When hunger pangs hit, it's hard to concentrate on work or school as all your depleting energy is spent towards thinking of food. Lunch has already been eaten and you've been craving either a chocolate bar or a bag of chips, both which offer nothing nutritionally and may leave you hungrier. The following three options will not only tide you over until it's time to leave, but they are loaded with nutritional benefits, all the while keeping your bank account balance afloat. They're small enough to also fit nicely in a Ziploc, making for easy transportation on the way to your destination. The following recipes are variations of their original linked version.

Pumpkin spice roasted chickpeas

Perfect for the warm and cozy fall weather, these crunchy chickpeas are full of pumpkin spice flavour with a hint of sweetness. Also known as garbanzo beans, these legumes are chalk full of protein and fibre to feed your hunger pangs and stabilize your blood sugar levels, all the while giving you that extra dosage of fibre. The maple syrup will satisfy your sweet tooth, preventing you from buying that 2.50 chocolate bar from the vending machines.

Ingredients:

1 can of chickpeas, drained

1.5 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice

2 teaspoons of maple syrup

Makes two servings.

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium sized bowl, mix together chickpeas, spice and maple syrup until mixture is blended throughout.

Place chickpeas on parchment paper lined pan and bake for 60 minutes and rotate the chickpeas every 15 minutes.

Set aside to cool before eating.

Source: mywholefoodlife.com/2015/09/27/pumpkin-spice-roasted-chickpeas/.

Sweet and spicy almond mix

A quick and super easy mix with almonds, dark chocolate and a pinch of cayenne pepper, this trail mix is packed with nutritional benefits that will keep you alert and prepared for whatever else the days brings. According to WHFoods.org, almonds lower your cholesterol, have the ability to reduce the risk of heart disease, while providing your body with healthy fats. Dark chocolate is high in antioxidants and cayenne pepper is known to boost your metabolism, making this trio a powerhouse snack in a Ziploc bag.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup of salted and roasted almonds

2 tablespoons of dark chocolate chips

1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper

Makes one serving.

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients in a Ziploc bag or small bowl and mix until cayenne pepper spreads evenly across almonds and chocolate.

Source: mydarlingvegan.com/2015/02/mexican-hot-chocolate-coated-almonds/.

Baked Carrot Chips

Carrot chips are an excellent substitute for potato chips as they bear many similarities to the salted, crispy snack found in your local vending machine, but at a fraction of the cost and featuring much more health benefi ts than the latter. According to WHFoods.org, a cup of carrots will supply you with more than your daily need of Vitamin A and offer benefits to eye and liver health.

Ingredients:

2 medium sized carrots

1/2 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil

A pinch of salt

Makes two servings

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Slice carrots to 1/8 an inch. Anything too thick will prevent the carrots from achieving a crunchy texture. Coat the carrots in olive oil until evenly spread and place them in a single layer on a pan lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle salt on top. Place in the oven for about 15 minutes or until desired texture is reached. Be sure to watch the carrots towards the end as they tend to burn quickly. Set aside to cool as they will be hot from the oven.

Source: aspicyperspective.com/healthy-baked-carrot-chips/2/.