I don't know what it is about the word "snack", but my toddler will do just about anything for one. Some days she only wants snacks. So, eggs and bacon for breakfast becomes eggs and bacon for snack. See what I did there? It works for now anyway.
Everyone is constantly on-the-go these days and leaving the house unprepared means you and your kids are likely:
chowing on convenience store foods
hitting up a drive-thru, or
hungry, having a meltdown and snapping at each other
So, I'm going to indulge in my love of list-making and give you my go-to list of snacks so you can be at the top of your snack game. I've broken it down into three sections so you can find a solution based on the amount of effort required.
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You may be able to find some of these products at your local grocery store so check out the image, even if you don't make a purchase, so you know what you're looking for. These are brands I know, like and trust so I want to make sure you are getting the ones I recommend.
Pre-Packaged Options
I'm a stickler for ingredients. These products meet my standards so I feel good about keeping them on-hand for quick, easy options. I usually have a few stashed in my purse at all times. I like to buy some of these in bulk online to save cash and time.
FBomb Keto Krunch - Cheese crisps that satisfy the crunch. These are a newer product and people love them. These are a great low-carb option, which will keep your blood sugar steady and keep you full.
Lara Bars - I like these because of their simple ingredients. Dates are a natural sweetener and one of my top recommendations as far as sweeteners go, but they are still sweeteners. Just something to keep in mind if you are trying to reduce your sugar consumption.
Chomps - These are delicious and are a great low-carb, high protein snack. One stick contains 9g of protein and they are Whole30 compliant. They are super portable and keep me full until mealtime.
Epic Bars - These are also low-carb and excellent source of protein. Their flavors and meat options are a little more adventurous if you're into that. One bar contains 9g of protein. These are one of the more expensive snacks, but buying in bulk helps.
Epic Pork Rinds - If mess isn't a concern, then these are a great snack or alternative to potato chips.
Lesser Evil Paleo Puffs - I just recently found these and they are big hit in our house. They are grain-free so they are a great option if food allergies are a concern. They use coconut oil (good source of healthy fat) and they have a bit of a sweet taste since they are made from cassava and sweet potato.
WholeMe Clusters - These are like mini grain-free granola bars. They use honey as the sweetener, also on my approved list, but they are not overly sweetened.
Siete Foods Cashew Queso and Chips - Siete Foods makes some of the best allergen friendly foods for the lover of Mexican food like me. I recently tried the queso and thought it was delicious. If dairy isn't your friend give it a try. The chips are amazing and you can now find them in more flavors.
Dark Chocolate 85-100% - Not everyone is a fan of chocolate this dark. There was a day I couldn't even eat the Hershey's Special Dark, which is NOT 85%. There are many brands making good quality dark chocolate now. Because it's low in sugar and higher in fat, it's very satiating and just a little bit goes a long way. If you're grossed out, but miss chocolate...try to gradually increase the percentage until you enjoy it. Your tastebuds will change.
Olives - I linked to one of my favorite olives, but truth be told, I've never met an olive I didn't like. They are an excellent source of fat. I try to eat organic olives and if they're in oil, make sure it's a good quality oil.
Quick and Easy Real-Food Options
These require little to no prep or can be prepped ahead of time.
Apple w/ nuts or unsweetened nut butter - These FBOMB nut butter packets are great for on-the-go. You can eat them alone or with your apple.
Avocado - I cut it half and eat it with a spoon. Do you have trouble finding the perfect avocado? Check out this post.
Raw Nuts - I personally soak mine overnight and then dehydrate them to make them easier to digest, but if you don't do that, you can literally eat them out of the bag.
Sausage & Cheese - Buy a good quality summer sausage or pack a Chomps stick to pair with a grass-fed, full-fat cheese. If you can find raw, grass-fed cheese even better.
Boiled Eggs - Boil them in advance, then peel and sprinkle with some sea salt before you leave the house. Buying free range, pastured eggs are the best quality eggs that pack the most nutrients.
Veggies w/ guacamole - I mash up avocado with a little lime juice and salt for a quick "guacamole", or Wholly Guacamole makes great portable guacamole with clean ingredients, but my fave is the Trader Joe's brand. You can peel and/or chop your veggies in advance too.
Veggies w/ hummus - A good quality hummus is almost impossible to buy. They are usually made with canola oil which is not something I recommend. However, if you're not into making your own hummus I say buy the best quality you can find and don't sweat it.
Rollups - You can get as creative as you want with these. I choose to not be creative and make them with meat, avocado, and maybe wrap it around a veggie. Here's a really good not so basic option.
Fruit - Depending on where you're headed you can stick to the highly portable options like apples, bananas, grapes or pack cut up fruits with a few forks. I love watermelon and berries in the summer. Whichever you choose, just make sure they can't get smashed or you'll end up with a nice juice or puree.
Are you snacking because you're really hungry or is it just another craving?
Learn to tell the difference!
These require a little more effort, but can be made in advance and they freeze nicely. So if you're graced with an extra hour of time you can whip these up and then pull them out when needed.
No-Bake Pumpkin Protein Bars - These need to be kept cold because they are too soft at room temp.
Grain-Free Granola - This is great eaten alone, along side fruit or on top of yogurt. It's so good.
Paleo Chewy Trail Mix Bars - Yum. I love so many of Jennifer Robins recipes and this one is no exception.
Zucchini Carrot Souffle Muffins - This one gets rave reviews from all my clients and is an easy way to get in more veggies.
Fat Bombs - These have to be kept cold or they'll melt, but these are a really great snack.
Frozen Smoothie Pops - I can literally make any smoothie and freeze it into popsicle molds and they are demolished. Not great for travel, but awesome to have on hand for the summer months.
Bottom Line
I'm always armed with snacks when I leave the house because I'd rather have a good option available in a pinch than be left with a screaming toddler. If I'm going to be out for a while then don't forget to pack something for yourself. Mama's gotta eat too. I hope this list inspires you to up your snacking game. Let me know your thoughts in the comments.
Be empowered,
Amanda
This post contains affiliate links. If you click on the link and make a purchase I will receive a small commission. There is no cost to you when purchasing through an affiliate link on this website.