5 Healthy On-the-go Snacks
Summer vacation is here and that probably means more traveling and days spent out and about. For our family, this also means planning ahead and making sure that we have healthy and nutritious foods available to either grab easily or keep in the car.
Let me ask you a question: When are you most likely to make unhealthy food choices?
A) When you have tasty snacks pre-packed
or...
B) When you are extremely hungry and desperate to eat anything you can get your hands on?
I would assume that most of you probably answered B to this question. Often times, we make those less then ideal food choices because we are desperately hungry. In these moments we are also more likely to overeat.
According to Clark (2014), "snacks prevent not only hunger sensations but also cravings for sweets... eat before you get too hungry. When you are ravenous, you tend to crave sweets (and fat) and overeat."
My goal today is to help equip you with a few on-the-go options so that you can hopefully avoid these types of situations.
Below you will find 5 options that are either easily prepared or that you can grab at the store the next time you are there. This article is not sponsored in any way. These are just items that my family enjoys!
These simple and delicious energy bars are easy to make and a great "grab & go" snack.These energy bars are made with coconut and cocoa nibs but you can easily alter the recipe to include your favorite add ins.
They take less then 30 minutes to make and are easy to store. The nutrients in these energy bars are sure to give you the energy boost you need to keep you going on any adventure that awaits you!
2) Snackles
This wholesome oat based snack is easy to throw together and it is low in sugar. Snackles can also be made gluten and dairy free for families with allergies and make a great "grab and go" snack any time of day!!
A convenient and tasty way to add fruit to your daily routine! Each bar is made with real fruit plus ingredients like veggies, chia or chocolate with little to no added sugar.
The Mango Apple Chia bar that is pictured is just that. Mango. Apple. and Chia with no added sugars or ingredients. It is gluten free, dairy free, preservative free, low on the glycemic index, and is considered two servings of fruit!
Keep these in your car and grab them when hunger strikes!
4) Make your own trail mix
My kids absolutely love doing this!
I provide them with options and they get to customize it to their liking.
Some of the common items we put into our trail mix are:
-nuts
-dried fruit (raisins, dates, apples, banana chips, pineapple, mango, kiwi, apricots...) just be careful to look for ones without a lot of added sugar
-pretzels
- cereal (puffins, "cheerios", kashi, shredded wheat, ezekiel, uncle sam...)
- unsweetened coconut
-pea crisps
- chocolate chips
The possibilities are endless!
5) On-the go Nut butter packs of choice
I absolutely love these and keep them in my car. These are great by themselves or you can grab some apples or bananas on the way out the door for a protein and carb snack that is great for after the gym or at the playground.
Grab some whole wheat wraps on the way out the door and now you can make a nut butter and apple or banana wrap for lunch!
Barney sells both dip cups and snack packs
I feel like I could just keep sharing more on-the-go snacks for you this summer but I will stop there for now. Remember that you can always pack a little cooler with fruits, veggies, hummus, and hard boiled eggs in it too.
Now it's your turn. What are your favorite on-the-go snacks?
Reference
Clark, N. (2014). Sports Nutrition Guidebook. Newtown, MA: Human Kinetics
