By Lisa Esile, MS,
Working from home has is own set of advantages and challenges—but one major bonus is that healthy plant-based snacks aren't limited to what the cafe sells or what you've managed to pack into your lunchbox. Now you can enjoy work-from-home snacks including nice cream, homemade hummus, fries, oatmeal, waffles, baked tortilla chips, and more. Heck, you could even make a chocolate dipping sauce for bananas or other fresh fruit!
Chewy Apple-Raisin Oatmeal Cookies
Every household needs a go-to oatmeal cookie recipe, and this one is worthy of that title. Family-friendly and simple to make, these nourishing cookies will satisfy any daytime munch emergency. Added bonus: They take just 15 minutes to make, so you can throw them in the oven and enjoy the aromas permeating the house while you work.
Cherry Tomato Bruschetta Tartines
For a quick, hearty meal that also has that fresh feeling, blend cannellini beans with fresh basil, scallions, garlic, and lemon juice; then spread the luscious mixture on a slice of whole grain bread and top with cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and beans. Added bonus: It’s ready in just 20 minutes!
Cinnamon Apple Quesadillas
These supremely munchable Cinnamon Apple Quesadillas satisfy any apple pie craving and are much simpler to make. Slather corn tortillas with hummus and top with a spoonful of stewed cinnamon-infused apple. Pop another tortilla on top, then give them a few minutes in the pan to crisp, and they’re ready to go.
Healthy Chocolate Hummus
Revolutionize your hummus repertoire with this 10-minute chocolate hummus dip. Chickpeas provide the usual creamy base, but instead of savory flavorings such as tahini and garlic, cocoa powder, maple syrup, and peanut butter are added to give a sweet chocolate flavor. Notes a reviewer: “I was blown away by how good this is. I like hummus but this takes the cake. I will keep a small jar in the fridge for when I feel like something sweet and nutritious.”
Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges
The trick to making great-tasting sweet potato wedges without oil is to steam them first. Once steamed, sprinkle with a garlic-chili-cumin mix and bake.
Taco-Spiced Tortilla Chips
These seasoned tortilla chips have no artificial ingredients and are oven-baked, not fried. The 15-minutes prep and the hour baking time is a small price to pay for these healthy, seriously addictive tortilla chips.
Spicy French Fries
Plain Baked French Fries are certainly tasty enough, but once in a while it’s nice to spice it up!
Cheesy Vegan Veggie Pizzette
Kid-friendly and simple to make, these tasty vegan pita pizzas will hold those hunger pangs until dinner time.
Spelt Banana Bread with Toasted Walnuts
Taking a break is never as good as taking a break with banana bread! These moist and toothsome mini loaves are naturally sweetened with dates, banana, and applesauce. Added bonus: It only takes 20 minutes to get them in the oven.
Apple Salsa with Cinnamon Tortilla Chips
Savor the earthy notes of fall with this autumnal salsa packed with seasonal fruit such as apples, pear, pomegranate and orange. For dippers, whip up a tray load of lightly sweetened, cinnamon-cayenne scented tortilla chips. Gluten-free and absolutely delicious, this festive snack is also perfect for movie night or when friends visit.
Kale Bruschetta
For a light meal or snack try toasted bread topped with Cannellini Bean Sauce, boiled kale, tomatoes, and balsamic dressing. If you have hummus in the fridge, you can use that instead of making a whole new bean spread.
Sweet Potato Bruschetta with Avocado-Tomato Topping
Feel like a change from the usual avocado on toast? Slice sweet potatoes into long, half-inch-thick slabs, and roast them in the oven to take the place of toasted bread.
Vegan Cheesy Crackers
Keep a supply of these oil-free crackers in the tin for an instant snack to munch on while you work, or over a tea break. With a subtle “cheesy” flavor, they’re like healthy Cheez-It crackers! Enjoy them plain, dipped into hummus, or into another tasty dip, like Chef Darshana’s fabulous Chipotle Black Bean Dip.
Savory Oatmeal
Once you get used to the idea of savory oatmeal, it opens up endless possibilities for a light meal or snack. Adapt this recipe to suit your palate and the ingredients you have on hand.
The Best Oil-Free Hummus
This tasty oil-free hummus gets its flavor from ground cumin and Bragg Liquid Aminos. (Tamari or soy sauce would also work.)
Curried Roasted Carrot Hummus
Spiced, pan-roasted carrots kick up the flavor (and sweetness) of this ultra-creamy carrot spread. Serve it with crudités or as a spread on wraps and sandwiches.
Easy Oat Waffles
Make a big batch of these gluten free waffles for breakfast, then freeze the extras for weekday snacks. Top with nut butter, avocado, or fresh fruit for an easy snack.
Raw Chocolate Caramel Dip
You can whip up this creamy chocolate dip in less than 10 minutes. It’s especially good with apples, strawberries, cantaloupe, pears, and bananas.
2-Ingredient Chocolate Banana Ice Cream
Keep frozen bananas on hand and you can make "nice cream" (plant-based ice-cream made with frozen bananas) any time, almost instantly. In this recipe, cacao powder (or carob) is added for a rich chocolate flavor.
Strawberry-Chocolate Ice Cream
This strawberry-chocolate nice cream is as pretty as it is refreshing and delicious. Frozen blueberries also work if you don't have frozen strawberries.
Baked Apple Chips
These homemade apple chips take a couple of hours to bake, so throw them in the oven and enjoy the apple-cinnamon aroma wafting through the house while you work. Make plenty and store in an airtight container.
Banana Blueberry Bars
This scrumptious oatmeal bar is full of starch to give you lasting energy and unrefined sugars for a healthy sweetness. If you don't have apple juice, use water instead. This wholesome recipe is robust and can handle substitutions.
Sweet Potato Bites
Roll steamed sweet potatoes into balls and coat with ground nuts and cinnamon for a tasty anytime snack.
Raw Choco Bites With Oats and Carrots
These raw choco bites might look and taste decadent, but they’re mainly made of banana, carrot, and oats, and sweetened with energizing figs, dates, and raw cacao. They're ready in 15 minutes.
Fudgy Vegan Brownies
Moist, rich, and seriously fudgy, this no-fuss recipe for vegan brownies is the healthy (and satisfying) answer to any chocolate craving.
This article was originally published on March 18, 2020, and has been updated.
About the Author
About the Author
Lisa Esile, MS
As an author, Do Nothing meditation instructor, and wellness coach, Lisa Esile combines her love for food and nutrition with her mental health background and delights in helping people find a stress-free way to make lasting lifestyle changes. Esile has a master’s degree in human nutrition and is the co-author/illustrator of Whose Mind Is It Anyway? Get Out of Your Head and Into Your Life. Learn more at lisaesile.com.
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