Healthy Snacks for Your Wedding

When your big day finally arrives, it can be a surprisingly intense experience. There is a lot going on, making sure everyone in the bridal party is ready to go on time, all that pre wedding planning is executed the right way, and in-between all that you’re running around between the wedding ceremony, photos and celebration. It can be hectic!

The sure-fire way to make sure everyone is happy, enjoying their day, and not getting hangry is to keep the snacks going. This will make sure those that need to be are fueled up and feel full and energized, including your bridal party, those giving speeches, and most importantly, you!

You also want to make sure you have snacks available when people start drinking. You might start the day with celebratory champagne or indulge in a cocktail while you’re getting ready with your bridesmaids. Making sure that you have bite-sized food available at these times will ensure no one overindulges and makes a scene.

Healthy Snacks for Your Wedding

Mini Pizzas

These are the perfect midnight snack when you know your wedding is going to be going on into the wee hours. Small enough that people can have a quick pitstop to feel full, the smell of grilled cheese should draw in anyone that has had a few too many chardonnays by this stage. When they’re craving a french fry, a fruit skewer probably isn’t going to be what they’re after! You can make them healthier by using wholemeal bases and adding a few extra servings of veggies in there. My go-to’s are mushrooms and capsicum. Wedding appetizers don’t have to be typical and boring - they can be unique as well!

Protein Bar

A protein bar is the perfect snack to feel full during the pre wedding festivities. Think – getting ready for the day or in between the wedding party photos when everyone is waiting for the wedding ceremony to begin. 

Trail Mix

Keep some trail mix laying around for your wedding party to nibble on at their leisure between hair and makeup. You can offer an assortment of nuts and edamame or you can also do a chex mix trail mix with pretzels, dried fruit, and chocolate chips.

1 Cup Carrots and Hummus

I know if I’m going to be having a hectic day, I’ll pack myself this for a snack box. As far as healthy snacks go, it doesn’t get much better than this. High protein hummus with unprocessed carbohydrates for long-lasting energy and healthy fats. You may also find that you struggle to eat a large meal in the morning on your wedding day. Making sure you’ve got healthy snacks on hand will help you stay cool, calm, and collected all day. If you’re not a fan of hummus, you can do greek yogurt instead.

145 calories

Ingredients

• 1 cup Carrots, baby - 45 calories

• ¼ cup Hummus - 100 calories

Instructions

1. Dip carrots in hummus.

Popcorn

Either done in little bags as wedding favors or an old-school machine where people can help themselves, I love popcorn as a snack at wedding parties. It can be rolled out during the cocktail hour, be at the table when people are listening to speeches or it can be a late-night snack for those tearing up the dance floor. You can sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon for those with a sweet tooth or my new favorite flavor is white cheddar.

Grazing Platters

If you’ve been on Pinterest lately looking for inspiration, weddings filled with grazing platters will have flooded your feed. It’s one of the most popular wedding appetizers right now. A grazing platter can be surprisingly healthy if you build it the right way, so this is one of my favorite wedding food ideas. You want the bulk of the food ideas to be either protein, fat, or non-starchy veggies. This means deli meats, cheese, bell peppers, carrots, celery sticks, hummus, olives, and sundried tomatoes. You can add fruits like grapes, figs, apples, and quince paste. Then you can add some carbohydrates too, like crackers, bread, and pastries. 

This can also be a great idea to have for the bridal party while they’re helping you get into your wedding dress. It means that everyone can eat at their leisure in-between hair and make-up without the food going cold.

Fresh Fruit at the Dessert Bar

If you’re having a wedding food bar for dessert, you definitely want to add fresh fruit to the ice cream and chocolate chips available. Pre-cutting the fruit up into bite-size and placing it on kebab skewers can give your guests a healthy alternative to the wedding cake. You can theme the fruit to your wedding, going tropical if you’re having a destination wedding or oranges if you’re in Florida. Little touches like this can make the wedding more memorable.

Whole Grain Crackers & 1 Guac-To-Go

While your guests are enjoying the cocktail hour before your wedding reception, you’ll be dashing off to get photos. By this stage, you might be in need of some food ideas to keep you going until you finally get to sit down for dinner. Packing some crackers and packaged guacamole will give you a filling snack that’s unlikely to make a mess but give you the energy you need to really make the most of your time with the photographer. You want these pictures to capture how in love you are, so the last thing you want is to be more focused on hunger! It’s not one of the most popular wedding food ideas, but it can definitely be a great idea for a quick healthy snack.

210 calories

Ingredients

• 1 Serving of crackers, whole wheat, 110 calories per serving - 110 calories

• 1 Guacamole, single-serving packet - 100 calories

Instructions

1. Note: Try to choose a whole grain cracker. AkMak or Triscuits are good options available at most stores.

2. Gluten-free? Use gluten free crackers.

Celery & Ranch

If you’re looking for snack wedding ideas that you can have as you’re getting ready, then this has to be on your list. It won’t leave you bloated but will help you feel hydrated and refreshed as you get ready, do your make-up and hair then slip your wedding dress on. Pre-cut your celery or buy it all ready to go. You can also put the dressing in smaller containers so that each member of your bridal party has their own serving. Instead of the ranch, you can also do greek yogurt as a dip (it’s also a source of healthy fats). 

90 calories

Ingredients

• 1 cup Celery stalks, chopped in half - 16 calories

• 1 Tbsp Dressing, ranch, full fat - 74 calories

Instructions

1. Slice celery

2. Dip into ranch

Jerky

One thing about jerky, which makes them another great wedding snack option is the fact that you can eat them without utensils and without making any mess. Not eating animal protein? Try Epic brand’s Salmon Jerky. No jerky at all? Have 2 hard boiled eggs, 2 string cheeses or trail mix instead.

120 calories

Ants on a Log

Sometimes you just need something a bit more satiating to hold you over. Ants on a log are a perfect healthy snack to help you stay full until cocktail hour or the reception. 

326 calories

Ingredients

• ½ cup Celery stalks, chopped in half - 8 calories

• 2 Tbsp Peanut butter, unsweetened (Tbsp) - 188 calories

• ¼ cup Raisins - 130 calories

Directions

1. Top celery with peanut butter and raisins.

2. No nuts? Use any other seed butter

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