Snack Plate 101
My favorite snacks, plates, and go-to formula for a perfectly balanced lunch.
In the last few weeks, my snack plates have resulted in over 110,000 impressions and a 40% increase in subscribers.
Because of all of those extra eyeballs and because this post was literally requested by multiple people, every time I have thought about writing this post, I have found myself procrastinating actually doing it. I have felt a ton of pressure to make some grand statement or reveal some deeper meaning about my snack plates.
But the truth is that it really isn’t that serious or even that intentional. The truth is that I hate lunch. I hate thinking about it, I hate making it, I hate eating it. And yet lunch is extremely necessary for obvious reasons. I’m not a big sandwich person and salads are something I have to really be in the mood for, or just aren’t as filling as I’d like them to be.
Enter: the snack plate, partially inspired by my love of making elaborate charcuterie boards, a lunch I actually look forward to both making and eating for a few reasons:
They can be put together in 20 minutes or less, no cooking needed and with very few dirty dishes.
No matter the ingredients or what the finished product looks like, assembling a snack plate is essentially an art project.
They’re satiating and filling enough to fuel my afternoon workouts (I usually eat a snack plate about 60-90 minutes beforehand) and hold me over until dinner without making me feel overly full or sluggish.
They force me to eat slower (I tend to eat way too fast) and be more mindful about what I’m eating.
So many flavors and textures on one plate which makes them much more interesting and enjoyable than I ever thought lunch could be.
Shopping for the ingredients adds an extra element of fun to grocery shopping each week. I’m always looking for new items to include or flavor combinations to try and take seasonality into account as well.
Because “snack plate” is the format rather than the recipe, I can eat them daily without getting sick of them.
They’re great for sharing. If I have friends over I’ll often make a larger-scale version to enjoy together.
And if I still haven’t convinced you why the snack plate is a perfect lunch, Mary Jantsch’s response to to one of my recent snack plates perfectly sums it up:
My Formula for the Perfect Snack Plate
I try to ensure that every snack plate has at least a little bit of variation to it and the ingredients are often dictated by the season, but the formula always follows the same pattern. When it comes to actually assembling the snack plate, I typically follow the order below, with the first few items taking up the most space on the plate to ensure a good balance.
Something Green: Almost always mini cucumbers, cut fresh and on a bias1, topped with salt.
Fruit: This changes with the seasons. For the last few weeks it’s been sumo oranges and sometimes Asian pears, but stonefruit season has started in California so my plates will soon be filled with peaches, nectarines, plums, or apricots.
Protein: Always prosciutto, either this one or this one from Trader Joe’s. You could also try other cured or deli meats, or even soft or hard boiled eggs, but in my opinion prosciutto is the best companion for the cheese and fruit on the plate.
Cheese: There are few things I love more than fresh mozzarella (topped with salt). I prefer the kind packed in water and usually get the bocconcini or ciliegine, which make portioning easier and keep the cheese fresher for longer. I also love the Trader Joe’s Mini Brie Bites or an English Cheddar.
Something Salty and/or Crunchy: Most of the time this is candied pecans (I get them at Trader Joe’s), but sometimes it’s pretzels or homemade chex mix if I have that on hand.
Something Sweet: I always have multiple dessert options to choose from. My favorite, and probably the most aesthetically pleasing, are the LU Petit Écolier cookies (dark chocolate only). This brand is practically identical if you can’t find LU. I also recently picked up a box of these s’mores cookies which are fantastic. Otherwise, I’ll add whatever form of chocolate I have in the pantry, dates with peanut butter, or a homemade option if it’s available.
Wildcard: Occasionally I’ll add an extra item or two, depending on who I’m making a snack plate for and/or what I have on hand. I’ve found that graham crackers are a perfect compliment to everything above (I like this brand the best), but it’s also a great opportunity to use up leftovers, like scallion pancakes.
My Favorite Plates & Vessels
I have found that the perfect vessels for snack plates are roughly 8”-9.5” in diameter, and have a very narrow rim and a very minimal lip to maximize surface area and avoid too much movement. If I’m making a shareable snack plate, or eating it outside, I like to prepare it on a baking sheet. I think you could also have a lot of fun with unique shapes, like a deviled egg plate.
Vintage Buffalo China Restaurant Ware Plate. Alternate colorways here, here, and here
You can shop all of my favorite plates & vessels here.
If you make a snack plate inspired by this post, I’d love to see it! Feel free to share photos in the comments or tag me on Notes or on Instagram.
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Alternate the bias cut to get the triangle-like shape.
I had a huge grin on my face while reading this! How thoroughly you’ve considered the perfect Snack Plate is a true art. 🤌🏻
This part also captured my heart “I always have multiple dessert options to choose from.”
I’m excited to make more snack plates following your formula. Thank you, Skylar!
We are not worthy 🙌🏻