Alright everyone, the topic of today's post is healthy snacking. If you're like me, you're most likely running from place to place all day, every day because you're busy hustling. It's important to find the time to eat right though, especially if you're looking to keep your body in check. It's easy to indulge when you're on-the-go, but there are plenty of other quick and delicious options out there that'll fuel your bod so you can always bring your A game. Here are a few of my favorite healthy snacks:
1. Banana Shake: Take one ripe banana and blend it with low-fat milk. Yeah, it's the easiest smoothie ever. It's not creative by any means, but it's delicious and quick. I do this whenever I have bananas that are about to go bad! The drink's naturally sweet so I make it when I'm craving dessert. TIP: rinse your blender out quickly to minimize your cleaning efforts. To see more recipes, make sure y'all browse my smoothie pinterest board.
2. Whole Grain Chips + Guacamole: I pretty much buy everything in bulk (to get the most bang for my buck) so I'll be talking about Costco a LOT today. Purchase individually packaged containers of guac from 'em and pick up whole grain tortilla chips for a solid midday snack. I always make sure to grab a bag of Luke's Organic Sweet Potato, Hemp & Buckwheat multigrain & seed chips their because they're healthy AND delicious. Make sure you guys pay attention to serving size though - it's easy to go overboard so don't eat from the bag.
3. PopChips + Salsa: PopChips are yet another fave of mine! I'm a potato chip junkie so these are a godsend when I'm in the mood for salty morsels of deliciousness. They're available in a slew of different flavors, but I'm all about sea salt. Eat it with some chunky salsa - Jack's Special Garden Fresh Gourmet is my fave - and you'll be good to go. Oh, and like no. 2 above, pay attention to serving sizes. Salsas aren't usually high in calories, but you want to pay attention to sodium and whatnot. Be mindful of nutritional labels!
4. Assortment of Nuts: Fat intake is crucial to your diet! Contrary to popular belief, eating fat does not MAKE you fat. In fact, you need a solid amount of unsaturated fat in your diet to fuel your body and absorb key nutrients like vitamins A, D, E, and K & antioxidants like lycopene and beta-carotene. The only fat you don't need? Trans fats. A handful of nuts will give you a good dose of vitamin E, fiber and magnesium so grab your favorite kind and get your munch on! Oh, and if you prefer peanut butter, you can enjoy a spoonful of that instead - just make sure it's natural peanut butter. You know, the one with the oil at the top? That's where the party's at!
5. Almond Flour Banana Bread: I know this may sound disgusting, but I'm all about almond flour. I'm not going to lie to you and say this taste's better than "regular" banana bread, but it'll grow on you. I've been using Live Simply's recipe, and it's super on point, but instead of walnuts, I mix in dark chocolate chips! If you decide to try this, let me know what you think.
6. Bare Fruit Chips: I can't even begin to tell you guys how awesome these chips are - I even got my dad hooked on these babies! They sell a good number of flavors and carry a bunch organic options as well if that tickles your fancy. I recommend the toasted coconut chips, fuji & reds organic apple chips, and simply banana chips.
7. Tomato & Feta Salad: This is hella simple, but super nutritious and seriously nomtastic. Take a bunch of grape tomatoes and slice them in half! Toss them in EVOO + balsamic vinegar and add sliced basil (as much or as little as you want) and a bit of feta cheese to add that extra dimension of flavor. If you're looking to cut calories hardcore, skip the cheese - trust me when I say it's not necessary! The salad still tastes delish without it.
8. Grapefruit Cups: Costco's Kirkland Grapefruit cups are the bee's knees. I purchase a box of these every time I go because they're so freakin' yummy. Yes, they're packed in light syrup, but that's ok - just don't drink all of the liquid, ha.
9. Low-fat Yogurt with Fresh Fruit: I pretty much love all things yogurty - I'm not really sure if that's a word, but I'm going to go ahead and assume that you know exactly what I mean - so I couldn't resist listing this. I've tried to get into low-fat plain greek yogurt, but I just can't do it because I think it tastes awful. Lucky for me (and you), fresh fruit and honey swoops in to save the day. Adding healthy mix-ins make all the difference in the world! I like to buy yogurt in large containers to save $$$, but Costco sells individually packed containers for much less if you find yourself constantly on the go. NOTE: they almost always have coupons for them so keep an eye out. Oh, and one last thing, make sure there isn't a ridiculous amount of sugar listed on the nutritional label. Remember, we want to stick with healthy options!
10. Oatmeal n' Berries: I don't know about you guys, but I'm a fan of both sweet and savory oatmeal dishes. In fact, when I was in college, I used to eat Quaker oats with kimchi every day for breakfast. That may sound gross to you, but it was all sorts of yum for me. Nowadays I'm all about oatmeal with frozen berries...which I also purchase in bulk at Costco, ha. Yes, I get fresh ones when I can, but if not, I just toss a handful in when I'm cooking up a storm at my stove. If I feel like treating myself fully, I throw in some brown sugar as well! I'll make sure to write a post featuring my fave combos soon, but until then, enjoy these recipes.
Alright folks, that's it for today! What do you guys like to snack on? Do any of these sound good to you? For more healthy snacks and recipes, make sure y'all hit up my pinterest account. I'm obsessed with the platform so I update it pretty much 24/7. Here are some boards you may be interested in: Avocado Love, Let's Eat Clean, Healthy Body, Healthy Soul, and Healthy Breakfast Foods.
Great options and selections! :)
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