Tummy rumbling? Reach for one of Bill Granger’s healthy snacks

We all get peckish between meals, but healthy snacks have become outrageously expensive – unless you make your own, of course. Bill Granger shows how...

It doesn't seem all that long ago that, if we got the munchies, we were quite happy with a bag of crisps or a bar of chocolate. But these days, just as we are becoming a more health-conscious lot, snacks are getting increasingly gourmet, with prices to match. Those little things in life that fill the gap between meals, made with sun-dried this and organic that, all take their toll on our wallets.

Get smart and make your own, I say: they will be far tastier and you know what's really gone into them. How much effort does it take to season and bake a few seeds or chickpeas? Not much. And how much more satisfying and wholesome are home-made muffins and muesli bars? A lot.

Make big batches and you'll have a week's worth of "free" treats to stuff into pockets and lunchboxes as you race out the door in the morning.

Bill's restaurant, Granger & Co, is at 175 Westbourne Grove, London W11, tel: 020 7229 9111, grangerandco.com

Seeded apricot and cranberry muesli bars

An early-start saviour that will keep you going until lunch, and you can add whatever – nuts, seeds, dried fruit or those obscure berries you've read about that week – at your whim.

Makes 16 bars

50g/2oz butter
200ml/7fl oz honey
1 tsp vanilla
50g/2oz dessicated coconut
70g/3oz pecans, chopped
60g/2 oz flaked almonds
250g/8oz rolled oats
130g/4oz mixed seeds (such as sesame, flaxseed, sunflower and pumpkin)
100g/3 oz dried apricots, chopped
75g/3oz dried cranberries

Preheat the oven to 130C/265F/Gas1. Lightly oil and line the base of a 20cm x 25cm baking tray then place the butter, honey and vanilla into a small k saucepan over a low heat, stirring until the honey is dissolved and the ingredients are combined.

Place all the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl, add the honey mixture and stir until well combined. Using slightly wet hands, press the mixture firmly into the prepared tin and bake for 40 minutes or until golden-brown. Set aside to cool before cutting into bars.

Five-spice pumpkin seeds

High in omega oils and addictively delicious, these Asian-inspired seeds are just as good with drinks as they are when you get that mid-afternoon savoury craving.

Makes 2 servings

1 egg white
2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
tsp sea salt
150g/5oz pumpkin seeds

Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas5. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg white, five-spice and salt. Add the seeds and toss to combine, then transfer to a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 12 minutes or until the seeds are crunchy and the five-spice golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a baking tray. Season with more salt to taste.

Chilli-roasted chickpeas

Dust off those tins of chickpeas in the back of your kitchen cupboard. These are high in protein and fibre – and they're fat-free.

Makes 4 servings

2 400g/13oz tin chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp sea salt
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp chilli flakes

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas6. Dry any excess moisture from the chickpeas with a clean towel, then place in a large bowl with the oil, salt, cumin and chilli flakes. Toss to coat in the spices, then transfer the chickpeas to a large baking tray and place in a single layer.

Put in the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until golden, tossing the chickpeas occasionallyto stop them from burning.

Remove from the oven and set aside to cool; once cool, the chickpeas can be stored in an airtight container.

Blueberry-and-banana bran muffins

So much more virtuous than the coffee-shop variety of muffin, these are less cakey and a lot more nutritious. The perfect snack to go with a cup of coffee.

Makes 12

80ml/3fl oz milk
95g/3 oz soft brown sugar
125ml/4fl oz light-flavoured oil, such as sunflower
125g/4oz yoghurt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
150g/5oz unprocessed bran
120g/4oz plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
4 small ripe bananas, mashed
150g/5oz punnet blueberries

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas4 and line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases.

Place the milk, sugar, oil, yoghurt, eggs, bran, flour, baking powder and cinnamon in a bowl and mix well. Add the bananas and mix to combine. Add blueberries and stir through lightly.

Spoon into the muffin cases and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean when poked into the middle. Cool on a wire rack.