Sweet-and-Spicy Popcorn

Photo: © Kathleen Finlay

Popcorn with an Amazing, Surprising Topping
Air-popping your corn, and then making a topping from melted coconut oil adds a subtle, wonderfully addictive flavor to a familiar snack that you may not have tried before—and you can use as much, or as little, oil as you wish. Along with sugar, cayenne and sea salt, this is one of the tastiest iterations of popcorn that we've ever tasted.

Get the recipe: Sweet-and-Spicy Popcorn
Almond Butter Fudge

Photo: Lisa F. Young/Thinkstock

Fudge That Only Tastes Indulgent
Whip up a batch of this gooey, chocolaty, almond-butter-spiked confection and you'll always have something for those times when you crave a little something sugary. The pitted Medjool date is the secret ingredient that gives the fudge heft and a sweetness that's not over the top; the other components are just almond butter, coconut oil and raw cacao powder. Cut the fudge into pieces and wrap each in wax paper; they should be fine in an airtight container in your desk drawer (but if your office is warm, the fridge or freezer will keep the fudge from becoming too sticky).

Get the recipe: Almond Butter Fudge
Curry and Lime Cashews

Photo: Luca Trovota/Photolibrary/Getty Images

The Handful of Sweet, Spiced Goodness
We know that nuts are an ideal between-meal food, packed with protein as well as healthy monosaturated fat and fiber, but it's easy to overdo it (a serving size is a modest 1 ounce). If you roast your own, though, you can season to the hilt, so it only takes a small amount to make you feel satisfied. This easy recipe for curry and lime cashews from chef Marco Canora's A Good Food Day takes about five minutes to prepare and bursts with Southeast Asian flavor.

Get the recipe: Curry and Lime Cashews
NOtella Spread

Photo: Sandra Mahut

An Even Better Version of the Addictive Spread
Nut butters are the perfect condiments to keep in a drawer, since they don't have to be refrigerated, you don't need to eat much to fill up and they're just as tasty with apple slices or rice cakes as they are straight-up by the spoonful. Rebecca Leffler, a former French expat and author of the new book Très Green, Très Clean, Très Chic, puts a nutritious, no-sugar-added spin on chocolate-hazelnut spread, mixing hazelnut butter (homemade or store-bought) with cacao powder and vanilla extract.

Get the recipe: NOtella Spread
Honey-Vanilla Granola Clusters

Photo: Alejandro Rivera/E+/Getty Images

A Breakfast Food with a Snacky Twist
It can be tricky (or downright messy) to eat granola without a spoon; all those healthful bits of oats, nuts and seeds tend to fall everywhere. The trick is to make granola clusters, which you can easily pick up and munch on without leaving a pile of crumbs on your keyboard. This customizable recipe explains how; the secret is egg whites, which help bind the ingredients together.

Get the recipe: Honey-Vanilla Granola Clusters
Sweet potato chips

Photo: Seth Bleiler

A Way to Take Your Vegetables To-Go
Homemade veggie chips—whether potato, kale or even Brussels sprouts—have a lot going for them. They tend to be crispier, less fatty and cheaper than the packaged kind. Plus, making them is easy; just be sure to limit the add-ins to dry spices or seeds, since liquids, such as vinegar or citrus juice, will prevent the vegetables from getting crispy. And to keep them crunchy for days, make sure the veg is totally dry before you bake it.

Get the recipes: Sweet-and-Salty Baked Sweet Potato Chips

Kale Chips

Roasted Brussels Sprouts Chips Recipe
Published 07/27/2015