How many of you been in this place before? You are hungry. Really hungry. You didn't bring any healthy snacks with you for your long day. Dang! You decide to make a trip through the Starbucks drive thru and get a blueberry muffin because at least it has blueberries in it and this makes it healthy, right? It's the quickest snack you can get your hands on. Sound familiar? This is a trap we can often fall into, and I definitely have been in this position many times before. Although this type of "snack" will take care of your hunger at the moment, unfortunately, you will find yourself hungry again in about 30 minutes, often times craving more and more sugar and the cycle continues.
Let's take a moment to chat about this blueberry muffin. On average, it has over 360 calories, 15g of fat, 3g of saturated fat, over 33 grams of sugar and it can have up to 35 ingredients! Not to mention, plenty of these ingredients are created in a lab and are unrecognizable to the body. And, 99.9% of the time, zero organic ingredients. It's hard on your pocketbook too- the price ranges anywhere from $4 to $6. Yikes. With a little bit of planning and support, healthy snacks can make their way into your body for amazing fuel for your busy days ahead.
Here are some of my favorite go-to, easy and healthy snack combos. I try to keep at least one of these snacks with me throughout the day so I am well fueled in case of an emergency. These are simple, require little to no prepping, are super yummy and nutritious. Bye bye Starbucks and welcome healthy, nutritious snacks!
With a little bit of planning and support, healthy snack options can make their way into your body for amazing fuel for your busy days ahead.
APPLE SLICES + ALMOND BUTTER (or any nut butter)
Choose a nut butter that has only one ingredient, nuts. Avoid nut butters with added sugars, oils and salt. And, choose organic when possible.
AVOCADO + SEED CRACKERS
Mary's Gone Crackers are a great choice when it comes to a healthy cracker option. There are many crackers that have icky ingredients in them that can be hard on digestion. I love these crackers as my go to. They are full of abundant ingredients such as, organic whole grain brown rice, organic flaxseeds and organic whole grain quinoa. And, with a slice of avocado on top, it makes for a yummy snack!
ALMONDS + DRIED MANGO
This snack is often found with me on my runs. I find that the combination of salt and sweet makes a perfect running snack without having to rely on GU's or other sports fuels which once again have ingredients in them that are hard on the body and make my stomach in knots. Make sure to stick with organic, dried mango with no added sugar or other ingredients, same with the almonds.
HUMMUS + CUCUMBERS (or any raw veggie)
There are many types of hummus in the grocery store that don't have the best ingredients. If I am feeling up for it, I like to make my own. If I don't have the time, I like Hope's Hummus as not only is it 100% organic, but the ingredients are good too.
PUMPKIN SEEDS + DRIED GOJI BERRIES
A pretty easy one that also finds its way into my backpack on long hikes and runs. Goji berries are one of my favorite superfoods which made their way onto my list in My Top 7 Superfoods blog post. These small berries have quite the protein punch and are also high in vitamin C. And, pumpkin seeds are packed with iron, zinc and protein so they are a wonderful snack for sustaining energy.
WALNUTS + BLUEBERRIES
Two powerful brain foods, these two are a strong combo when paired together. Blueberries are that power food that provide quite the anti-oxidants and walnuts are a great source for a plant-based omega 3 fatty acid. Both help with overall inflammation and are a great snack for pre and post workouts.
By introducing some of these snacks into your routine for those busy days ahead, you will have the sustained energy you need to make it through your day. Let me know which combos you tried and how they worked for you!