Healthy Recipes Nutrient-Focused Diets High-Fiber Recipes High-Fiber Snack Recipes 20 Brain-Healthy Snacks To Help Keep You Focused & Satisfied Until Lunch By Dillon Evans Dillon Evans Dillon Evans fell in love with cooking at a very young age. He remembers the novel experiences of microwaving a bowl of oatmeal without his parents' permission and asking to make his mother's morning pot of coffee. These moments became catalysts for his interest in cooking and baking. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Published on April 25, 2024 Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Jessica Ball, M.S., RD, is nutrition editor for EatingWell. She is a registered dietitian with a master's in food, nutrition and sustainability. In addition to EatingWell, her work has appeared in Food & Wine, Real Simple, Parents, Better Homes and Gardens and MyRecipes. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Jamie Vespa When it comes to making brain-healthy food choices, maintaining a balanced eating pattern is one of the most important things you can do. And fitting in some nutrient-dense foods like berries, nuts, seeds and whole grains can give your noggin a little extra support. From muffins to granola bars and energy balls, these snacks are packed with ingredients like blueberries, pumpkin seeds, oats and walnuts to help support brain health. Plus, these delicious bites offer at least 3 grams of fiber per serving to help you stay satisfied until your next meal. Eating enough fiber also can be a great way to help you support healthy gut bacteria, lower the risk of chronic disease and live a longer life. Prep a batch of recipes like our Baked Blueberry & Banana-Nut Oatmeal Cups and Almond-Honey Power Bar for a week’s worth of grab-and-go snacks you can keep on hand. 01 of 20 Low-Carb Blueberry Muffins Just because you're watching carbs doesn't mean you can't have the classic breakfast pastry. In place of all-purpose flour, nutty almond and coconut flours make these muffins fluffy while slashing carbs. A bit of brown sugar blunts the tartness of fresh blueberries. Make these ahead for a grab-and-go breakfast for the week. View Recipe 02 of 20 Pumpkin Seeds with Everything Bagel Seasoning Everything bagel spices give these roasted pumpkin seeds an extra hit of flavor that's delicious any time of day. View Recipe 03 of 20 Baked Blueberry & Banana-Nut Oatmeal Cups Muffins meet oatmeal in these moist and tasty grab-and-go oatmeal cups. The nutty flavor of the pecans and the sweetness from fresh blueberries and banana make for an extra-tasty snack or breakfast. Make a batch on the weekend and keep them in your fridge or freezer for quick and easy breakfasts all week. Reheat in the microwave for about 40 seconds. This healthy muffin recipe is a variation on our popular Baked Banana-Nut Oatmeal Cups by Carolyn Casner. View Recipe 04 of 20 Almond-Honey Power Bar Great for breakfast on the go! Golden roasted nuts, seeds and oats are enveloped by flavorful almond butter in these delectably chewy, no-fuss energy bars. Unrefined turbinado sugar adds a deep caramelly undertone. Feel free to use light brown sugar instead. Bars stored at room temperature will be softer than those that are refrigerated. View Recipe 05 of 20 Pumpkin-Oatmeal Muffins These healthy pumpkin-oatmeal muffins will get you in the mood for fall. Sprinkling the muffins with pecans adds a nutty crunch to every bite. Serve them for breakfast or as a grab-and-go snack. View Recipe 06 of 20 Apple & Peanut Butter Energy Balls These energy balls marry two of fall’s best flavors: apples and pumpkin pie spice. You can substitute the applesauce with apple butter for a stronger apple flavor. Don’t confuse dried apples with apple chips! Apple chips have a crisp texture that will make the energy balls too crunchy. If your apple mixture is too sticky and hard to roll, lightly grease your hands with cooking spray or simply refrigerate the mixture for 15 minutes before rolling. View Recipe 07 of 20 Banana-Blueberry Muffins The slight acidity of buttermilk tenderizes and moistens baked goods while allowing you to cut way back on butter or oils. Here, it also lends a slight tanginess to the winning combination of bananas and blueberries. View Recipe 08 of 20 Blueberry-Lemon Energy Balls If you're looking for a midday pick-me-up, these irresistible blueberry-lemon balls come together in minutes and make a perfect on-the-go snack. Walnuts add a boost of plant-based protein and help keep you energized, while a bit of maple syrup adds sweetness. View Recipe 09 of 20 Chocolate-Pistachio Kiwi Drizzle melted dark chocolate onto sliced kiwis and sprinkle with pistachio nuts for a fast healthy dessert or snack that satisfies your sweet, salty cravings. View Recipe 10 of 20 Cranberry-Almond Granola Bars There are plenty of granola bar options at the grocery store, but they're also easy (and often healthier) to make at home. Feel free to vary the add-ins to your taste, swapping 2 cups of any combination of small (or chopped) dried fruit, nuts, seeds and/or chocolate chips for the dried cranberries and nuts in this version. We tested several sticky sweeteners, including maple syrup and honey, but found brown rice syrup held the bars together the best. View Recipe 11 of 20 Banana & Walnuts A handful of walnuts and a potassium-rich banana go a long way as a snack. It's the perfect mix of carbohydrates and heart-healthy fats to keep you energized. View Recipe 12 of 20 Blueberry-Pecan Energy Balls Dried blueberries and pecans team up with cacao nibs for a chocolaty treat any time of day. The cacao is a bit more bitter than chocolate, but the maple syrup helps tame it. Almond butter and chia seeds provide protein to make these bites substantial snacks to fuel your body. View Recipe 13 of 20 Blueberry-Cashew Granola Bars Coconut extract gives these homemade granola bars tropical-inspired flavor. Feel free to swap the blueberries, cashews and flaxseeds for any combination of your favorite dried fruit, nuts or seeds. We tested several sticky sweeteners, including maple syrup and honey, but found brown rice syrup held the bars together the best. View Recipe 14 of 20 Almond-Stuffed Dates Medjool dates are softer than their semi-dry Deglet Noor cousins and therefore, much easier to stuff with almonds. This healthy snack recipe can also be turned into an addictive appetizer by adding a little blue cheese to the stuffing. View Recipe 15 of 20 Date-Nut Bread Dates are naturally sweet so no extra sugar is needed in this quick-bread recipe. Toasted almonds add a nice crunch and the optional coarse sugar topping—while it isn't needed for sweetness—certainly adds to the presentation. View Recipe 16 of 20 High-Protein Lemon-Blueberry Muffins These lemon-blueberry muffins are so good, you'll think they came straight from a bakery. A sprinkle of sugar creates a nice crunch on the outside, while strained yogurt ensures the muffins stay moist on the inside. The yogurt also provides a boost of satisfying protein, making these muffins perfect for breakfast or snack time. If using frozen blueberries, there's no need to thaw them beforehand. They will add a purple hue to the batter, but it won't affect the delicious end result. View Recipe 17 of 20 3-Ingredient Kalamata-Olive Hummus Who doesn't like hummus? It's an easy snack or appetizer as is, but jazzing it up with simple toppings can make it feel like a special starter. Here we top store-bought hummus with Kalamata olives and olive oil (a staple ingredient that doesn't count toward our three!) and serve it with crunchy pita chips. View Recipe 18 of 20 Everything-Bagel Crispy Chickpeas Crispy, salty and packed with everything-bagel goodness, these crispy chickpeas are a delicious, healthy snack that can be enjoyed on their own or tossed into a salad for added crunch. Removing the skins from the chickpeas helps achieve a better crisp. Look for "everything bagel seasoning" in the spice aisle; it's now available in most supermarkets. View Recipe 19 of 20 High-Protein Lemon-Blueberry Energy Balls These sweet and refreshing energy balls pack in the protein from almonds, almond butter and hemp seeds. Enjoy this easy snack before or after a workout or as a nice midday pick-me-up at work. The finishing glaze adds a tangy sweetness, but you can leave it off if you prefer a little less sugar. View Recipe 20 of 20 Honey-Peanut Popcorn This healthy snack recipe tosses together crunchy popcorn, salty peanuts and a touch of honey for the perfect sweet-salty snack to satisfy that afternoon, or evening, craving. View Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit