits of your choice.

The combination of starch from whole grains, protein from nuts and seeds, and fibre from all the ingredients promotes satiety, leaving you feeling satisfied without needing to go for seconds.

Do note that for adhering and flavouring purposes, your home-made granola still requires sweeteners such as honey. The advantage here, though, is that you can control the amount of sweetener added.

• Spicy snack – spicy guacamole

Avocado, the main ingredient for guacamole, is an excellent source of vitamin E, heart-healthy fats and fibre. Because of its high fat content, you do not need to eat a whole lot to feel full. Instead of using pre-packaged salsa, you can add diced tomatoes to the guacamole mix for additional nutritional benefits, specifically folate and vitamins A and C. H

ow fiery your guacamole is will be dependent on the amount of jalapeño peppers, ground cumin, ground cayenne pepper and/or chilli powder added. SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST