The problem with snacks isn’t just that they contain unwanted sugars, fats and other ingredients. They also fill you up, leaving less appetite for the fresh, nourishing foods that are an essential part of the Budwig Diet.

Sweet Snacks

Conventional sweets and sugary snacks are absolutely forbidden on the Budwig Diet. This includes boiled sweets, chocolate bars, protein bars, muesli bars, oat bars, cakes, pastries, biscuits, doughnuts and similar products.

Ready-made sweet snacks will contain sugar, honey (if used in manufactured foods it will have been heated and is therefore also not permitted), fructose, glucose syrup, concentrated fruit juice, maple syrup, corn syrup, fruit nectar, agave syrup or similar sweeteners. They are all forms of sugar and are not allowed.

Some products are promoted as “sugar-free”, but they often contain sugars deceptively listed under less familiar names. Artificial sweeteners are also not permitted.

The safest approach is simply to avoid ready-made packaged snack foods altogether.

A Healthier Little Treat for Children

Johanna Budwig allows children to have dried dates as an occasional alternative to sweets.  However, she doesn’t mention anything about adults having them. Perhaps she thinks grown-ups don’t handle fruit sugars as well or should have grown out of sweet foods?

Be aware that foods for children that are made “sugar-free”, even raw foods, often contain a lot of dried fruit as sweetening, so again they are high in sugar and must be avoided.

Savoury snacks

Savoury snacks invariably contain salt, fats, oils and even sugar.  Even if the packaging claims they are healthy they are not permitted. Don’t question it – just avoid them.  No roasted, coated, toasted nuts, etc.  Peanuts are not allowed in any form.  No crisps. No pies or pastries.   Almost everything sold in shops as a savoury snack is not allowed.

Nuts may be eaten as an ingredient in meals, but not as snacks.

If you are genuinely hungry between meals, you may have a slice of wholemeal bread with one of the foods permitted on the daily menu. Better to have it as part of a meal, though.