If you've been around my community for a while you probably know that I advocate for good-sized meals composed of fat, protein, fiber + color that keep you full for 4-6 hours instead of snacking on small meals throughout the day. However, sometimes there is just too much time between meals and we need a #smartsnack to bridge the gap and keep us from getting hangry before dinner!
You'll notice that each snack I recommend combines fiber with fat and/or protein to keep your blood sugar stable. These are also great options to pack to-go if you're racing out the door. It's easy to reach for a sugar-filled granola bar when you're in a hurry, but with a little pre-planning you can provide yourself with a much healthier, real food option. When you do need a snack, or a mini-meal, here are some of my favorites:
1) Wholly Guacamole Mini with 1 cup of carrot sticks. Pro-tip: Freeze your mini guacamole packs! I buy them in bulk at Costco and keep them in our freezer. When I'm leaving the house I toss the guac in a Stasher Bag with the carrots and it keeps them cool as the guac thaws. An hour or two later I have a refreshing snack!
2) Pink lady apple with 1 tbsp organic peanut butter and cinnamon. Of course your apple doesn't have to be a pink lady, those are just my favorites! Cut up the apple and sprinkle some cinnamon to help balance blood sugar before dipping in the peanut butter.
3) Pear with 1/4 cup of pecans. I love to chop up the pear and eat each bite with a piece of pear and a pecan! The sweet and crunchy are such a yummy combo.
4) Celery with 1 tbsp almond butter. This is a snack my kids love to pack in their lunch! You can fill the celery up with almond butter like little boats. Almond butter squeeze packs come in handy for taking nut butters on-the-go!
5) Mandarin or tangerine with 1/4 cup pistachios. This is our go-to snack for baseball games when we're having dinner later than normal. The vitamin-C is so refreshing if you're feeling the mid-day slump and the healthy fats in the pistachios will keep you energized.
6) Turkey roll-ups with avocado and sliced bell peppers. Lay out 2-3 pieces of deli turkey and add a slice of bell-pepper and avocado, then roll up like a little taco! I also like to add in some “Everything But the Bagel Seasoning''. Mustard or avocado-oil mayo makes a great dip.
7) Sliced cucumber and 2-3 oz of salami. Cucumbers are super hydrating! I like to top each slice of cucumber with a little piece of salami so each bite is cool and crunchy.
I hope these low-maintenance snack ideas are helpful for you! If you need help with meal planning right now, remember that I have four weeks of meal plans included in the LLW Summer Meal Plan. That’s 56 seasonal recipes, all laid out so you know exactly what to eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and dessert.
You can CLICK HERE to get the first week for free.
Then check out the entire LLW Summer Meal Plan HERE.
