Not all vegetarian snacks need to be simple veggie sticks, florets, or even nuts.
There are limitless options available to anyone that wants to try something new.
Spending a little time searching online, you can find many easy to prepare ideas for whole foods snacks.
One easy to prepare and enjoyable snack or side dish has its origin in the Mediterranean.
Hummus, tabbouleh, and pita bread or chips is served in Greece and throughout the Middle East.
Hummus is a spread made from chick peas and ground sesame seed paste, called tahini.
Homemade hummus is a relatively low carbohydrate dip that is easy to make with a blender or food processor.
Start with chick peas and tahini.
Drizzle in extra virgin olive oil, salt to taste, and fresh squeezed lemon juice.
You can also add other flavors like mint, sumac, paprika, or roasted garlic.
Tabbouleh is a parsley salad which is full of vegetables and cracked whole wheat.
To make it you will need cracked whole wheat, called bulgur, parsley, mint, cucumbers, tomatoes, lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, onion, and salt and pepper to taste.
Like hummus, you can add extra herbs or spices to tabbouleh depending on your preference.
Whole grain pita bread is expensive in stores but is easy to make at home.
Find a recipe that uses whole wheat or other flours that are whole grains rather than refined starches.
You may need a pizza stone or another oven safe large item that holds heat well to get a nice brown color to your pita.
To serve this exotic snack there are two choices.
First leave the pita bread whole next to the hummus and tabbouleh and spread a little hummus over it and then top it with the tabbouleh.
The other option is to break your pita bread into chips after it cools, drizzle with olive oil, and bake them again for homemade baked pita chips.
And then use the hummus and tabbouleh as a dip for your chips.
Either makes a great snack or side dish.