Something that doesn't leaving you feeling guilty about cheating because you didn't want to gnaw on yet another half handful of raw unsalted nuts. I went in search of some recipes that were satisfying yet nutrient dense snacks that keep the energy up, are easy to put together and don't ruin the appetite.

Peanut Butter and Banana Cookies (vegan too!)

Now these are so good I've had to ration the amount of times I make these because they never last long in our house.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Makes approx. 12-18 cookies (depending on size)

1 cup of peanut butter (can be substituted for almond butter, cashew butter or any other type of nut butter)
1 cup of flour (I use organic all purpose flour but you can any flour to make the recipe gluten free)
1/2 cup of organic cane sugar
1/4 of a cup of raw honey
1 ripe banana, mashed
a pinch of baking powder

Start out by preheating the oven at 350 and line a baking tin with parchment paper (I don't feel the need to grease the pan when I make these).

Mash the banana and set aside. In a bowl, beat the nut butter and the sugar. Add the honey and banana then add the flour and baking powder, a little at a time. Mix the ingredients until it becomes a dough like texture and roll into balls.

Place the balls onto the lined baking tray and gently press down with a fork. Make sure to have a little space between the cookies as they spread a little in the oven. Cook for 10-11 minutes, once you smell them it's time to check them. They burn easily. Once cooked remove from the oven and allow to cool. Then consume. If you have any left over, store in an airtight container.

4 Ingredient Granola Bars
(recipe from It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken)

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Makes approx. 12-14 bars

1 cup of medijool dates
1/4 cup of nut butter (take your pick, peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter, tahini if you like! Whatever you fancy and/or have in the cupboard)
1 1/4 cup of rolled oats
1 cup of nuts (any nuts of your choosing)

If you like, add 1/2 a cup of dried fruit, coconut flakes or even chocolate drops and 1/2 a teaspoon of spice like nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice or salt

If you prefer a roasted flavour then roast your oats and nuts at 350 for 10 minutes.
Line a baking tray with parchment paper, leaving excess paper around the edges. Pit the dates (if they're dry then soak them in water for 10 minutes - this works wonders). Put the dates in a food processor and blitz until they form a sticky ball.

In a small pan, heat the nut butter until it becomes a little runny and add all ingredients into a bowl and mix. Put the mix into the parchment lined pans and spread until even then move the trays to the freezer for about 20 minutes.

You're going to need to chop the granola into bars to remove the parchment paper from the pans and chop the bars. Move them to an airtight container and store in the fridge.

Easy peezy! This basic recipe allows for lots of different combinations. It's a great one for kids since the recipe calls for fun and creativity!